• by Danielle Oster , Yesterday

They may be vastly overrepresented in politics and homeownership, but there’s at least one area where Americans over 50 tend to be overlooked. 

Older adults hold a disproportionate majority of wealth in the U.S., but brands are failing to reflect their spending power in their advertising and marketing strategies, according to a recent national survey of adults 18 and older by Cheryl Overton Communications (COC).

Sixty-five percent of respondents believed that people over 50 represent “significant untapped spending potential,” but nearly half (48%) felt overlooked as consumers within the past year, and only 3% feel “seen” in advertising.

This is reflected in industry data as well. According to COC, only 10% of marketing budgets target the demographic, despite the group accounting for 70% of disposable income nationally.

"Over 40% of our respondents identified 'becoming invisible' as their greatest fear about aging. This is the real impact of persistent underrepresentation," Cheryl Overton Communications founder and Chief Experience Officer Cheryl Overton said in a statement. "Brave brands have an extraordinary opportunity to lead a cultural conversation about aging and, in the process, win market share and help reshape societal perceptions."

When ads do include representation of people 50 or older, they largely miss the mark, according to the survey. Eighty-six percent of respondents said brands fundamentally misunderstood them, while 60% said that brands prioritize depictions of their past over their present capabilities or future aspirations.

So how can brands reach Americans over 50?

Fifty-five percent of adults 50+ expressed a desire to be portrayed as active, or stylish; and 45% expressed a desire to be portrayed as wise, or adventurous. 50+ respondents also listed security (36%) and freedom (23%) as top values, according to the survey. Along with the publication of the survey, COC launched a service called GRWN, offering brand strategy and activation tools to help brands reach this demographic,