As a freelance content marketing writer I like to keep my eye on hiring trends in the business. If I like the tone and tenor of the company I will offer to take some projects off their chore list until the vacancy is filled and their new hire is brought up to snuff. The quantity of ads, with words like content manager, copywriter, content developer, content director, digital this and digital that has increased massively over the last few years.
I recently looked into a few agencies placing these ads and something really stood out to me – – staff and management are all so young! Then I did a little research and found out I am not imagining things.
An article in Campaign US reports:
“According to the 2017 IPA census, the definitive annual survey of employment trends in media, advertising and marketing communication agencies, the average age of employees in all IPA member agencies is 33.7 and has remained the average since 2009.”
I get, and agree, that the younger set, as digital natives, are more tech-savvy. I’ll even agree, to a point, that they have a good, maybe even better, nose for authenticity. That’s all fine.
What should be of concern is the age gap between agencies and the buying public they are marketing to. When a mid-twenties creative is trying to relate to the persona of a middle aged or older prospect how authentic can they actually get?
From the same article:
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, today’s workers who are older than 65 make up the fastest-growing segment of the labor force, while the age group of 35 to 54 is increasing much more slowly. And the number of people over the age of 65 who are still working is expected to rise from 19 percent to 29 percent by 2060. By recruiting older employees, agencies gain an edge in finding the right talent, and they also bring on people who can understand an older demographic.
That first statistic is a mindblower. But then again, the 65 plus labor segment is likely near the top of their earning power as well. If they like the work and are making a good living, why quit?
While the article warns against ageism, there is another important warning. Prioritizing youthful digital skill over seasoned experience may compromise an agency’s capacity to most effectively serve the demographic diversity of the market. Boomers, after all, are still the leading consumer spending group beating Gen Xers by $191 billion and Millennials by $226 annually.
I can already hear the “OK boomer” retorts. But agencies shouldn’t hire a geezer to avoid an ageism lawsuit, they should do it to diversify their internal demographic. Who knows, maybe the creative synergy of a hipster/codger tag-team may surprise you.