D S Simon Productions

A family birthday should be a time of joy, but my wife's recent birthday was a time of mixed emotions. While there was cause for excitement and celebration, it was muted as I realized my family was suddenly invisible to marketers. The truth is neither my wife, our two teenage boys, nor I are in the coveted 18-49 demographic any more.
 

I tried to look at the bright side. Because marketers know everything, this must mean I won't have to spend any money. No more house payments. No need for financial services. No grocery shopping. No car purchases. No summer camp or family trips. What a relief not to have to worry about college tuition for our 7th and 9th grade sons.
 

Then I had another thought. How dumb are marketers to be focusing on the same demographic that was in vogue 25 years ago? The world of communications and content consumption has changed since then in almost every way. In 1985, "The Cosby Show," as the top rated show on television, outdrew the current reach of "American Idol" by 50 percent in a recent measurement period. Al Gore and others had not invented the Internet and it had become the blockbuster communications tool. In 1985, we couldn't go online for information, let alone watch the 30 billion online videos a month that Americans currently consume.
 

Twenty-five years ago, a PR plan was focused on print media, the dominant medium for news and information. The large network broadcast news shows were also key outreach targets. Internal communication meant the company newsletter. The VNR was just being discovered as an effective communications tool. Today, organizations have to become their own media channels to be successful. In addition to television, the Web and social media through Internet media tours have become integral components to a successful campaign.

Times have changed, but the marketer's demo of choice hasn't. That's dumb! In our changing society, the new target demo should be 25-57. Additionally, content needs to be created that lets people of any age find you.

The Jay Leno/Conan O'Brien disaster at NBC is one recent debacle caused by the over- caffeinated focus on the 18-49 demo. As a result of that decision, the network lost hundreds of millions of dollars and a prized asset.
 

The value of the18-49 demo was based on assumptions that are no longer true:
1. Eighteen-year-olds were entering the work force in large numbers.
2. Most 50-year-olds were empty nesters easing toward retirement.
3. Most of us over 50 were completely locked into our brand choices.
 

Here's the new reality:

1. Most 18-25-year-olds now have minimal money to spend, as even college graduates have trouble finding jobs and are frequently saddled with loan repayments.
2. Many families have kids living at home while parents are well into their 50s.
3. Changing lifestyles, a reduction in brand loyalty, rapid new product development and economic hardship have eroded brand loyalty at any age.
 

The truth is our search-oriented, opt-in, Web-2.0-based culture is rapidly changing. As people through all age demographics spend more time online searching for and watching video, we need to be marketing to them. Age is becoming less important than interest in a specific content area when the consumer is in a moment of need or interest. Creating search engine optimized video content and promoting it through Internet media tours has become the most cost effective solution—especially if you focus on reaching those who have money to spend. Those interested in your content will find you—if you create content and promote it properly.
 

An article by Tobi Elkin in BrandWeek noted: "Marketers obsessed with luring 18-to-49-year-olds to their brands bombard them with high-gloss, multimillion-dollar network and cable TV campaigns hoping to forge lifelong bonds. But when it comes to...targeting adults 50-plus...marketers fail miserably." That article was written in 1999. At that time, those above 50 already controlled more than 55 percent of discretionary income. Those numbers have only increased as the global recession has made it even harder for young people to get on a secure financial track.
 

The only group that seems to get it is AARP. Its marketing chief, Emilio Pardo, said "50 is the new 50." The group recently launched a new ad campaign at this year's Oscars, celebrating what Pardo called "the fact that our members and the 50-plus population as a whole are not done having goals and dreams, and they're still growing and discovering." It is odd that other marketers don't seem to target "my demo" or don't nearly do it as efficiently. The week of my wife's birthday, we received an invitation for her to become a member of AARP. The organization may not get our $16 just yet, but they should be giving a wake-up call for marketers to look beyond the 18-49 demo.
 

While I may come off as a bitter middle-aged geezer, the fact is those who hold on to the 18-49 demo are making a big mistake. Those of us in our 50s have more money, still have kids at home and are leading active lifestyles while pursuing new interests that cause us to look for new products to purchase. The 25-57 demo is the way to go.
 

I'm 51 and relatively affluent. Ignore me at your own peril.