• by Aaron Baar , September 5, 2017

With respect to Aaliyah, age is an important number for marketers and consumers. But it’s not something that offers a wide perspective on a state of mind, particularly when it comes to the notion of getting older.

According to a McCann Worldgroup study (which surveyed more than 24,000 people globally), age-based assumptions about consumers’ attitudes and behaviors to the passing of time are largely anachronistic, and marketers that rely too heavily on demographic perceptions about aging (without other data layered on) risk sending out the wrong message. 

“It is a number, and it is an irrefutable number. But it’s not the only thing that determines lifestyles and behaviors,” Suzanne Powers, global chief strategy officer at McCann Worldgroup, tells Marketing Daily. “The reason we rely on [age-based demographics] is because we can buy it … We use things that are available to us. What we haven’t figured out is, are there any other things to layer on before this?”

Indeed, the “Truth About Age” study found the idea of “aging” itself doesn’t necessarily adhere to pre-conceived notions about different age groups. According to the study, people in their 70s were more likely to view the idea of aging as freeing, while those in their 20s tend to have the most anxiety about death. 

Some of the elders’ attitude can be attributed to a mindset often associated with Baby Boomers, which has generally been one of optimism and possibility, Powers says. However, the attitude spans across global markets, suggesting that there may be some larger forces at play, she says. Conversely, Millennials are beginning to have children and build careers, which can lead to a great overall anxiety, she notes.

The study also challenges the ways in which brands might want to express the idea of aging in their marketing. While for years, the narrative around getting older has revolved around loss, attitudes among both the younger and older generation view the so-called twilight years as a time of celebration and independence, Powers says. 

“There’s a lot more optimism than we thought we would find,” Powers says. “Does aging have to be about what one loses or can it be about what one gains?”

Moving forward, brands should — among everything else — consider their philosophy toward aging (“age-sensitive,” “age-obsessed,” or “age-neutral”), and how they want to express that, Powers says. 

“Aging is still very scare and confusing to target audiences,” Powers says.
“It's time to rethink the playbook with regards to the way brands approach age across the spectrum — not just when it comes to marketing to 'seniors' — so they can play a more meaningful role in people's lives at every life stage.”