More than 90% of U.K. residents 40-plus cannot recall a brand using someone their age in marketing materials, a study has found.
A survey of 1,500 U.K. consumers aged 40-plus was conducted in August by Anything But Grey, a creative comms consultancy which launched a year ago with the goal of catering to the over-50 market.
One in three (33%) respondents in their 50s said they were unable to recall a single product or brand recently advertised across any channel using someone their age, with that figure rising to almost half (48%) for those in their 60s.
A survey of 1,500 U.K. consumers aged 40-plus was conducted in August by Anything But Grey, a creative comms consultancy which launched a year ago with the goal of catering to the over-50 market.
One in three (33%) respondents in their 50s said they were unable to recall a single product or brand recently advertised across any channel using someone their age, with that figure rising to almost half (48%) for those in their 60s.
Anything But Grey said these results revealed an “age blind spot” in U.K. comms, something surprising given that over-50s reportedly account for 47% of all consumer expenditure (£602bn).
Four in 10 (40%) of those 50+ said their wealth had increased compared to five years ago, and 10% of those in their 40s reported their wealth increasing by more than £2,000 a month—suggesting “an affluent cohort approaching the age of 50."
More than one-third (37%) of those aged 50-59 said they’d be more likely to try new experiences since hitting 50, and when it comes to spending plans in the next 12 months, 41% said they would go on a holiday abroad, 20% intend to spend on electronics or gadgets, and 15% plan to buy a car.
Anything But Grey concluded that “the neglect of these older age groups in brand marketing makes no commercial sense”, but suggested that “a heavy skew” towards younger employees in U.K. creative industries, as recorded in the 2023 All In Census, may offer an explanation.
According to that study, the average age of employees in the marketing and advertising industries is 36.
Sarah Firth, co-founder of Anything But Grey, said: “For too long brands have ignored the real needs of the over-50s and have made broad assumptions over their attitudes and behaviours.
“Our latest research clearly shows brands are losing older Millennials and younger Gen Xers too – a demographic who are marketing-wired, digitally savvy, and hitting their peak earning potential.”
Her fellow agency co-founder, Nicola Roberts, added: “Brands are missing out on a major opportunity to reach and even own this market, especially as many in this age group are open to trying new things and have a greater disposable income, despite the impact of the cost-of-living crisis.”
A version of this article first appeared on PRWeek.
