One of the FIPP Insight Award winners this year is an interesting project from Bauer Australia: Defiant, I am who I am. 50+ women are an influential, powerful and affluent target group which seems to be totally overseen by brands. Bauer conducted a research into the lives of these women. The presentation on the Australian market led to more focus on the target by marketers.
Also read: The power of magazine brands is stronger than ever
Society has not come to terms with the fact that everyone is leading much longer lives. Ageing is still associated with catastrophe and we are still coming to grips with the fact that women are living longer and the opportunities this might present to brands and marketers. But the way we represent a women in her 50s has barely changed. As the Bauer researchers say: we need to re-frame longevity.
‘Invisible’ women
Despite women 50+ making up almost 20% of the population, having greater financial clout, increased life expectancy and a refusal to grow old the ways their parents have –few brands target them directly or if they do -revert to older stereotypes that are out of step with reality. You may have even heard that this women is ‘invisible’.
Bauer embarked on a research journey to understand the real story surrounding this women’s life and if in fact she really did feel ‘invisible’?
Growing, not growing old
What they found through the research was not in line with the narrative we were anticipating. What they uncovered was a group of women supremely confident, recreating social norms, leading the way and ‘growing’ not ‘growing old’. This woman was having one hell of a secret life party that no marketers or advertisers were invited to.
37% of 50+ women in the research said no categories were doing a good job of representing women like them in their advertising. In fact less than 5% of these women feel technology and automotive brands represent them. Because when advertisers do turn up, they treat her like she’s “my mother”, “an idiot”, “technologically inept” and “fighting against who I am supposed to be”. This is a group of women challenging and recreating social norms. She is leading the way, influencing and showing other women her age what life could look like. And of course she has the confidence to be leading the way. All you need to see is what has lead her to this point in her life…
Read more in the Defiant white paper below:
Not only do the results from the research tell a brand new narrative, we have also seen an increase in advertising briefs received targeting women over 50. The research has been requested by and presented over 35 times (and counting) to a wide range of direct client and agency audiences across Australia with requests to see the research still being received.
The winners were announced at the Opening Reception of the FIPP World Media Congress, taking place in Las Vegas on 12 November 2019. Check out the full award winners list here
More interesting research:
