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Packaging for the golden age

With nearly a quarter of the population aged 50 or over, brand owners wishing to appeal to this demographic must address aging consumers’ specific packaging needs, while keeping the broader consumer base in mind.

All businesses would do well to approach aging with such a positive attitude, particularly as it is a growing market.
All businesses would do well to approach aging with such a positive attitude, particularly as it is a growing market.

Aging is an inevitable part of life, but so often companies seem to overlook older people in their marketing strategies and advertising campaigns. So why aren’t more companies celebrating it or looking to harness this age group? Unfortunately, it may be because modern society has a tendency to either ignore or talk disparagingly about old age, teasing or even ridiculing people of a certain vintage.

It isn’t a disease, however, and shouldn’t be treated as such. Aging should be viewed as a subtle, quiet process, and one that should be celebrated as bringing with it newfound wisdom, new experiences, and new opportunities. This is how many older people approach their later years, and brand owners should do the same.

Inspirational campaigns

Historically, marketing to this demographic has been sparse, and when it has appeared, it has tended to be stereotypical. We most often see older people on our televisions and billboards when it’s an advertisement for insurance policies or retirement homes. Some brands, however, are aspiring to inspire with timely, high-impact campaigns focused on positive aging. One recent example is L’Oréal’s campaign starring Helen Mirren, which has driven sales of the Age Perfect skincare range.

An older example is Dove’s Real Beauty campaign, which is now well into its teenage years but still going strong. The tagline, “real types not stereotypes,” has prompted many conversations on what beauty means, as well as the development of Dove’s Pro-Age campaign. The narrative for this sub-brand is written into the name: Be in favor of later life, don’t apologize for it.

Growing demographic

All businesses would do well to approach aging with such a positive attitude, particularly as it is a growing market. According to Euromonitor, by the end of 2017, almost a quarter of everyone on the planet will be over the age of 50. What’s more, these consumers are often more affluent and looking for exciting ways to spend their hard-earned cash.

It’s a broad and diverse demographic that encompasses extremely active over-50s, those who are slowing down in their 70s, plus octogenarians and even older, so brand owners need to make sure they don’t pigeonhole consumers or stereotype when they design packaging.

In fact, while segmentation by age has been a tried and trusted method for both product development and marketing for decades, many people now argue that an age-neutral, intergenerational approach is the key to creating the successful products, services, and brands of the future.

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