• by Maarten Albarda , Featured Contributor, 2 hours ago

As marketers, we are obsessed with whatever the latest shiny object is. We chase trends, we decode the latest online slang, and most of us end up building strategies around the 18-34 or maybe 18-49 demographic, as if they are the only ones that matter.

A new white paper from The Internationalist called “The 50+ Opportunity Gap" highlights why this is a problem. They argue that our collective failure to strategically target consumers over 50 is potentially costing brands billions.

The report's main finding is a wonderfully articulated paradox called “recognition without action,”  which sounds a bit like “taxation without representation.”

The Internationalist surveyed senior marketing leaders, and marketers know the 50+ group is valuable.

* An overwhelming 92% described this audience as "financially stable."

* 67% called them "loyal" to brands and services.

* And another 67% recognized them as "multigenerational spenders," meaning they’re the "family CFO," buying not just for themselves but for their children, grandchildren, and aging parents.

They are, by all accounts, a dream demographic.

Despite all this recognition, the survey found that only 17% of marketers have a dedicated strategy for the 50+ market. Only, or perhaps, luckily: only 17%! That sounds like an opportunity to me!

Most brands just fold the 50+ target into their broader segmentation or “spill-over.”  We see the value that the 50+ group potentially represents, we acknowledge it's there, and then we actively choose not to address them.

Why do we do this? The report identifies this as "the assumption trap." Marketers assume one of two myths.

Myth 1: "They'll just 'age into' our brand”: We assume as people get older, they’ll "naturally" stick with brands they have been loyal to. And this is then coupled with Myth 2: "Our youth-focused marketing will reach them anyway”: the “spill-over” I mentioned. One respondent even admitted their company knows 50+ are their biggest purchasers for big-ticket items, yet they persist with a "youthful" approach, assuming the older consumers’ loyalty is guaranteed.

However, today’s "new 50+" is not yesterday's consumer. They are Gen X and active boomers. Gen X is the first digital cohort, and boomers are pretty savvy ,too. They are skeptical, digitally clever and they aren’t going to default to your brand just because their parents did, or they themselves did in the past. Loyalty from this group must be continually earned, not assumed.

The report lays out a clear path forward. Stop assuming this group already knows you, and actively introduce (or reintroduce) brands relevant to them in their media and content environments, because while they are loyal, they are also open to experimenting.

And ditch the tired caricatures of aging. This group is active, aspirational, and multigenerational in its connections and content consumption (fastest growing TikTok audience, anyone?). They want authenticity and style, and humor works great. The report highlights Katie Couric’s "Great Jeans" spoof in response to Sydney Sweeney’s American Eagle ad as a perfect example.

This isn't a niche segment. When asked what groups are central to revenue growth, marketers in the survey split their votes equally: 33% for boomers, 33% for Gen X, and 33% for Gen Z. This means that two-thirds of audiences who are critical to revenue growth are over 50. That isn't just a growth market. It is your market.