Over nine in ten people aged 40 and above cannot remember the last time they saw a brand using someone their own age within their advertising content.
Stemming from a survey of 1,500 people aged over 40, creative comms consultancy Anything But Grey is shining a spotlight on the often discussed ‘blindspot’ of advertisers towards middle aged and older consumers.
A third (33%) of respondents over the age of 50 said that that they could not recall any products or brands featuring someone their age in their advertising recently across any channel, with that figure rising to close to half (48%) for the over-60s.
“For too long brands have ignored the real needs of the over-50s and have made broad assumptions over their attitudes and behaviours,” Anything But Grey co-founder, Sarah Firth said.
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“Our latest research clearly shows brands are losing older Millennials and younger Gen Xers too – a demographic who are marketing-wired, digitally savvy, and hitting their peak earning potential.”
The consultancy highlights the disparity between the representation of over-50s within advertising, despite their considerable spending power, with this cohort accounting for for 47% of all consumer expenditure (£602bn).
Fellow co-founder, Nicola Roberts added: “Brands are missing out on a major opportunity to reach and even own this market, especially as many in this age group are open to trying new things and have a greater disposable income, despite the impact of the cost-of-living crisis.”
