Squaring up to the feisty over 40s woman
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Once upon a time, conventional wisdom goes, mid-life women were expected to merge beigely into the background, unseen and unheard. Whether that’s ever really been entirely true is debateable. Strong, wise, savvy women have always had a big influence, if not always the independent spending power. Well, finally and belatedly, the world of media and marketing is beginning to cotton on to our desirability as consumers. But they’re still in great danger of getting it wrong, by substituting a new stereotype for the old one, rather than understanding the depths of experience and the sheer diversity of their lifestyles.
So why does so much brand communication to this great audience miss the mark? There are, after all, enough mid-life women around to observe them in our natural habitats. Take just one common take on the 40+ woman. All too often, they’re portrayed as the ultimate people-pleasers – fretting about everyone but themselves. Dream on. While many of them shoulder huge responsibilities, and certainly lead complex lives, listen up – they dropped the people-pleasing thing years ago. They don’t suffer fools gladly and don’t want to be patronised. They know what they want and will reward brands that understand that and play to that.
In leisure time, they’re still often portrayed as the ash-blonde with the bob perfectly coiffured, gazing into the sunset from the deck of the ‘romantic’ cruise ship with a silver haired male companion. Yet for increasing numbers of mid-life women, newfound travel time means backpacking or hostelling – certainly getting off the beaten track. And whether they’re married or single, they’re just as likely to be doing at least some of that exploring with girlfriends. They’re an important part of their lives – they chew over literature at book clubs with them, take city breaks, spur each other on to take better exercise, set up businesses.
Sure, they have worries – looking after elderly parents, fretting about pensions, job security, and, occasionally, come to that, about personal security. Some of them are even new Mums for the first time. They’d really rather not have the wrinkles that baffle them with their appearance and they’d probably like to shed a few pounds. The brands that talk straight, recognise their experience and brainpower, approach their lives with the same good humour that they do, will win their hearts and loyalty.
So if you’re planning on making a pitch to mid-life women for a product and/or a service, it’s worth thinking a little more imaginatively about who you’re actually talking to. They’re as likely to be in multiple life-stages at any one time: potentially re-starting a career, embarking on a new relationship, going into higher education, caring for ageing relatives, all in one week – in short, they’re just as likely to be a Sian Williams as an old-style Oxo Mum, an Annie Lennox as a Felicity Kendal. Got the picture?
