Ageism in Media Buying: The $4 Trillion Missed Opportunity

AW360 Op-Ed by Danielle DeLauro, VAB, EVP

Moving the industry towards an audience-first buying mindset is one of our shared priorities for 2021 and beyond. As part of our commitment to educating marketers and advocating for this shift, we are pleased to share with you this article published in AW360, Ageism in Media Buying: The $4 Trillion Missed Opportunity. In this piece, and in the VAB marketer’s guide that inspired it, Audience Migration in Context, we expose the massive disconnect between the realities of our population dynamics and the buying approach of many marketers.  

This piece highlights for marketers the opportunities to be found by focusing on audiences, not demographics.  By thinking outside the A18-49 bubble, they can unlock nearly $4 trillion in consumer spend by engaging the 50+ audience. As a proof point, we turn to the data-driven, outcomes-obsessed DTC brands we’ve been following for nearly a decade. They recognize that age isn’t what defines their customers, and their audience-driven strategy has powered impressive growth.

By Danielle DeLauro