partners
Age UK / ENGAGE Business Network
rhc advantage supports the aims of Age UK and is a member of the Age UK ‘Engage business network’, which brings companies together to share expertise in meeting the needs and requirements of older consumers, to promote best practice, and to advise on adapting business models and products for an ageing society.
Age UK is a charity and social enterprise with a turnover of nearly £400 million with its brand partners, which was formed when Age Concern and Help the Aged were combined in 2009. Age UK is inspired by the belief that it can improve the lives of people in later life. It celebrates ageing and believes it presents unprecedented opportunities and challenges at home and abroad. Age UK challenges ageist prejudice in society, provides services that address market failures and supports the public and private sectors to design age-friendly products and services. www.ageuk.org.uk
Professor David Gilbert
- BA(Hons) Lon. MA, DipM, PhD, MCIM, MMRS, ILTA
David is Professor of Marketing at the School of Management, University of Surrey.
He has held various posts and roles within the University including Director of MSc and Doctoral programmes, various Chairs including Board of Examiners, Academic Misconduct Board and served on Senate. He teaches at Masters and Doctoral level, in the UK and in many countries abroad, including Barbados, China, Germany and Mauritius.
David previously worked as Product Manager and Marketing Manager for the Rank Organisation and as Assistant Production Editor for Woman's Own Magazine. He is now editorial board member of the Journal of Hospitality and Leisure Management.
David has written numerous journal articles, and also two best-selling textbooks. David's co-authored book 'Tourism: Principles and Practice' is in its 3rd edition, has been translated into 5 other languages, and is the best selling tourism textbook internationally, such that it has been adopted by many institutions around the world.
David has varied out many consultancy assignments, for clients such as BA, BP, Barbados Tourism Authority, Rentokil Initial and Wilkinson Sword.
Professor Paul Sweeting
Paul is Professor of Actuarial Science at the University of Kent. He also acts as an independent consultant on longevity, investment and pensions issues. As one of the UK’s leading actuarial experts, Paul is well-placed to predict and assess the financial implications of an ageing population – skills which we believe also have great value in a marketing context.
Paul is affiliated to a number of professional bodies – he is a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries, a Fellow of the Royal Statistical Society, a Member of the Securities and Investment Institute and a CFA Charterholder. His involvement with the UK Actuarial Profession is the most long-standing. As well as having been elected to the Council of the Institute of Actuaries, he chairs a number of committees and serves on several more.
Before joining the University of Kent, Paul held a number of roles in pensions, insurance and investment. Most recently, he was responsible for developing the longevity reinsurance strategy for Munich Reinsurance, before which he was Director of Research at Fidelity Investments' Retirement Institute. Prior to this he gained extensive experience as a consulting actuary advising on pensions and investment issues for a range of pension schemes and their corporate sponsors. www.paulsweeting.com
Race Online 2012
rhc advantage is an Official Partner of Race Online 2012, the campaign to increase internet usage in the UK. Led by Martha Lane Fox, who was appointed UK Digital Champion by David Cameron in June 2012, Race Online 2012 aims to get as many people as possible online by the end of the Olympic Year, and everyone of working age by 2014.
Martha launched the ‘Manifesto for a Networked Nation’ on July 12th. This identifies the importance of internet usage to society and to individuals, and highlights the potentially negative consequences for the 10 million people in the UK who have never been online. Internet usage declines with age, but the report confirms that “the links between social disadvantage and internet non-use are strong” and the key factors are age, health, employment and income. www.raceonline2012.org
rhc visual strategy
rhc visual strategy is an integrated creative and design agency: a creative hothouse which has delivered effective solutions to marketing challenges across all media for the past 25 years.
rhc specialise in integrated design and communications, with a genuine commitment to challenge conventional thinking. Their offices in Odiham include an experienced creative, design and production team, offering a comprehensive and reliable service, from brilliant creative strategy through to flawless execution. www.rhc.uk.com
Wise Branding
Wise Branding is a market research company specialising in the over 50s. Their great strength is qualitative research conducted by experienced researchers who really understand older people. This includes expertise with the ‘older old’ in terms of recruitment, interviewing techniques and stimulus material development. Wise Branding run Educational Workshops on Retirement, Ageing Well, and How to Care for Older People, and also have expertise with disabled people of all ages.
Wise Branding was set up by Melanie Haslam. Prior to this, Melanie was a client Market Research Manager and a Planner and Board Director at Young and Rubicam. She holds the Diploma of the Market Research Society and the Human Givens Diploma (both with Distinction), and the Certificate for the Introduction to Group Analysis from the Institute of Group Analysis. Melanie was also an IPA Effectiveness Award winner.