Boomers. Are Advertisers Missing Out?

By Charlene Weisler

Are Boomers a missed opportunity? Youth has always been a desired target demographic group for advertisers. But the genus of this attraction started in the 1960s when the youth oriented ABC network decided to shift the conversation from strictly male and female audience targeting to age and gender. In other words, it was a marketing ploy and that ploy has gained credence over the decades.

According to a recent study by IPSOS in the U.K., the impact of aging on societies will be greater than the impact of Millennial “disrupters”.  The report notes that “rising life expectancy and falling birth rates mean populations around the world are getting older. The shift has been gradual, and because humanity is better at spotting immediate change or danger, rather than noticing steady transformation, our shared understanding about what later life is like is woefully out of date. It is portrayed as a ’narrative of decline’ – not a time of opportunity and change.”

Older adults are not slowing down, according to the study, but rather are taking on new challenges, roles and responsibilities and, because of medical breakthroughs, are more active and enjoying life more than previous generations.

Advertisers are advised to promote inclusion and respect:

  • Advertising Presence. Older people are largely absent from advertising messages, despite having a disposable income that makes them worth courting.
  • Advertising Depiction. When older people are included in ads, it is often in an unflattering light – as comic relief or as exploiting stereotypes.

The AARP reported that adults 50+ are responsible for 51% of all consumer spending despite being only 45% of all adults. They are projected to have 70% of all U.S. disposable income over the next five years  and currently have a greater share of spend across a wide range of categories such new cars and trucks (57%), personal care products and services (53%), household furnishings and equipment (52%), and entertainment (51%).  And yet, AARP finds that this group is targeted by just 5%-10% of all marketing efforts. Ignoring the older consumer is simply bad business.

Related Stories

Quality Matters

A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE FROM KARGO Friday March 29, 2024 Kargo: A Commitment to Quality Delivers Big Benefits to Advertisers and Publishers By E.B. Moss What happens when programmatic technology is left to its own devices? Advertisers find themselves footing the bill for less effective inventory. But, even more disheartening, is the fact that […]

Cynopsis 03/29/24: “Mayor of Kingstown” sets return date

"Mayor of Kingstown" sets return date

Friday March 29, 2024 Today’s Premieres Apple TV+: Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock Disney+: Renegade Nell Fox Nation: Crime Cam 24/7 HBO: Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show at 11p Hulu/Peacock: Fright Krewe Netflix: Is It Cake? Paramount+: A Gentleman in Moscow Today’s Finale Apple TV+: The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin Saturday’s Premieres A&E: […]

Cynopsis 03/28/24: GroupM doubles commitment to women’s sports

GroupM doubles commitment to women's sports

Thursday March 28, 2024 Today’s Premieres Hulu: We Were the Lucky Ones Netflix: Bad Dinosaurs; Ronja the Robber’s Daughter Prime Video: The Baxters; Hope on the Street Today’s Finale A&E: Taking the Stand at 9p IN THE NEWS FOX Entertainment CEO Rob Wade is restructuring the company’s creative and business operations into three primary business […]

Cynopsis Esports 3/28/24: Riot shifts League esports strategy; Mid-major developers reign; Sentinels win big in Madrid

Thursday March 28, 2024 Good morning! It’s Thursday and this is your early morning Esports and Gaming brief. League of Legends developer Riot Games is shifting its esports strategy to better support its franchise teams, including a minimum revenue share guarantees and opening up additional sponsorship categories for esports organizations. The changes, Riot President of […]

03/27/24: Cynopsis Jobs

jobs5

GENERAL MANAGER PAC-12 ENTERPRISES SAN RAMON, CA (HYBRID) The General Manager is a strategic entrepreneurial leader w/in-depth insight into the evolving media marketplace. You will have a unique combination of executive mgmt, bus dev, and production ops leadership exp; with a proven track record of developing, executing, and maximizing lucrative opportunities for production/media content organizations. […]

CynCity

Cynsiders