Bill Murray’s Jeep ad during Super Bowl LIV may be an exception to marketers’ assumptions that 50-somethings are desperate for companionship, struggle with health decline and ruminate on their own deaths. When people in the 50-plus demographic are shown in ads, they’re sometimes presented in a negative light, says Vaughn Ensley. Portrayals of those over 50 are negative 28 percent of the time, compared to only 4 percent of the time for younger people.
Marketers should recognize that today’s older consumers “are focused on anti-aging and breaking the mold of what 50 looks like,” researchers wrote in a study published by the Journal of Behavioral Studies in Business <link>.
Source: Harvard Business Review, January 9, 2020. Link. 46 percent of the U.S. adult population is age 50-plus. The market power of people over age 50 indicates they are responsible for more than half of consumer spending in the United States.
INSIGHTS: Animal health marketers may wish to consider this information as they work with agencies to develop advertising and promotional materials. Remaining credible to all generations is important to the overall health of our industry.