Three Powerful Content Categories for the Longevity Economy

The shortsighted ageism in the tech industry, three massively profitable categories for older consumers, and a big milestone for Boomers that ain't what it used to be.

Welcome to the final Longevity Gains newsletter of 2023! 

Premium subscribers, don’t worry … you’ll get another lesson next week, along with this Thursday’s installment in the Leading Expert approach to succeeding in the longevity economy.

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There’s no doubt it’s been a big year for awareness about the importance of older consumers. And mainstream coverage of the dramatic demographic changes that are shifting our society in an unprecedented direction thanks to longer healthier lives and dropping birth rates also jumped in 2023.

That means we should expect major developments in 2024, to say the least. Thanks for joining me on this journey as we explore the opportunities of the longevity economy together.

Before you dive head first into holiday revelry, we’ve got our final podcast episode of 2023 as well. Plus other good stuff down below, including a valuable free report that outlines three powerful content marketing categories for the longevity economy.

First, let’s return to the primary villain that stands in the way of fully realizing the potential in older people who work longer, spend longer, and thrive longer – ageism.

Ageism is so baked into our culture, it often doesn’t register until you start paying attention to what you and others casually say about growing older and older people.

But at some point, you’re likely to feel its effects. And often that will be at work (or while looking for work) past age 50.

The data shows that once you’re over 50, odds are the decision to leave your job won’t be yours. Although age discrimination is illegal, companies use layoffs and coerced “early retirement” to shed themselves of older employees.

This must change, given the perpetual labor shortage employers are facing. Plus, older people want to keep working due to longer, healthier lives and the changing reality of retirement.

But in certain industries, it gets late for you much earlier. We’ve explored how a fascination with young people hurts the world of advertising, and the same is true for the technology sector.

How early? Try 40. And that’s just ridiculous given that successful advertising and product development will require input from older people in order to succeed.

For the tech world, that’s where Maureen Clough comes in. She’s an “Elder Millennial” who is bringing awareness and insight to both technology companies and the general population about the folly of ageism in a time when our society (and the majority of wealth) is shifting older.

Listen in:

Web  |  Apple  |  Spotify

The Longevity Economy Big 3

In the general world of marketing, three of the biggest money buckets can be summarized as health, wealth, and personal growth. And given that older people are … (wait for it) people, the same remains true for the longevity economy.

The World Economic Forum just released a new report focused on the longevity economy, and it promotes the idea of longevity literacy, which translates to a focus on three key categories:

Using the concept of longevity literacy, stakeholders can focus on three pillars – quality of life, purpose, and financial resilience – to start reimagining what a sustainable and fulfilling long life and retirement can look like.

Quality of Life means more than health, but without it as a foundational aspect, there’s not much “quality” when it comes to living longer. So we start with positive attitudes toward aging, which lead to healthier habits and lifestyle, and then the door opens to a wide array of products, services, and experiences for older people.

Purpose (or the lack thereof) is driving the current unretirement trend, which will shortly give way to extended careers as healthspan and lifespan continue to expand. But it’s more than work – it’s an exercise is self actualization in our later years; becoming who we want to be. Personal growth education will flourish.

Financial resilience represents the economic transitions that must occur to account for longer lives and an older society. Beyond traditional concepts of retirement planning, consider an entire emerging market for encore careers, later-life business ventures, and the training, re-training, and “long life” learning that will become the norm to ensure financial viability for older citizens.

Check out the report, no email address required:

Living Longer, Better: Understanding Longevity Literacy (PDF)

60 is the New 60

By the end of next year, every Baby Boomer will be at least 60 years old. 

Brad Pitt turns 60 next week. Lenny Kravitz joins him in the spring, and Jodi Foster is going strong at 61. In 2025, Gen X starts joining the 60 and over club.

We’ve all known something was happening with conventional notions of aging. That’s because over the last 20 years, we’ve constantly heard catchy quips like:

• 40 is the new 30

• 60 is the new 40

• 70 is the new 60

These assertions were trying to drive home the fact that the new longevity was changing what it meant to be an older person. But of course, the only way the point could be made was to equate an “over the hill” age with a younger (read: better) age.

It’s time to accept the truth. 60 is the new 60. It’s not old, and it doesn’t need to be equated with an earlier age to signify that many people at this milestone are healthy, vibrant, and thriving.

So, maybe avoid equating younger ages with “better” and simply state that life is uniquely great at 60, 70, and beyond. No one really wants to go back to an earlier age; they want to live their best lives right now, at whatever number that happens to be.

The Jodie Foster Guide to Aging in Hollywood (Interview)

Here’s wishing you a very merry holiday season and a happy new year’s celebration. I’ll talk to you in 2024!

Keep going-

Brian