The Role of Belief When Marketing to Older Consumers

You're not in the business of changing minds. Instead, you channel existing worldviews in the direction of the products and services you're advocating for.

Meet Jordan Peterson. 

Mr. Peterson is a 61-year-old former University of Toronto Psychology Professor who previously taught psychology at Harvard while maintaining a clinical practice. 

Then one day, he decided to start a YouTube channel to become a celebrity expert in the “men's rights” community. That's a loose collection of activists and followers who feel men have been subjugated or betrayed by social progress, specifically by advancements in equality for women. 

Note the phrase “loose collection of activists.” Peterson didn't originate these ideas. Instead, he saw what was happening and strategically became one of the leaders in the movement.

I'm not a fan of Mr. Peterson's, and you may not be either. We're not his target audience. But it's a mistake to think that he's converting impressionable young men to how he thinks. 

It's more accurate to say he's channeling what certain people already believe and giving voice to those who think they're alone or isolated in their worldview about men, women, and society. 

Let's take a look at the words of some of his fans as published in a New York Times profile of Peterson: 

“Whenever I listen to him, it's like he's telling me something I already knew. Learning is remembering.”

Here’s another example:

“How many times have I been in a situation where I'd been set up to be the bad guy? Listening to Dr. Peterson, I got a grasp of myself. It's things I already knew, but now, I know how to process the thought.”

What are these two people really communicating here? Peterson's message is entering the conversation that's already happening inside the heads of those who become his followers. This is the way it happens with movements of any kind.

For example, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. didn't convince Black Americans that they wanted to be treated equally under the law. He channeled and organized an existing desire for civil rights that were routinely being denied.

Whether it’s MAGA or Marie Kondo, people follow other people who become leaders based on a shared worldview. These worldviews are not created by movements or marketing, they’re simply mirrored back to a particular group and given a voice.

Buying is Believing

So, what does this have to do with building a business and selling stuff? As you saw with the way Steve Jobs marketed Apple’s products, people buy things based on what they believe about who they are and aspire to be.

When it comes to purchasing behavior and brand connection, 74% of consumers favor feeling valued and understood as a key factor. That means they're asking you to understand the conversation that's already happening in their heads.

Perhaps you've heard that saying before. If not, remember it, because it's the essence of everything you’re aiming for with your marketing efforts in the longevity economy. The biggest mistake you can make as an entrepreneur or marketer is to try to create demand or change people’s minds. Instead, you have to speak to what they already believe and value, and the fundamental desires they already have.

The idea that you can't create desire, but instead should discover it and then channel it back to prospects dates back to the “Golden Age” of advertising in the 1960s. By attracting and mentoring an audience, you'll become aware of what conversations are happening in your audience's heads at an even deeper level.

So what is the essence of this mental conversation that you need to tap into? I’m reminded of a sentence from Seth Godin’s poorly titled book, All Marketers are Liars, from 2005:

Marketing succeeds when enough people with similar worldviews come together in a way that allows marketers to reach them cost-effectively. Your opportunity lies in finding a neglected worldview, framing your story in a way that this audience will focus on and going from there.

The point is that the way people view the world already exists, and you must first understand it. You’re not creating it —you’re mirroring it back with messages and content that are framed in terms of that worldview so the story is noticed and believed.

Despite the title of the book, Godin is advocating for persuasive storytelling by marketers, not lying:

The best stories don’t teach people anything new. Instead, the best stories agree with what the audience already believes and make the members of the audience feel smart and secure when reminded how right they were in the first place.

It sounds like pandering, but when done correctly, it’s not. People will open up to new ideas and perspectives once they recognize you share the bundle of beliefs that make up the way they see the world. And this, more than chronological age, stage of life, or interests, is the starting point for effectively marketing to anyone, and older consumers in particular.

What Do Older People Believe?

When it comes to figuring out what older people believe, the short answer is simple. As a population, they believe a vast array of things and have a wide variety of worldviews, just like everyone else of any age.

Remember, treating people over a certain age as if they’re all the same based on demographics is ridiculous. That’s rule number one of marketing in the longevity economy.

When it comes to getting older, though, there are certain beliefs that are vital considerations that act as a baseline for who you choose to market to. Research shows a positive mindset about getting older literally adds years to your life and positively influences your healthspan:

In this study, a positive mindset toward aging — meaning, “I’m excited about the possibilities in the second half of my life, and I believe my best days are ahead of me” — translated into an extra eight years of healthy longevity.

When people have positive beliefs about getting older, they tend to take better care of themselves, extending their healthspans well past the current average. These people are the crown jewels of the longevity economy – they’ll work longer, spend more, and live more active and vibrant lives.

It’s an easy decision to put “positive beliefs about aging” in the profile of your ideal prospect. On the other hand, imagine someone in their 70s who has a negative view of aging, combined with the deteriorating health conditions that often come with it. Any effort to change their mind, much less act on a new belief, is unlikely to succeed.

This is not due to the incorrect (and demeaning) adage that you “can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” People’s personalities tend to shift, often for the better, after age 50. And after 60, people become more adaptable than at any other time since young adulthood.

No, older people don’t change their beliefs because people don’t tend to change their deeply held beliefs in general. Attempting to change minds at the level of core values and worldviews is simply an exercise in futility.

On the other hand, we know that people at middle age are highly receptive to changing their perspectives on getting older. That’s because once presented with the facts, they see how it’s beneficial to adopt a positive mindset about aging and realize their original ageist beliefs are not deeply held.

Other than that, we’re right back to older people are people too. And that means you’ll need to deeply understand the broader worldview – along with the values and attitudes that comprise it – of the target audience you’re hoping to influence.

Believe It Or Not …

I’ve got more to cover on the topic of belief before you can begin figuring out who your ideal prospects are, what information they need, and how you should best frame that content. But this would’ve ended up a monstrously long article if I kept going, so I’m going to send you part two next week.

Stay tuned. And if you’ve been enjoying Longevity Gains, can you do me a favor and share it with a friend or colleague? Much appreciated!