This year, celebrities including Iman, Bruce Willis and Billy Bob Thornton hit 50. The baby boomer generation has helped define the last four decades; yet in the UK, people who are over 50 are patronized at best and often not justly recognized by the media.
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In response, FutureBrand and Weber Shandwick in London have created 050: A Fresh Perspective – a specialist offering that combines media and public relations expertise with consumer insights, brand strategy and creative design to help brands reach and influence the 050 market. The team goes one step further by setting out specific implications for branding and PR strategies based on nine 050 consumer mindsets.
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Fronted by David Yelland, senior vice chairman of Weber Shandwick in the UK, and Janet Street Porter, former editor of The Independent newspaper, and known for speaking out on the media’s representation of people over 50, the team launched the venture to a full-house at London’s Century Club. Five new business leads have already come in, along with media coverage in the trade press and London’s Evening Standard newspaper.
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Commenting on the venture, Street-Porter said: “As a consumer, being in your 50s no longer means fading into the background and waiting to retire. We are entering a golden age for people of my generation yet I had to go all the way to the jungle in ‘I’m a celebrity get me out of here!’ to prove it.
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Age discrimination is still prevalent as we continue to be bombarded with images of youth. There is still a lot that needs to be done to change current attitudes towards ageing and it is great to see that marketers are finally acknowledging this.”
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Some facts
- The number of people in the UK who are 45-60 years old is growing at a rate of 50,000 people per month
- More than 40 percent of the population in the UK will be over 50 by 2035
- Over 50s (050s) currently hold 80 percent of the nation’s disposable income
- The average age of a new Harley Davidson owner is 59
