In pursuit of youth: what’s wrong with the older market?

The media today remain focused on capturing the “youth market”, despite the population changes which suggest that older rather than younger consumers are becoming demographically and economically more attractive. Advertisers in particular are guilty of portraying older consumers in stereotypical ways, or else ignore them, resulting in offence and alienation within the 50‐plus market. This paper examines the reasons why the over‐50s are such an important market; discusses why advertisers and marketers are so reluctant to target older consumers and concludes by recommending how advertisers and marketers might better serve this market, for both economic and ethical reasons.