Have you noticed how ageist the internet has become over the last few years? Like other pop culture, it seems filled with bright young things – making music, sharing files, bragging on MySpace and Twittering away. We see the same ageism in advertising, film and TV. It’s as if anyone over 30 and older got left behind in the techno dust. On the web it appears to be a young people’s world.
The only problem with this view is that it is entirely false. Oh, it’s true that the advertising agencies are pushing youth – but that’s been going on since the 60’s, across all media. And under 30’s definitely have more disposable income. But the real Dollar Power, Euro Power too, is with those OLDER than 30. Last year an episode of the American TV series “Boston Legal” had great craic, supporting a septagenarian to sue “the networks” for “fair representation” at least equal to their Dollar Power. They claimed over 40% was in the hands of the “oldies”.
We’re likely to see a shift on the web in the next few years. Certainly, it is now important to understand your target age group. So why are so few companies selling the over 30s? What about the Dollar Power in Ireland of the over 50s? It would be interesting to see some research.
“Getting Your Business Online” – I’m editing a new series in Chambers Ireland’s InBusiness Magazine. You can read it online – 
