Growing with Grace: Driving Visibility through Empathy, with Susan Lee Colby
On today’s episode of the “Be Nice or Leave” podcast, I had the opportunity to sit down and chat with Susan Lee Colby, a trailblazer in the marketing world. She’s the co-founder of Grace Creative, a forward-thinking marketing and advertising agency designed to address the needs of women over 50. Let’s face it; most of us don’t imagine the 50+ demographic as a vibrant, buying powerhouse. Susan’s about to change that perception, and believe me, her insights will challenge the way you view this often-overlooked market.
Imagine spending your career building winning campaigns for some of the biggest brands out there, then deciding to take a gamble on a new narrative: aging. Susan’s not just addressing age, though. She’s shattering clichés and stereotypes about growing older and, in doing so, unveiling a gold mine for marketers — the buying power of women over 50, who are behind a whopping 90% of household purchase decisions.
Let’s dive into some key takeaways from my enlightening conversation with Susan:
- Grace Creative, under Susan’s co-leadership, is challenging the status quo by addressing ageism and transforming the narrative around aging.
- Open conversations within our homes about aging and life transitions can empower women as they navigate these changes, highlighting the importance of familial discussions.
- Empathy and community-building aren’t just buzzwords to Susan; they’re integral to her mission of redefining the marketing landscape for women over 50.
Entering the World of Grace Creative
Ever stopped to wonder how the advertising world perceives women over 50? It’s a question that kept Susan awake at night. She understood the power of this demographic, the fact they make 90% of household buying decisions, but she also saw brands either talking down to these women or ignoring them entirely. Not on her watch. Susan created Grace Creative to rewrite this narrative, leveraging empathy and community-building to foster brand engagement.
Driving open discussions about aging, health, and finances within households is no small task, but Susan champions these conversations. She believes that these dialogues should extend beyond women over 50, roping in younger generations, enabling them to understand ageism’s impacts better.
When we discussed working with brands and campaigns, Susan didn’t shy away from addressing common misconceptions about marketing to women over 50. These myths often center around wrinkles or the false belief that these women are no longer interested in certain aspects of life. Grace Creative dispels these misconceptions, showing that there’s more to women over 50 than outdated stereotypes.
A Call to Address Ageism in Marketing
Our conversation was a strong reminder that ageism is the last frontier of acceptable discrimination. Open conversations about age need to happen within our homes, not just with our peers, but with younger generations as well. These dialogues can spark awareness and empathy around ageism, pushing back against prejudices that have somehow remained acceptable.
Brands need to understand that the 50+ demographic should neither be belittled nor dismissed. After all, these women are decision-makers, with their hands on 90% of household purchases. Susan’s mission with Grace Creative is to shine a spotlight on this demographic, countering outdated tropes and clichés that undermine the experiences of women over 50.
Redefining What It Means to Age
Our society is shifting its focus away from age, emphasizing other more meaningful aspects of our lives. However, women over 50 still encounter advertising and media that limit their experience to stereotypes about aging.
Enter Grace Creative. This women-owned agency is on a quest to rewrite these harmful perceptions. Susan believes that marketing to this demographic should involve empathy and community-building, not talking down to them. Instead, we need to recognize the breadth of interests and concerns these women hold and, most importantly, remember that life doesn’t stop at 50.
We talked about the importance of encouraging open dialogues within homes on topics such as health, sexuality, and financial decision-making. These discussions can help shatter ageism and offer younger generations a clearer picture of life post-50.
By changing the narrative around aging, businesses can better resonate with this influential consumer group, translating into growth for their organizations.
Encouraging Open Dialogues at Home
One aspect we emphasized is the importance of open conversations within homes about aging and other subjects, such as health and sexuality. This can help dispel misconceptions associated with aging and bridge the gap between generations.
Historically, these topics were considered taboo. But, it’s time to change that narrative, embrace age as just another life transition, and understand it’s not just about women over 50 but also their families, who can benefit from their wisdom and experiences.
Debunking Age-Related Stereotypes
We spent some time discussing Susan’s experiences marketing to women over 50. Traditional advertisements and media often focus on topics such as incontinence, wrinkles, or the idea that life loses its spark after a certain age. Susan has been instrumental in breaking away from these stereotypes to create marketing campaigns that genuinely reflect the realities of women over 50.
Empathy, Susan believes, is a powerful tool for understanding customers. It’s the key to opening up the conversation and dismantling age-related clichés. She has made it her mission to use empathy to guide brands to a better understanding of this powerful demographic.
Putting Empathy and Community at the Heart of Marketing
We both agreed on the importance of empathy and community in marketing. Advertising needs to start open conversations within families to foster a deeper understanding of the realities faced by the 50+ demographic. By doing so, we can challenge ageism and tackle outdated stereotypes.
Women over 50 control 90% of household buying decisions. Yet, many brands overlook or even demean them. It’s time for a change. Grace Creative, Susan’s brainchild, is harnessing empathy and community-building to change the narrative around age.
By challenging age-related misconceptions and promoting open conversations, marketing campaigns can genuinely resonate with women over 50, showing these women the respect they deserve and tapping into a market ripe with opportunities.
That’s it for today, folks, thank you for joining me and Susan on this episode – tune in next time for another empowering journey at Be Nice or Leave and keep spreading the positivity!