A Nielsen executive has come out in support of expanding one of the key demographic targets used by many advertisers to buy commercials from age 25-54 to 25-64.
As the audience for traditional television has gotten older, broadcast and cable sales and research executives have argued that Madison Avenue’s fixation on younger viewers is costing them money by devaluing the majority of their audiences. They also argue that by ignoring mature viewers, marketers are ignoring consumers with wealth and purchasing power.
In a guest blog published by Broadcasting+Cable Monday, Nielsen VP Sue Tremblay argues that including people 55 to 64 would incorporate half of the Baby Boomer generation and all Gen Xers.
Those mature Americans have an average household net worth of $504,000, compared to the $450,000 net worth for households led by 35-to-54-year-olds.
A+E Networks in particular has been campaigning to get the industry to count mature viewers. A+E also contends that marketers don’t do a good job of depicting older consumers in commercials, turning them off. ■
