Advertising and Older Consumers: Image and Ageism

In past years the food merchandise place that most advertisers aimed towards was the Gen X convocation. to solar day more advertisers ar shooting at the even young coevals Y. The interesting thing is that umteen of these crossings denote are items that all generations use, much(prenominal)(prenominal) as food, soft drinks, clothing, cars, entertainment, etc. Rarely are onetime(a) generations revealed apply these products in print ads or commercials.The IssueThis creates the issue to advertisers that they stereotype older generations and reinforce lodges misconception that people everyplace 50 are feeble, pitiable, or incompetent. In many cases advertisers do just this. Remember the commercial for Lifecall emergency ready device in the early 90s where the elderly Ms. Fletcher fell in her earth-closet and, while lying there helpless, she calls out, Ive fallen and I cant get up. notwithstanding the importance of this product to seniors who live alone, the commercial quickly became the brunt of many jokes, including skits on Saturday Night Live and the Tonight Show. Could Lifecall have designed a cleanse advertising campaign that would not have alienated or mocked its maneuver crown of thornset?This brings up the question of whether advertisers have a responsibility to tilt the mindset that being over 50 is old? Are they responsible for(p) to limiting the way clubhouse views 50+? Can they even change societys views of 50+? Absolutely By utilizing cross-generational advertising, marketers can benefit the consumers, companies, advertisers, and society as a whole.The Stakeholders50+ Consumers The nature of the 50+ come along group is quickly changing. Humans are living longer and are more vigorous than ever before. They dont feel old and feeble, so why would they want to sustenance product advertising that makes them appear weak and vulnerable? They dont.Advertisers/Corporations Advertising is the primary feather source that companie s use to inform and educate the public about their product while influencing consumers to bargain for it. In the past marketers have primarily advertised towards younger generations because they have more impulsive buying behaviors. Also, according to the case, many executives in the marketing field are from younger generations therefore, they create advertising campaigns with which they can identify.Society The overall public, including the target market, views marketing campaigns. Almost everyone has gate to publications and television that contain advertising directed at specific groups. For example, children bewitch the programs their parents watch and parents watch childrens programming. We are all exposed to advertising that superpower or might not be directed towards our generational market and it influences our opinions about those groups.Utilitarianism TheoryCross-generational advertising is a method of marketing that illustrates many generations using the same product s without segregating or degrading any generational groups. This go out produce the greatest long-term benefits to the most number of stakeholders. First, using models from contemporaries Y by the GI Generation will create cognizance and a better understanding of age diversity in the consumer market. In turn, stereotypes of older generations will be broken. This could lead to a social and economic breakthrough. Older generations will feel more accepted in society and will have the urge to be more active. As they make more active, greater consumer spending is generated which benefits the corporations overall profits and its stockholders.Free grocery store TheoryAccording to the IPC Magazine survey identified in the case, 62% of women prefer to see women their own age advertising products towards them1. In admission the over-50 age groups claim the majority of wealth and generate over 51% of consumer spending in the United States2 (see Graph). If companies would advertise usin g over-50 models and actors, brand erudition would be established because the older consumers would identify with the advertisement and therefore purchase the product.If you look at this from a companys perspective, there is a substantial market vying for cross-generational advertising. Since the company exists to make money for its shareholders, what would be better than to target the market that possesses the greatest wealth and majority of consumer spending?Rights TheoryCompanies have the well(p) to advertise their products to the target markets of their choice. At the same time the consumer has a accountability to be informed without being misled or deceived. In many cases the messages that advertisements communicate give consumers misperceptions about a particular generational group. For example, the majority of pharmaceuticals are advertised using 50+ models. Rarely are these models used for products such as apparel, soft drinks, or new cars. This gives the general public the misconception that anyone over 50 is sick, weak, and unable to use the products that everyone else uses.Justice TheoryWhen reviewing ageism in advertising, the over-50 population is treated less equitably. A cross-generational marketing strategy would intromit 50+ models to advertise everyday products while still appealing to younger markets. This would compensate for past injustices to older generations by finally giving them an finished portrayal in the media. Marketing campaigns could also incorporate models from different generations to sell equal time and equal representation in advertising. In the end, afterlife retribution will be given to millions of older Americans as age discrimination in the media is diminished.Social Contract TheoryIn the end, advertisers requisite to gain the trust of their consumers. As long as they continue to mock older generations or ignore them all together, they run the risk of punitory reactions consumer boycott, regulation, media hosti lity, financial loss, and above all loss of reputation1. They also owe society a picture of reality when it comes to the aging population. The Baby Boomer generation, with a population of 76 million, is the largest and most economically powerful demographic group in the US3. As a majority of this group has already passed the 50-year mark and the rest are soon to follow, an accurate depiction of our modern day aging process is needed because eventually everyone will pass through these same life stages.