Article by ICG member Caroline Noon
How did we all get here?
Which might sound a tad philosophical, but how and when did we get to be part of the ICG?
I’m supporting SIGn (Silver insights Generation) – a group who’ve come together to get the message out there about ageism in insight. Liz Norman identified in a survey that only 3% of people employed in research are over 55 – and similarly small numbers have been identified by the APG in advertising and strategy.
So my first question is: have people who are now over 55 made a conscious choice to leave insight jobs and live differently or were they nudged towards the door by prevailing ageism?
And my second question: is losing all the experience that 55+’s bring to our sector a real loss to our industry or are us 55+’s just kidding ourselves J?
If you are happy to share your thoughts on these questions I’ll compile the answers anonymously and share back with the group. (Email me – caroline@vivid-research.com)
My own story wasn’t about age at all! I went out on my own 20 years ago to juggle childcare (back then a quallie’s life was face to face fieldwork 2 evenings a week, travel and the rest of the week in the office). Now I’m ‘of a certain age’, I am conscious of how the 55+’s are overlooked in being part of research teams (coming back to our 3% figure!) and overlooked in research.
Older adults’ control over 70% of disposable income and yet remain underrepresented in research and marketing. And still, we (the industry) seem to treat 55+’s as a single consumer type, with marketing focusing more often than not on a problem to solve, a stairlift or a funeral policy to purchase!! And when 55+’s are researched, it is unlikely that anyone doing the research belongs to this age group. Imagine what we could bring in terms of empathy and insight!
If any of this chimes with you – share your stories and follow us on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/silver-insights-generation-sign/
Silver Insights Generation (SIGn) advocates for older generations to be both acknowledged and represented in research, analytics, and in the workforce.