From stylish to sexy to tech-savvy, 50+ consumers are rewriting the rules but brands are stuck in outdated stereotypes. GRWN™ gives marketers the insights and tools to show up smarter.
MIAMI, May 14, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Despite holding the majority of consumer wealth, adults 50+ are grossly under- and misrepresented in marketing according to new research from Cheryl Overton Communications (COC). The launch of GRWN™, a comprehensive strategic marketing communications toolkit designed to help brands forge meaningful connections with consumers 50+, aims to reverse this brand bias.
A national survey among adults 18+ revealed that while 65% of all respondents believe people over 50 represent significant untapped spending potential, nearly half of those 50+ (48%) felt overlooked as consumers within the past year.
"Our work has always centered helping brands create authentic connections with audiences that deserve better representation," said Cheryl Overton, founder + CXO, Cheryl Overton Communications. "The 50+ demographic controls substantial wealth and influence yet our research confirms they feel brands rely on outdated perceptions instead of engaging with their reality."
The research illuminates a striking perception gap: While adults 50+ want to be portrayed as active (55%), stylish (55%), wise (45%), and adventurous (45%), 60% of all respondents report that brands prioritize their past over present capabilities and future aspirations.
Introducing GRWN™: A Fresh Perspective on Age-Inclusive Marketing
Drawing from the same data-inspired and insights-driven expertise that helped shape influential campaigns for P&G's "My Black is Beautiful," Unilever Dove's "Campaign for Real Beauty," and the American Heart Association's "Go Red for Women," GRWN™ offers brands a thoughtful path to connecting with this valuable audience.
The GRWN™ approach includes:
- Consumer Insights Mining: Research that uncovers their genuine motivations and preferences
- Strategic Framework Development: Custom approaches that honor their complexity and diversity
- Narrative and Creative Direction: Content strategies that authentically represent their lived experiences
- Integrated Implementation: Activation across channels where these consumers meaningfully engage
- Performance Measurement: Analytics that capture both business outcomes and sentiment evolution
"Over 40% of our respondents identified 'becoming invisible' as their greatest fear about aging. This is the real impact of persistent underrepresentation," Overton noted. "Brave brands have an extraordinary opportunity to lead a cultural conversation about aging and, in the process, win market share and help reshape societal perceptions."
Key Insights
The survey revealed several noteworthy findings that underscored the need for GRWN™:
- Industry Room(s) for Improvement: Fashion/Beauty (32%) and Entertainment (23%) were cited as the industries with the most significant room for improvement in age representation, followed by Technology and Financial Services (13% each).
- Security x Freedom: Consumers 50+ value security (36%) and freedom (23%), suggesting a nuanced audience seeking solid foundations that enable continued growth and exploration.
- Cross-Generational Understanding Gap: 55% of respondents believe younger generations don't fully understand the needs and values of 50+, highlighting a need for more inclusive perspectives within marketing teams.
GRWN™ joins COC's suite of proprietary brand strategy and activation tools, including the DEI Monitor™, All Girl Band™ and Amewa™, all designed to brands create meaningful connections through authentic, thoughtful engagement.
For more information about GRWN™, visit www.covertoncomms.com/GRWN.
About Cheryl Overton Communications
Cheryl Overton Communications is a strategic marketing communications collective where human truths, cultural insights and community impact converge to create business solutions that resonate and disrupt. We help forward-thinking organizations build meaningful relationships with their audiences through storytelling that inspires action and drives change. We have been recognized by Adcolor, Chief New Era of Leadership, Florida State Minority Supplier Diversity Business, Inc. Magazine, PR Week and PR News. For more information, visit www.covertoncomms.com
Media Contact
Cheryl Overton, Cheryl Overton Communications, 1 9173733514, [email protected], www.covertoncomms.com/GRWN
SOURCE Cheryl Overton Communications
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