Shove your bladder control products where the sun don't shine.

Why it's time to tell a new story if you want to attract the biggest spenders

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It’s been a quick minute since my last ramblings. A well-earned trip to Devon, a few days having my brain frazzled (in a good way!) at the Podcast Show in London, more about that in a mo, and the small matter of a publishing deadline has left little space for creativity. But I’m here now, refreshed and ready to go.

So…. back to the Podcast show. I saw some fantastic people speak - hello to my new BFFs: Jess Phillips MP and Ruth Davidson - a Baroness, no less. If you don’t listen to their podcast with Sky News’s Beth Rigby, I urge you to start now. It’s called Electoral Dysfunction, and it’s bloody brilliant: a refreshing change from male-dominated politics shows and a unique insight into the real goings on in Parliament. I met Jess and Ruth the morning after the General Election announcement, and let’s say they didn’t hold back on their opinions of Rishi’s shocker of an announcement. LOL!

But aside from hilarious political stories, a tonne of naughty giggles from BBC Radio 2’s Rylan, the calming voice of broadcaster Kirsty Young, and a very frank discussion with Ferne Cotton, host of the Happy Place podcast, one not-so-glamorous talk stuck in my mind.

‘From Grey to Gold: Shifting the Marketing Focus to the Over-55 Consumer Base’ doesn’t sound like the most riveting of subjects, but trust me. If you want to tap into the market of the biggest spenders in the UK, you will want to listen up.

The over-55s spend every 63p in the pound. They hold over 70% of UK wealth. Within that demographic, women control 85% of the household income and 90% of luxury spending.

So why the ecky thump are big brands still targeting their advertising at young people? TikTok’s fastest-growing audience is over 50, but only 4% of advertising targets them. Most of that is for supposed ‘age-appropriate’ products like funeral care or incontinence pads. It’s like advertisers are stuck in the 1950s. Also, did you know that the grey-haired, nana-like women portrayed in The Golden Girls are precisely the same age as Sarah Jessica Parker et al. in ‘And Just Like…’? Women have moved on. Yet brands are stuck way behind. But not you, right?

I may be a few years off 55 (11, in fact, for complete honesty), but I can’t fail to see the opportunity to target this generation of women that have never existed before. When I work with Gen X women (which is most of the time), they generally have the most interesting stories to tell simply because they’ve lived through so much already, have a massive thirst for new things and are pissed off with being written off because of their age. Many women are not coming into business until their 40s, and they are getting louder as they do. At almost 44, I feel the most confident I ever have in my career. I know who I am (and, more importantly, who I’m not), what I want from life and who I’m willing to work with / buy from to get it. I am no longer prepared to take anyone's shit. And I know I’m not alone. But the market doesn’t always reflect this. And that’s where the opportunity, I believe, lies. not only is targeting products and services specifically at Gen X an opportunity to challenge the collective bias and drive change with the spending power of that group of women, but it’s also a pretty financially sound strategy too.

Experience, learning, a love for life's finer things, and, more importantly, money to spend…why wouldn’t you want to focus your efforts on an older generation?

So, how do you do it? And how can your stories help?

Gen X wants real life, not the best life. Thirty per cent of those over 45 want a brand they can trust, and that’s age-relevant. They want to hear from a voice that reflects them—not some 25-year-old model trying to sell them the benefits of anti-ageing cream without a frown line on their face. If that’s you - you’re already ahead.

• They don’t need the glossy sales pitch; they want to know the pitfalls of what you sell as well as the positive impact. This is where your life experience really comes into its own - maybe you started your business because of a specific problem or challenge you faced, which is exactly the same as your a’s now. Dig deep, get vulnerable if relevant and share what you’ve been through.

• Don’t forget the power in your existing customers' stories and experiences working with you or buying your product. Peer-to-peer recommendation is hugely impactful, so don’t forget to tap into the wealth of story content that’s at your fingertips…. you just have to ask.

• Figure out where your customers hang out online and speak directly to them - not as a second-hand audience. Research shows that 92% of Gen Xers use social media every day. But remember, just because they share the digital space with young whipper snappers doesn’t mean they seek the same content. There’s an excellent report on generational marketing here: https://sproutsocial.com/insights/guides/generational-marketing/

• Lean into this generation’s love of information and knowledge. They are not Gen Z, which can only consume things in micro-bursts. If you capture their imagination (see above), they will invest the time to learn about you, get to know you, engage in your content and ultimately buy from you.

I’m interested to hear your own experiences? Are you a Gen-X-er? what brands do you feel get it right and which get it wrong? Are you selling into this audience and how do you find it? All stories and opinions are welcome.