Foresight 50+ by AARP & NORC

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A New Generation of Research

Foresight 50+ by AARP and NORC offers deep insight into the views and behaviors of Americans 50 and older. We partner with researchers and decision-makers to survey older Americans on everything from what they buy to what they think. We're the largest high-quality survey panel on this demographic, combining the consumer expertise of AARP with the scientific rigor of NORC to amplify the voice of the fastest-growing age group in the country.

Foresight 50+ is committed to making the needs, wants, and experiences of older adults not only heard, but understood. Our panel helps ensure that companies and organizations creating policies, products, and services that impact adults 50 and older do so with the best possible data. Foresight 50+ is the go-to research panel for clients interested in learning what makes this dynamic and influential group of older consumers tick. To find out more about the importance of the U.S. 50+ population, read more here.

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Why Choose Foresight 50+?

Size: Foresight 50+ is the largest high-quality research panel of Americans aged 50 and over. Researchers know that insights are only as good as the quality of the data they are based on. The dramatic decrease in telephone land lines makes it harder to create truly representative, high-quality panels. But Foresight 50+ combines proven sampling methods, such as mailings and phone calls, with in-person recruitment of participants. This ensures we’re reaching all corners of the nation.

Accuracy: NORC’s scientific rigor delivers reliable, actionable insights to decision-makers who can’t afford to be wrong. Much of the other research done on 50+ adults is based on skewed opt-in samples or very low response rates, which results in a distorted picture of this population.

Representation: We go the extra mile during recruiting to make sure every segment of the diverse 50-and-over population is represented on the panel. Foresight 50+ also engages its panelists online and on the phone, so that everyone has an opportunity to share their opinions regardless of whether, or how often, they go online. This intense focus on accurate representation means clients won't miss out on the thoughts of harder-to-reach audience segments — and won't make bad business decisions based on bad data.

Expertise: Foresight 50+ combines the consumer expertise of AARP with the trusted science of NORC to amplify the voice of this influential group of Americans. Americans 50 and older have demonstrated that they have significant buying power and political power. For instance, even though the 50-and-over population was less than 40% of the country in 2020, it was 52% of registered voters. Knowing what this group thinks is business-critical.

Customized Foresight 50+ Surveys

We work with you to build surveys that answer your unique questions. The large Foresight 50+ panel can oversample a variety of targeted groups, such as Medicare beneficiaries, grandparents, frequent travelers, etc. And with NORC's affordable TrueNorth methodology, Foresight 50+ can incorporate data from lower quality sample sources such as nonprobability panels to gain insight into even smaller subpopulations such as people with food allergies, veterans, and those with various health conditions.

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Difference between Foresight 50+ and Opt-In Panels

Our scientific rigor and representative recruiting ensure results that are more accurate and dependable than nonprobability, opt-in surveys. While opt-in surveys can be lower cost, they’re also lower quality. Nonprobability samples have gaps that can produce misleading data, sending your business strategy in the wrong direction. But Foresight 50+ uses a pre-screened, nationally representative pool of participants from NORC’s highly valued AmeriSpeak Panel. This provides researchers with the infrastructure for rapid, reliable, and projectable data collections.

Sample and Methodology
Foresight 50+ is a nationally representative sample. Households are selected randomly from NORC’s National Sample Frame, representing nearly all U.S. 50+ households.

Foresight 50+ uses U.S. mail notifications, telephone interviewers, and in‐person field interviewers to recruit panel households. We follow up multiple times with non-respondents to ensure a panel that represents all segments of America's diverse and evolving population.

We invest in recruiting panelists who can be hard to reach, such as rural and lower-income households, Spanish speakers, and less-educated people.

Because of this rigorous recruitment, Foresight 50+ surveys achieve the highest response rates of any multi-client research panel. Our multi-mode approach to engaging panelists and conducting surveys is critical to achieving a truly representative sample of the entire 50+ population.

Case Studies


Case Study: Mental Health in Covid Times
For Americans aged 50 and over, the pandemic has increased loneliness and anxiety and made them worry more about the future.
Case Study: Attitudes about Social Security
As we mark the 85th anniversary of Social Security, a survey found enormous support for the program, with most American adults thinking it was even more vital during the pandemic.
Case Study: Personal Tech and the Pandemic
Americans aged 50 and over conquered social distancing by adopting technology, with a Foresight 50+ survey finding major increases in the use of personal devices and positive attitudes toward them during the pandemic.

Sample Foresight 50+ Data

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WANT MORE INFORMATION?

Martha Cowley | Client Services Manager
Foresight50-BD@norc.org

About AARP


AARP is the nation’s largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering people 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With a nationwide presence and nearly 38 million members, AARP strengthens communities and advocates for what matters most to families: health security, financial stability and personal fulfilment. AARP also produces the nation's largest circulation publications: AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org or www.aarp.org/espanol.

About NORC


NORC at the University of Chicago conducts research and analysis that decision-makers trust. As a nonpartisan research organization and a pioneer in measuring and understanding the world, we have studied almost every aspect of the human experience and every major news event for more than eight decades. Today, we partner with government, corporate, and nonprofit clients around the world to provide the objectivity and expertise necessary to inform the critical decisions facing society. www.norc.org


WANT MORE INFORMATION?


Martha Cowley
Client Services Manager
Foresight50-BD@norc.org

Foresight 50+
Our main panel

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Foresight 50+ Omnibus
A rapid-result option

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Foresight 50+ Omnibus is a high-quality, cost-effective option for clients who need rapid research results. Omnibus clients receive survey results from 1,000 adults within two weeks of submitting questions. Omnibus is an affordable option for measuring brand awareness, tracking consumer sentiment or testing messaging or ad campaigns.


Foresight 50+ Technical Overview
Our latest report summarizing the procedures for creating the Foresight 50+ Panel

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Foresight 50+ Demographics Report
Our latest report demonstrating the sample representativeness of Foresight 50+

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PRESS & MEDIA

Contact: young-eric@norc.org