Eliminating Ageism: Building Stronger Relationships with Older Adults
In an industry dedicated to serving older adults, you'd think ageism would be the last thing we'd find. Yet, subtle biases are surprisingly prevalent. From marketing strategies that inadvertently reinforce outdated stereotypes—to product development that underestimates capabilities—ageism not only hurts the older adult but can ultimately cost businesses trust, engagement and revenue.
There are several ways we let ageism be part of our story, such as:
Marketing Missteps:
1. Overly simplified messaging that portrays older adults as passive or dependent.
2. Stock photos consistently featuring frail or isolated seniors, reinforcing negative stereotypes.
Product Development Disconnect:
3. Underestimating seniors' technological abilities which leads to overly simplistic products that miss the mark on actual needs for many.
4. Neglecting input from older adults themselves during product development phases.
Customer Service Bias:
5. When staff or others who serve this market unintentionally speak down to the older adult or in childlike tones, this causes feelings of dissatisfaction or even resentment.
What can we do? Re-shifting our views and interactions is a first step to eliminate ageism as much as possible.
Change the Narrative: Instead of focusing solely on age, highlight the diverse lifestyles, aspirations and abilities of older adults.
Include Your Target Audience in the Conversation: Actively involve older adults in creating products, services and marketing materials that are intended for them.
Educate and Train Staff: Develop programs that help employees recognize and address unconscious ageist attitudes. These are deeply entrenched beliefs that most of us learned at an early age.
I would guess that everyone over the age of 55 has known the sting of ageism. It not only damages the receiver but the one who delivers it as it further supports misguided assumptions.
Organizations that intentionally recognize these biases and create actionable steps to eliminate them will have a head start on building stronger relationships with their prospects while positioning themselves as true industry leaders. It's not only the right thing to do—it's smart business.
I'm curious, have you seen examples of ageism in your work and do you have any suggestions for how to push back?