We sit down with Dave McCaughan as we continue exploring "The New Contract of Retirement" across Asia.

Dave has coined, championed, and now serves as the epitome of "The New Life Builder" . But what is this "New Life" actually built on, and why should brands look to be part of its foundations?

With four decades of advertising experience with McCann across Bangkok, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Tokyo, Dave spotted the implications of this emerging demographic shift far earlier than most. Where his focus groups among older adults kept revealing a mindset of 'what's next?'....rather than what's been.

Even since, Dave's passion has been to rethink what is happening within the region's fast-aging population. And in particular understand and debunk the myths which underpin marketers' common reluctance to target the over 60's.

From Japanese electric guitar booms and the rituals of "Macca's Mondays", to rediscovering the wonders of Disneyland and intergenerational travel, Dave brings to life inspirational anecdotes that dismantle marketing myths about the older demographic, one after another, including:

1. "They don't buy stuff" (Reality: 50%+ of value sales across most categories)
2. "They don't try new brands" (Reality: they've been switching for 40+ years)
3. "They can't use technology" (Reality: your research problem, not theirs)
4. "We don't need older employees" (Reality: you can't target what you don't understand)

Dave's Reality Check: "60 is the new 60" - stop trying to make them look 25, start serving them as confident 60-year-olds who know what they want and have money to spend on it.

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As we're continuing our journey into the world of retirement, our guide today is Dr. Shiori Shakuto, author of "After Work: Japanese Silver Backpackers in Malaysia." In this episode, Shiori is helping Drago and Scott explore the evolving perceptions of retirement across Asia. Dr. Shakuto's groundbreaking anthropological research reveals how Japanese retirees are rejecting traditional expectations and embracing hypermobility, self-discovery, and new forms of community.

What We Discuss:

Debunking Retirement Myths

• Is retirement a time of immobility or hypermobility?
• How do 20-30 years of healthy post-work life create opportunities for self-discovery?
• How is the old social contract being renegotiated?

The Gender Divide in Aging

• How are men and women's expectations of post-retirement marriage experience different?
• What are the different ways in which men and women choose to create and maintain networks and what does yogurt have to do with it?
• What is the nureochiba - i.e. men as wet fallen leaves - phenomenon about?

Transnational Retirement Migration

• Why is Malaysia attractive to Japanese "silver backpackers"?
• What does their perception of Malaysia say about the way they view present-day Japan?

Redefining Contribution

• What does the retiree's desire to be 'useful' look like and how is it manifested?
• How are domestic and neighborhood contributions evaluated in comparison to public volunteering?

About Our Guest: Dr. Shiori Shakuto is a lecturer in anthropology at the University of Sydney and a feminist anthropologist specialising in gender and household dynamics in Japan. Her book "After Work: Japanese Silver Backpackers in Malaysia" explores how Japanese retirees are redefining post-work life through transnational migration and community building.

Resources:

• "After Work: Japanese Silver Backpackers in Malaysia" by Dr. Shiori Shakuto

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Scott and Drago return, introducing their new research: Retirement: The New Contract.

Silvers, Seniors, Boomers...labels that dismiss older adults as a homogeneous audience. Yet, across developed Asia, the older demographic is growing not only in size, but also in its diversity, influence and spending power.

So, why are they so often ignored or misrepresented by brands?

With the nature of work rapidly changing and the official retirement age rising, we wanted to shine a light on one of life's key inflection points: retirement. Our proprietary research among 55–75-year-old Singaporeans and Japanese, alongside academic experts, revealed how diverse and complex this life-stage can be. And crucially, how the old contract of retirement is no longer fit for purpose.

In this episode, we introduce the 6 dimensions that define modern retirement, each representing an opportunity space for brands.

Over the next few weeks, we’ll be sharing episodes covering perspectives from experts reimagining what retirement, and in turn aging, means in Asia today.

Want to learn more? Get in touch to request a bespoke presentation of our findings, and their implications.

www.potluckpodcast.asia/