{"id":159,"date":"2026-04-20T05:54:45","date_gmt":"2026-04-20T05:54:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kinsta-stag-advertisingweek.md-staging.com\/?p=159"},"modified":"2026-04-21T05:49:40","modified_gmt":"2026-04-21T05:49:40","slug":"shrinking-lessons-for-the-booming-50-market","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kinsta-stag-advertisingweek.md-staging.com\/aw360\/_editorial\/shrinking-lessons-for-the-booming-50-market\/159\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cShrinking\u201d Lessons for the Booming 50+ Market"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Danielle McMurray<\/a>, VP Marketing, AARP Media Advertising Network (AMAN)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The third season of the TV series \u201cShrinking\u201d recently dropped \u2013 continuing its successful run thanks to a terrific ensemble cast, with actors ranging in age from their early 20s to their early 80s <\/strong>(I\u2019m looking at you, Harrison Ford). No spoiler alerts here \u2013 I\u2019m a big fan of the show. But if you haven\u2019t seen it yet, \u201cShrinking\u201d is about a therapist \u2013 Jimmy, played by Jason Segel<\/strong> \u2013 who decides to take an unconventional approach with his patients: brutal honesty. The show offers a fresh perspective on themes like grief and loss, forgiveness, aging, mental health, caregiving, community \u2013 basically, so many of the ways we find ourselves just trying to navigate life these days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But where \u201cShrinking\u201d really shines is its multi-generational cast and the lessons the show offers about human connection<\/strong>. For the marketer in me, and hopefully for marketers everywhere, those lessons are especially relevant today, particularly when it comes to strengthening relationships with the powerful 50+ demographic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are three takeaways for marketers looking to build high-trust, high-loyalty brands that really connect with consumers.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lead with Empathy to Deepen Understanding<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Everyone we meet in life always has more going on than we realize. In \u201cShrinking,\u201d Jimmy\u2019s unorthodox success stems from seeing his patients as people with full, complex lives. For example, one theme \u201cShrinking\u201d explores especially well is caregiver burnout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, one in four Americans is a caregiver <\/strong>\u2014 (source<\/em>: https:\/\/www.aarp.org\/pri\/topics\/ltss\/family-caregiving\/caregiving-in-the-us-2025\/<\/a>) \u2013 that\u2019s 63 million people, a 50% increase over the past decade.<\/strong> Yet many of us still don\u2019t have the language (or the permission) to talk openly about care and its place in our lives. Deepening our sense of empathy for one another helps us begin to bridge that gap. Empathy is also essential for marketers, regardless of the topic. Invest in listening to understand a customer\u2019s pain points and emotional drivers. Then, reflect that understanding in your campaigns and customer experiences. Do this well, and your brand will earn trust, signal respect, and create loyalty that lasts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Build Community with Authenticity<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When characters like Jimmy face difficulties and can\u2019t find a way forward, a \u201cchosen family\u201d of neighbors and colleagues steps in to provide support. What makes those moments land is that the help doesn\u2019t come from grand speeches or perfectly packaged solutions \u2013 it comes from showing up: dropping off food, sitting through the hard parts, offering rides, checking in again tomorrow. \u201cShrinking\u201d also reminds us that real community requires all-in participation. People bring different strengths at different ages and stages, and support moves in all directions over time. The point is not that we need to be fixed; we simply need to feel seen and included.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For marketers, community-building starts with authenticity. Create spaces and experiences that help customers connect with your brand and with one another around real needs and shared interests. That can mean customer advisory groups, local events, loyalty communities that deliver practical value, or content that highlights customers\u2019 stories with dignity. The goal is belonging \u2013 and belonging is a powerful driver of retention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBreak the Fourth Wall\u201d to Increase Engagement<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Jimmy breaks traditional boundaries to create active partnerships. He doesn\u2019t hide behind professional distance; he meets people where they are, speaks plainly, and invites them to participate in their own progress. In doing so, he turns passive \u201ctreatment\u201d into shared accountability, which changes the energy of every interaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Marketers can do the same by inviting customers into the brand: sharing the \u201cwhy\u201d behind decisions, being transparent about tradeoffs, and encouraging two-way dialogue rather than broadcasting at them. When you \u201cbreak the fourth wall,\u201d you also earn permission to go deeper. Build feedback loops customers can see (e.g., \u201cYou asked, we changed\u201d), invite co-creation, and treat service moments as relationship moments. Engagement rises when people feel like participants, not targets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why this Matters Now: The 50+ Opportunity<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Building relationships with consumers on a human level is more important than ever for marketers seeking greater competitive advantage. And while this holds true for any consumer segment, the upside is especially significant when you consider the market-moving might of the 50+ demographic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adults over age 50 are a financial powerhouse.<\/strong> They live boldly. Buy big. Own and invest more. As a result, they outspend every other demographic across categories, ranging from automotive, travel, and home remodeling to technology, fitness, and dining. They want brands to speak with them on their terms, to recognize that they matter, and to show up with messages that help them live their best lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bottom Line<\/strong>: Building authentic, human connections with consumers requires marketers to lead with empathy, build community, invite participation, and champion new possibilities. When these principles show up consistently in strategy and execution, brands don\u2019t just broaden reach \u2013 they create value propositions and customer experiences that meet people where they are and build stronger relationships for generations to come.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Danielle McMurray, VP Marketing, AARP Media Advertising Network (AMAN) The third season of the TV series \u201cShrinking\u201d recently dropped \u2013 continuing its successful run thanks to a terrific ensemble cast, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":191,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[7],"topics":[],"class_list":["post-159","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-_editorial","tag-brands-marketers"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kinsta-stag-advertisingweek.md-staging.com\/aw360\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/159","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kinsta-stag-advertisingweek.md-staging.com\/aw360\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kinsta-stag-advertisingweek.md-staging.com\/aw360\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kinsta-stag-advertisingweek.md-staging.com\/aw360\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kinsta-stag-advertisingweek.md-staging.com\/aw360\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=159"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kinsta-stag-advertisingweek.md-staging.com\/aw360\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/159\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":199,"href":"https:\/\/kinsta-stag-advertisingweek.md-staging.com\/aw360\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/159\/revisions\/199"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kinsta-stag-advertisingweek.md-staging.com\/aw360\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/191"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kinsta-stag-advertisingweek.md-staging.com\/aw360\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=159"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kinsta-stag-advertisingweek.md-staging.com\/aw360\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=159"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kinsta-stag-advertisingweek.md-staging.com\/aw360\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=159"},{"taxonomy":"topics","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kinsta-stag-advertisingweek.md-staging.com\/aw360\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/topics?post=159"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}