Grow up to grey market needs

The flow and cross-flow of debate in your letters pages on the “grey” market makes interesting reading, not least that in our very ageist industry we demonstrate how schizophrenic we can be.

Customers are surely customers whatever their age, and with some 40 per cent of the population in the grey category, and increasing thanks to healthier lifestyles, it continues to dismay me that so many companies, usually headed by “grey” management, have become so obsessed with “youff”.

Surely we must recognise that all are valuable to a company’s fortunes because we need to sell today to stay in business tomorrow.

Our liberal industry can invest in the future by embracing all consumers without patronisation, and communicate interestingly and creatively. Advertising does not need to be bland or safe because it is assumed that greys are not able to understand humour or pathos. They appreciate such qualities as readily as the next man (or woman).

Can we expect our industry to demonstrate as much maturity as some marketers label the “greys” with?

Roy Piercy

Chief executive

Greymatter Marketing & Communications

Bedfordshire