Why age is a red herring

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Christoph Michalski, president of the global hygiene category at SCA, sparked debate when he told Marketing Week that senior marketers risk being bypassed by younger, more digitally savvy colleagues (MWlinks.co.uk/OlderMarketers). Here are comment extracts.

I am 52 and way ahead of anyone on my team aged in their 20s when it comes to using blogs, social media etc. I think it is all about attitude. Success is about looking forward and never assuming what you did in the past will work tomorrow. Age is one aspect, as success using some tools can encourage you to be lazy, but it is really about attitude.
Gary Bembridge

I’m a 48-year old “veteran” automotive marketer who can digitally and socially mix it up anytime with the ponytails at my agency. It is not about the age, it is about staying abreast of developments in your profession and most marketers that I know make a conscious effort to constantly redevelop themselves.
Francois van Eeden

It seems that age is nothing but a red herring to the real issue at hand. How many out there reading this can honestly back up their “digitally savvy” title with objective, quantifiable results? I’m happy for some good qualitative ones, aside from the tired, clichŽ hyperbole of “increasing transparency between ourselves and the consumer”.

If we all focused a little more on this we could collectively construct something far more useful. But I’m only 33, so what do I know?
Adam Banfield

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