It’s no secret that brands frequently bypass consumers aged 55 and older in their marketing plans.  

But marketing agency Edelman and the National Innovation Centre For Ageing hope to change that with a new offering they’re calling the Longevity Lab.  

The London-based lab is described as a resource to help marketers engage and market to this often ignored 2 billion-plus global demographic. The partners say that the Lab will offer clients data and insights, on-call creative strategy and marketing consultation, and bespoke intelligence on ageing and healthy longevity.   

The lab will be run jointly by Jackie Cooper, Edelman’s Chief Global Brand Officer and Lynne Corner, Chief Operating Officer of NICA.  

“At 2 billion+ there are more people aged 55+ than children under 5,” says Cooper. By 2050, that number will double.”  

“We are moving from an aging society to a longevity society”, adds Cooper. This group is living longer, amassing more wealth, and willing to spend, and yet our industry has a massive blind spot where it concerns this generation.” Only 5-10% of marketing dollars are allocated towards it.   

“We’ve launched The Longevity Lab to open the industry’s eyes to the power and potential of this demographic,” Cooper asserts.  

The unveiling of the Longevity Lab follows a similar undertaking launched by Edelman in 2022 with a focus on Gen Z. Research from the latter points to many similarities between the two generations in terms of consumer behavior and expectations for brands.  

“Those 50+ are responsible for half of all global spending,” said Corner. “Together with marketers, we can accelerate the delivery of services and products to a population mostly forgotten or stereotypically portrayed. We want to challenge that and lead the change both for return on investment and on society.”