Business is convinced that older Americans choose their brands young and never change. Elderly brand loyalty changing That used to be true, when you were talking about the World War II generation. But that kind of brand loyalty is dying. American Demographics, a magazine that explains the science of people-counting to business, devoted much of its November issue to the changing habits of the elderly. For those still marketing to them the way they have always done it, it's an eye-opener.
Brand loyalty is on the decline among all age groups.
The steepest drop is among the mature. The number sticking to old choices has fallen 20 percentage points for those in their 70s, and 21 percentage points for those in their 60s. Blame it on affluence. More money makes for more choices. Advertisers will ignore older Americans at their peril.