I researched ‘Over 50 women’ and good lord the things I found. Put ‘Over 50 women’ into a Google or Bing Search and you get marketing data, insurance sales and where to buy your retirement home! I for one, am not ready for the knackery or a retirement village.
In one story about how to market to Over 50 women it had the advice to put in an image of a woman 10 years younger and talk about lifestyle over age. This is wrong on so many levels.
Wait, there’s more…
Ads on the TV for Over 50 (Seniors) insurance have the ‘actor’ saying words to the effect, “when I turned 60 my son thought I was a dinosaur” and “when I turned 60 my daughter thinks I’m an antique”. Can I just say at this point, that antiques are highly sought after and very expensive. I fail to see the relevance in those statements to selling insurance so why portray us in that light.
Recently, I saw a Facebook image titled “Nan unfriending someone”. The image was a mobile phone with a woman’s hand holding a bottle of liquid white-out. Let me tell you, liquid white-out was invented by a woman and she made millions out of it.
I appreciate the posts are meant to be funny, even I smiled at the unfriending post but when all is said and done, its hurtful.
The impression that Over 50s & Boomers are not tech savvy is also disheartening and begs the question… “what’s the problem with not knowing how to use an App or post to Facebook?’. If need an App, I’ll get one & learn how to use it.
Sure, I asked my kids about creating an Instagram & Facebook Account and down-loading Apps. I see the younger generations as SMEs [Subject Matter Experts] and I’ve had younger generations ask me for assistance in all manner of things as well.
Here’s an analogy on the irrelevance of portraying Over 50s & Boomers as ‘dumb’ when it comes to social media & apps. Millions of people drive cars, right? So how come we don’t treat young people as ‘car challenged’. Who teaches them to drive? Mum or Dad does!
I’m not here to bag any person or their age, not at all, I’m just making the point that there is flip side to all people and this needs to be at the front of our minds with understanding and respect.
On the labels of Veterans, Baby Boomers, Gen X or Y or Millennials, I don’t believe you are what you’re born. I’m in the HR game (Human Resources) and I have interviewed and recruited people from all walks of life. Their ‘labels’ were & remain irrelevant.
Let’s talk about the bad rap Millennials are given. I hear a lot said around this particular generation wanting everything now. What’s the problem with that? I do as well. When I ask a question, I expect an answer, don’t you?
Let me put this into perspective. This generation were born into one of the fastest growing eras, that of the information-age. It makes sense that they expect things now when its right there in their hands. I bet all of us think waiting for the microwave to “ding” feels like forever!
What has been forgotten, is that I was in the generation when the first mobile phone (brick) hit the market & DOS was big and the online game was Minesweeper. I’ve grown, I love Candy Crush now and yes, I do on-line banking.
You know what my problem with the online world is? Not how to use it, but security. So, I take my time with it – nothing wrong with that but it certainly doesn’t make me tech-challenged.
The moral of my little story is, we are more than labels and I for one have been upskilling all my life and it isn’t over yet.
Here’s a few more ‘labels’ that I can be defined as: –
| Businesswoman | Social Media User | HR professional | Parent |
| Dog owner | Voter | Taxpayer | Cook |
| Cinema goer | Go getter | Partner | Trendsetter |
| Advocate | Listener | Mentor | Problem solver |
| Achiever | Consultant | Consumer | Friend & Colleague |
| Reader | Advisor | Patriot | Carer |
| Crossword solver | Amateur gardener | Traveller |
Cheers – Leigh
You can check her out at www.thebusinesstradie.com.au
or at Insta on @the_business_tradie
