Older People are Cool....

In my last piece, I developed the erudite argument that 'older people rock'. Not only are most of the influential figures in rock music in their 50s, 60s and even 70s, but the audiences for their music include people of all ages. In other words, rock music is inclusive: the key variables are the talent of the artist and the interest (and expenditure) of the audience: not age.

This applies to many other consumer markets: automotive, fashion, leisure and travel are obvious examples. The interest and behaviour of consumers is not related to their own age, nor is it related to the age of the actors, models and personalities associated with particular brands and businesses. Richard Branson will be 60 this year, yet Virgin is seen as a ‘youthful’ brand. Twiggy is also 60, yet turns heads in Marks and Spencer advertising. Steve Jobs is 65, yet Apple is one of the coolest brands on the planet.

So why do so many brands and businesses continue either to focus on youth, avoiding older people altogether, or to treat older people as unimaginative and outdated? The assumption that older people – who account for at least 50% of many consumer markets – are motivated only by youth as the cipher for all that is new and interesting is simply not the case. Older people demonstrably exhibit greater creativity, individualism and originality than younger people, and this is acknowledged by people of all ages.

Ari Seth Cohen is a 28year old New York blogger who questions why we look towards younger people as our fashion icons. He believes that older people know a lot more about fashion and style than younger people and his blog (http://advancedstyle.blogspot.com ) celebrates trend-setting older people, from the chic, hip and well-dressed to the eccentric and bizarre. In his own words: “I roam the streets looking for New York's most stylish and creative older folks. Respect your elders and let these ladies and gents teach you a thing or two about living life to the fullest.”

At rhc advantage, we believe that older people deserve a better deal from business, marketing and communications. To find out how our unique blend of expertise, experience and creativity can help your business, visit our website www.rhcadvantage.co.uk. And to find out more about the realities of marketing and older audiences, request our comprehensive research report.