Marketing to 'midlife women'
Hey, what did you call me?
*UPDATE Nov 23 -
I’ve built a Knowledge Vault for brands and marketers hoping to target midlife women. You can consult it here (free, no sign-up needed for now).
Right now I’m in deep-dive mode, researching marketing aimed at midlife women. Specifically, I’m weighing up the words used to attract and persuade this particular demographic.
Why? Firstly, I’ve got a vested interest. I’m one of these women, so I can feel when the words resonate (and when they don’t). Secondly, because I’m convinced we’re the most under-served and misunderstood big buyers in the market.
Here’s what Katie Baron, Senior Contributor at Forbes, said about the “… self sabotaging gazillions of brands” neglecting this demographic in her predictions for brand culture in 2023 -
“… [brands] could be a.) changing the script, while b.) making themselves a mint at the temple of the middle-aged females in the process.”
What did you call me?
The first thing I’ve noticed is the varied group names used to define women like me. I’ve pulled those names apart, so you can choose your favourite.
You can read more here about the names we choose to define our people (and why they’re important in marketing).
So how do brands, businesses or communities call out midlife women as their target audience?
Midlifers or midlife women
I’ve used this term in my title, because it’s well-understood. And it’s ok. Seemingly factual.
Although, when you think about where ‘mid’ fits with our commonly-accepted timelines (beginning, middle and end), I don’t much fancy the options either side.
Midlife is also often coupled with the word crisis, so our mental associations aren’t entirely positive. Like the term middle-aged, which sounds to me like a geological epoch. Middle-aged is also frequently associated with the term spread.
Gen X or Baby Boomers
A neat demographic generalisation by date of birth: Gen X (1965-1980) and Boomers (1946-1964). Not to be confused with …
GenM
A new-ish partnership of brands marketing to menopausal women and also businesses pledging to support their menopausal workforce.
I admire GenM’s commitment to clarity, visibility and positivity. According to GenM’s mission - “It’s a market desperate for better understanding, support and representation.”
When leads me on to …
The Menoposse
A clever term for midlife health and wellbeing warriors? You can decide. I’m not sure of the roots of this name, but it raised a smile.
Grown Gals
I’ve clocked this US term somewhere online, but it doesn’t transfer well to a UK audience.
Granfluencers
Yep, they could be the next big thing. That’s according to Canvas8, an insight agency that specialises in consumer culture and behaviour. Read all about them here.
Elders
Sounds a bit churchy. Nothing wrong with that - or the authority the term suggests - but I’m not totally convinced.
Second-halfers
Associations with sport make this a decent term for the activity, health or wellbeing space.
Middlescents
Extrapolated from Susan Lee Colby’s term middlescence. Colby is the founder of Grace Creative, an LA marketing agency that works with brands to “activate the most empowered consumer group in history”. Namely, women over 50.
Colby suggests that many midlife women behave like ‘teenagers with money”, hence middlescence.
Meanwhile, Grace Creative’s online community is called Girls Gone 50.
Queenagers
Now we’re getting somewhere. Coined by Eleanor Mills, founder of Noon (an online community for midlife women).
Mills defines the term in her Substack as “whatever you want it to be”.
Situation-specific terms for midlife women
Some other language is specific to situations or behaviour that’s common in midlife. For example, you’ve got the Empty Nesters, Returners or Silver Splitters.
Empty Nesters
Refers to women whose children have grown up and left the family home. Mind you, it’s also worth remembering that 25% of midlife women are childfree.
Returners
Often used to describe midlife women re-entering the job market or reviving previous careers.
Silver Splitters
These are women involved in a Grey Divorce. They might then undertake a Grey Gap Year. An interesting demographic, even if the term is reductive. Reminds me of the fuss in the marketing world over the Pink Pound. I don’t love a group name derived from hair colour, however catchy it sounds. Sorry, all you Silver Foxes.
Other options for words that call out to midlife women
Many words that imply ‘older’ are better used to describe cars or wine, eg vintage or classic.
One option is to aim simply factual.
Women between the ages of 45 and 60 is a bit of a mouthful.
50-plus is fine. 50+ same.
Fortysomething or Fiftysomething sounds carefree.
While Sexagenarian (aged 60-69) is snappier than Quinquagenarian (aged 50-59).
For this post, I’ve played around with some other original analogies. I’m letting you into the head of a copywriter in idea generation phase. Picture me with a sheet of A3 paper, scribbling word associations. Most need work, some are terrible, a few have potential.
For example …
In the life cycle of a star, middle-aged roughly aligns with the Supergiant stage (the next stage is called a Supernova). Could you get onboard with that?
How about Horizoneers for a travel brand? Fiftyfuls? Or Fiftyfillies?
From my messy A3 page-in-progress, I’m drawn most to Maturista, for its sense of gravitas, with top notes of coffee and fashion. Should I trademark it?
Coming soon
Could Gen X women be considered the supreme influencers? In the last few weeks alone, I’ve talked my octogenarian dad into buying a pair of Hoka trainers and helped my student son choose a bank account. Our sway over purchase decisions travels up and down the generations. So what words are brands and businesses choosing to influence the influencers?