Whats the danger in making assumptions or following marketing stereotypes about this age group?
The most dangerous stereotype is to view them as a single group. The next mistake is to believe any of the nonsense that the marketing industry talks about older people being averse to trying new brands, not wanting to use technology, or not seeking new life experiences. None of these assumptions is substantiated by research. Just because [people are] 50, 60, or 80 does not mean they necessarily think alike or want to be treated in a prescribed manner. Young marketers can often appear to be patronizing and judgmental in the way they portray customers of their parents’ and grandparents’ age. This manifests itself in the language and imagery used in advertisements, which is sometimes seen as offensive by older people. How can entrepreneurs make sure they’re not offending, yet still reach an older market segment? It all comes back to Marketing 101. Understand your customers, know what they want and get inside their minds as much as possible. I recommend that business owners test the way t
