I turned 60 this year, and just weeks later received my first piece of direct mail advertising from a cemetery in Queens. I don’t live in Queens, and when I do someday meet my demise, I have no desire to be buried there. I’ve been targeted with advertising for incontinence and erectile dysfunction, ailments that I do not suffer from. I’ve also been plastered with ads for dating services, although the marketing algorithms seem to have taken a scattershot approach: I’ve been offered the chance to mingle with “fellow” Christian, Muslim, and Jewish singles.
Don’t Underestimate the Market Power of the 50+ Crowd
They’re responsible for more than half of consumer spending in the U.S.
January 09, 2020
Summary.
People over age 50 are responsible for more than half of the consumer spending in the United States. Yet to many businesses, people over 50 might as well be invisible. Only an estimated 5 to 10% of marketing budgets are devoted to winning them over. Only 5% of advertising images of people over 50 show them using technology, and even then it’s usually a younger person teaching an older person how to use a device. When older people do appear in ads, they are often alone or talking with a doctor about prescription medicine. Ad agencies should recognize the power of this consumer group, and do a better job crafting messages to reach them.