The Not-so-Ugly truth about age
Ah, age. We do spend time thinking about it deeply at least once a year — before and after our birthday. Sometimes with excitement, sometimes with dread, sometimes with joy, sometimes with wonder. We wonder if or when it’s going to be our last.
I’m in a room filled with marketing and creative people listening to a keynote speaker debunking the preconceived notions that we have about age and people of a certain age.
“Today, we’re going to present the ‘Truth About Age,’” says Raul Castro, McCann Worldgroup Philippines chairman and CEO.
The “Truth About Age” is one of McCann Worldgroup’s newest “truth” studies as championed by Truth Central, its global intelligence unit, to find out “what’s happening in the world and what it means for marketers and brand owners.”
“We invest in it locally and globally, if only because the people we talk to and the brands that we market all exist in a new ‘globality’ made possible by technology,” shares Castro.
In 1912, Harrison King McCann, founder of The H.K. McCann Company, created a philosophy made up of three words: “Truth well told.” The belief is that until an idea is anchored in a compelling truth about the consumer — albeit unusual, hard to accept or uncomfortable— it will be meaningless and will not move people.
“This philosophy guided our very attempt at creating meaningful solutions for brands entrusted to us to market,” adds Castro. “And that’s why we spend much time and energy finding the truths about the youth, about moms, about the streets, about luxury, about health, about wellness, and this afternoon, about age.”
Age: a state of mind
Meet Ting Joson, an entrepreneur, triathlete, fitness ambassador and tattoo enthusiast at 55! This feisty lady defies the stereotypes of what it means to be 50-plus.
“Aging does not equate to being frail,” she emphasizes. “As I’ve aged, I’m not any frailer than I was last year. And, unlike most women, I have no qualms announcing my actual age.”
Age has become just a number; indeed, it is increasingly a less reliable predictor of health and style.
“Based on our study, age-based assumptions about people’s attitudes and behavior are becoming increasingly unreliable,” shares Earl Javier, strategy director.
Even the subject of “aging” itself, traditionally viewed as a conversational topic primarily relevant to the 65-plus audience, is one where age-based assumptions don’t hold.
As uncovered in McCann Worldgroup’s new “Truth About Age” study, people across the age spectrum are not adhering to exceptions traditionally associated with their life stage.
“In fact, two-thirds of people in their 70s believe ‘you’re never too old to casually’ date, while those in their 20s fear death the most,” cites Javier.
The global study surveyed nearly 24,000 people aged 20 through 70, across 28 markets, supplemented by qualitative research in 36 markets around the globe.
“We’re at a pivotal moment in human history where traditional age norms are being challenged across every age group and marketers must respond to this new reality,” Suzanne Powers, global chief strategy officer, McCann Worldgroup, said in a statement. “It’s time to rethink the playbook with regards to the ways brands approach age across the spectrum — not just when it comes to marketing to ‘seniors’ — so they can play a more meaningful role in people’s lives at every life stage.”
According to Javier, this piece of research revealed that brands in any category can play a role in helping people age well.
“While there is some truth behind age stereotypes, this study shows that bigger opportunities await brands that choose to see people beyond the number,” he adds.
The new age Marketing Playbook
To help guide marketers as they rethink age-related demographics, McCann introduces a new Age Marketing Playbook based on the following principles:
Start young. Surprisingly, the study found that people who most feared death were in their 20s, and people who worried least about aging were in their 70s. Smart brands will find ways of reframing the age conversation much earlier.
Celebrate the gains. In the second half of life, much of the aging narrative is oriented around loss, yet data suggests there is much to gain and celebrate. Brands have the opportunity to rewrite the narrative by developing new language and imagery to connect, not just with the aging population but also with people of all age groups.
Go beyond the number. Age is becoming a less useful predictor of behaviors and attitudes, so the traditional approach to targeting and segmentation must be reimagined. Brands need to interrogate their own consumer segmentations in new ways to ensure that they are consistently going beyond the “number.”
Promote intergenerational connections. Overall, there is one consistent theme that transcends markets when it comes to aging well: spending time with people of different ages. The data shows that the old consistently misunderstand the young and vice versa. There is a rich opportunity for brands to drive a dialogue between the generations and co-create an age-positive future.
“Indeed, age doesn’t dictate attitudes,” notes Raul Castro, McCann Worldgroup Philippines chairman and CEO. “At McCann, our goal is to think differently about how we should market your brands today. So we would like to leave you with provocations about how we as marketers can go beyond the numbers and understand age and what it really is — a state of being.”
Castro even admits that after reading highlights of the study, he now changed the lyrics of his favorite Beatles song, which questions love and age, to: “The world will still need me, the world will still feed me, when I’m 64!”
