Culturally, we have this idea that life slows at 50. Children are grown and gone, we're looking into retirement, our days of doing new things and surprising ourselves are over. Life past 50, if you look at the marketing for this age group, is mostly about fear: fear over health, fear over finances, fear of the future.
Nothing could be further from the truth, says David Stewart of the AGEIST. People in the 50-plus age group are doing all sorts of amazing things. Women especially are "figuring out life 2.0," says David.
AGEIST's message is that culture and brands really misunderstand this age group — it's not a time of fear, and messaging to the 50+ that way won't resonate with a lot of the over-50s. Many in this cohort feel "at the peak of their powers," David says, and if you want to reach them, you need to understand that.
Interview with David Harry Stewart the founder of AGEIST
David Harry Stewart is the founder and face of the AGEIST and the host of the SuperAge podcast. He is a passionate champion and leading authority on the modern 50+ lifestyle, and the mindset and aspirations that drive this influential demographic. Prior to launching AGEIST, Stewart enjoyed an award-winning career as a photographer whose advertising work included Nike, Google, American Express and others, and his magazine work includes Esquire, GQ, Interview, RedBull, Time, and many others.
Hear his conversation with the online menopause clinic, Gennev CEO Jill Angelo, as they discuss our cultural assumptions about aging, how men and women seem to enter the second half of life a little differently (at least at the moment), and what life after 50 really can look like.
Are you past or approaching 50 and feeling the cultural assumptions David and Jill talk about? Or do you think times are changing, and we face aging differently now? Join us in the Gennev Community forums to talk further!