Advertising’s unconscious bias:

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19 Aug

Marketing to the over 50s.

Does a 50-year-old have the same interests, lifestyle and attitudes as a 90-year-old? Most would say they don’t; however, brands often group them together under the 50+ category when defining their target audience segments.

We have looked at how brands often fail to effectively target those aged 55+ due to unconscious bias and stereotyping, and how advertisers can do more to better speak to this group in a way that’s authentic.

Where do brands go wrong?

IPA TouchPoints report that 47% of Britain’s adult population are aged 50+ and represent £531bn of disposable income. They make up a very lucrative share of the market, so targeting them inefficiently could be a costly error.

The 50+ category spans almost 30 years, yet brands often fall into the trap of treating people in this age bracket as a homogenised group rather than dividing them up into categories such as Gen Z, Millennials etc. This can lead to alienating, ignoring and even irritating the target audience. The same messaging wouldn’t be used to attract the attention of a 15-year-old and a 34-year-old, so why target the whole of the 50+ group the same?

Our perception of age is different depending on what stage of life we’re at ourselves. As we grow older, we begin to relate to certain age categories more than we did when we were younger, which informs our view of the world. However, this means that as marketers, if we are far away from the target audiences’ age, we may make erroneous assumptions about their behaviour, informed by stereotypes rather than real people. When age is used as the only identifier, the audience isn’t universal, and we can’t expect them to behave in the same ways.

For example, we can see from TouchPoints’ research that the correlation between the reach of the media channels a 50–55-year-old would use and someone aged 80+ would use is only 58%, meaning their behaviours are 42% different. If a brand were to focus on a 50+ audience only, their media plan would miss the mark for 4 out of every 10 channels in terms of reach. Dividing this category into further segments e.g., 50-60, 60-70, 70-80 could be a good starting point; however, we can do better than just that.

How can brands change approach?

Consumers are real people after all, and their purchase habits are largely influenced by life events, interests, and attitudes. So instead of just looking at age, we can use an even more powerful tool that groups people based on common themes such as lifestyle and interests, looking at the real person behind the number. For example, a 50-year-old may prefer listening to the radio, but a 70-year-old may prefer to read their daily newspaper. This insight would give an idea of where to best target each group, and what platforms the audience is most likely to resonate with.

As well as making sure brands are advertising on the right channels for their audience and meeting them where they are, the way they communicate with this age group is an important factor in getting them to resonate with the messaging. TouchPoints’ research found that only 3.5% of people aged over 50 agree with the statement that “advertising often helps me make better purchase decisions” which, considering this age group makes up such a large part of the population and therefore the market, doesn’t sound good for conversion rates. By considering the ways in which we communicate with older consumers, both visually in terms of images used and tone of voice, we can target them more efficiently and in a more personal way without being patronising.

Brands that get it right

Advertising has always been about aspiration - seeing a brand or product in the best possible light. But when it comes to representing this group, people tend to be portrayed according to negative stereotypes. Here are some brands that we think capture the category perfectly by relying on authenticity rather than outdated labels.

Airbnb

Airbnb features an older couple’s ‘baecation’ in their 2022 ad. We love this ad as it perfectly captures the fun, playful side of their relationship without catering to any stereotypes of what an older couple should look like or how they should act.

Stella Artois

For the rollout of their Unfiltered beer range, Stella Artois featured older people as part of their out-of-home series, with the strapline ‘Beer, au naturel’. They weren’t playing up to any stereotypes, just featuring people having fun while conveying their brand message.

Lacoste

With their Spring/Summer 2022 campaign, Lacoste demonstrated their ageless style in a series of print and TV ads. They captured that fated moment when you bump into a stranger wearing the same outfit as you, featuring a range of people from different age groups. A young guy comes out of a changing room, only to meet an older woman wearing the exact same pink polo.

They laugh it off, both embracing Lacoste’s sense of confidence. While the ad doesn’t necessarily target older people specifically, it’s a great example of how we can present this category in a more authentic, less biased way.

In conclusion

Age will always have its place in marketing - especially when it comes to media targeting. But where possible, looking over and above just age categories to consider attitudes, beliefs and lifestyles will help build an affinity at a more targeted level. Thinking about how to combat stereotypes in terms of creative can be hugely beneficial for brands and will help push the boundaries regarding the perception of this group.