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Millennials, Generation Z, Generation Alpha: it’s typically the new that makes the news, and this applies to marketing and corporate communication too. Over the years we have heard a great deal about how to attract the younger generations to our products or services.
To be clear, these generations are very important… after all, they’ll provide the client base (and/or employees) of tomorrow. And so attracting them to your brand world, or to whatever your business offers is, and will remain, vital.
But just because people are getting on in years, it doesn’t mean they have no value – quite the opposite in fact, as you’ll soon see!
The silent yet relentless rise of the Silver Generation
In parallel to all the literature and practices dedicated to customer engagement for young and very young consumers, another less newsworthy and media-friendly target group still retains a central role: the Silver Generation, i.e. those aged 50 and older.
For years, marketing has treated the over 50s as a niche market. Or, even worse, it has resorted to a range of stereotypes to describe them: fragile, not interested in innovation, disinclined to spend, and increasingly isolated, likely to withdraw from socialising and experiences. Unfortunately, this trend is so widespread it even has a name: marketing ageism, meaning discrimination and stereotyping based on people’s age.
These assertions could not be more wrong. The Silver Generation is one of the most reliable generations in terms of growth, profit margins and stability of demand. And far from withdrawing from society, later life provides people with the perfect opportunity to reinvent themselves.
For example, numerous seniorpreneurs decide to get back into the game, taking advantage of all the skills they’ve learnt over the years to generate new business and entrepreneurial value.
It’s true that the age bracket for this generation is relatively old – and it’s getting older all the time, due to our increasing life expectancy. In Europe, for example, life expectancy has increased by around 10 years over the past half century, and many people are enjoying a longer, more active and involved second adulthood. Moreover, researchers from Yale University measuring biological age have observed that people in this age group today are ‘younger’ biologically than in past cohorts.
This diverse group contains a range of substantially different profiles, which I’ll now try to outline in more detail.
- 50–60 years: these people are often at the busiest point in their lives, balancing self-care, managing a family and their career. They care a lot about the quality and value of what they are doing or buying.
- 60–75 years: these individuals have more time and budget to allocate to experiences, wellbeing, home, travel, and ways of simplifying some everyday tasks, without having to think too much about it.
- 75+ years: these people’s needs are increasingly connected to health, mobility, assistance and the reliability of the services they use. The role of caregivers and family members also starts to play an important role in their decision-making processes.
Here are some statistics that confirm the importance of the Silver Generation to brands and businesses:
- The European Commission has estimated that the baseline figure for this generation’s economic impact (known as the Silver Economy since the 1970s) in Europe grew to around €5.7 trillion (£5 trillion) in 2025.
- Recent analysis on the topic as part of a joint research project by Allianz and Bocconi University in Milan shows that the over 50s generate an extraordinary amount of value: 34% of the world’s GDP!
- Other research conducted by Bocconi University has revealed that the over 50s hold almost half of European families’ wealth and are responsible for 50% of consumer spending, a figure likely to climb towards 60% by 2050.
- France, Germany, Italy and the UK will all see older age groups expanding and a decrease in the size of the younger generations.
- A third of Asia‘s growth is now generated by the Silver Generation.
Not bad, huh? To quote someone aged 50+ interviewed on the topic: ‘You think we all listen to Frank Sinatra, but don’t forget our generation gave you Pink Floyd’. I think this is an excellent metaphor that debunks once and for all the numerous clichés about this generation.
What opportunities does the Silver Generation provide for brands and businesses?
It goes without saying that there are countless marketing and business opportunities here, and not necessarily just for companies that sell products, services and/or experiences dedicated specifically to the over 50s. However, to get the most out of the Silver Economy, there are some trivial yet oft-repeated mistakes that must be avoided.
First of all – and this goes for any age bracket – talk about their lifestyle, not their age. Nobody likes to be reminded of the passing of time, and this is particularly true for this category. Plus, as we’ve already said, age is certainly not the main variable for this population. If you really have to mention it, do it in a way that turns it into an advantage, like L’Oréal did with its Age Perfect range, designed for women who were ‘bold, not old’. Focus your messaging on the themes of empowerment, freedom of choice and action, wellbeing, and continual discovery. Be realistic and do not resort to caricatures, and certainly not stereotypes!
Prioritise the accessibility and usability of your content, spaces and platforms, through larger fonts, clear, clickbait-free browsing, simple and transparent checkout processes, and sensible use of AI. Like Dove, which in 2024 celebrated 20 years of its Real Beauty brand narrative by committing to never use AI to make the models it uses in its advertising look younger or change their appearance in any way.
But accessibility and usability don’t just apply to user experience and UX design: policies, support, returns systems, call centres and clear contracts are other key aspects to keep in mind to make the customer journey for this large cohort of people as seamless as possible. The route to success is to reduce stress and complexity; not least because while younger people may have a shorter memory due to being bombarded with marketing, the over 50s are less likely to forget a bad experience… if you lose their trust, it is very hard to regain it!
Omnichannel marketing does not work well with the Silver Generation: it is better to go for a multichannel approach, choosing channels where they are still active and reactive. Facebook (yes, really!), YouTube, Pinterest and Instagram are all excellent places to strike up conversations. WhatsApp is used widely, and so is a great place to offer support and customer service. This use of multiple channels also applies at a channel mix level:
- Use digital channels – including social media – for informative content, comparisons, tutorials, reviews and ‘social caring’.
- Use retail and physical touchpoints as ways to build and maintain trust (trust points) and therefore loyalty.
Let’s wrap things up. In the world of marketing, the new generations of consumers are important… but so are the older ones! Take a look at the sales data for your products and services and reflect on the direct or indirect role the Silver Generation plays in creating value for your business.
I’m pretty sure you’ll be surprised! 😉