Enter the Power of the Queenager Market
There’s a new kid on the block and brands need to step up to their challenge. This long-ignored demographic is forging a voice and pioneering a new era. Who are these movers and shakers?
Queenagers.
Who are the queenagers? They are Gen XXX, 45+ years young go-getters who have come into their own – and rightfully so. Eleonor Mills, a founder of the movement, tells us that queenagers rebuke the mainstream narrative that their lives are centered around menopause. Their lives are way more purposeful beyond that of child-rearing. They are passionate, experienced, knowledgeable, and are increasingly positioned to dominate the ABC1 consumer group, which consists of those with more education and better-paying careers.
Bethann Hardison, of 77 years and 2013 CFDA Founder’s Award Winner, explains why older women should be known as queenagers.
“In maturity you can afford to make these decisions and accept the consequences of less being more. You have lived a life, who fits, stays. But somehow you are that same youth with the blessing of age, fortunate to have found your tribe. Queen you are, Teen you be.” – thatsnotmyage.com.
So why do companies only market wrinkle cream and incontinence products to the queenagers? Because, most companies have branded this group as a walking hot flash. That has to change right now.
Queenagers are one of the most powerful consumer groups today.
According to Forbes, these women control or are behind 95% of all household spending decisions and they out-spend younger women by 250%. And in the 2019 UK census, women 40+ out-earned women under 40 for the first time. Today, half of women 45-60 are the main household breadwinners and have more money than most. The queenagers really are different from any previous generations and the proof is in the puddin’.
While the massive menopause market is worth $15.4 billion globally, it is set to grow to $22.7 billion by 2028. The 50+ group in the US controls upward of 78% of the country’s wealth yet they appear in less than 15% of advertising. When they do appear in ads, 28% of those ads are viewed in a negative light.
So how can brands include the queenagers?
Well, it all starts with positive representation. Ditch the idea that wrinkles equate to worthlessness because it’s quite the opposite and always has been. According to Noon.org research, 65%+ of queenagers are way more likely to buy from a brand that represents them.
Actively place older women in front of and behind the camera, especially in marketing, account management, and product / service development. Give this group a voice, listen to them, and implement their ideas. Know the difference between listening and being heard.
Understand that as the primary consumer, even in areas like home improvement, electronics, and cars, women are making the purchase 50% of the time. Keep in mind, 35% of queenagers live alone so they are making purchases for themselves.
Get a strong backstory and align yourself with causes that can be tethered to female influence. Queenagers are just as innovative, creative, and smart as anyone else in the room.
So, let’s embrace the movement and let’s celebrate the queenager culture. Let’s recognize their value and contributions that affect all our lives. Let’s applaud them, support them, and lift them up because without them, we are lost.
Long live the Queen(ager).