The longevity economy: How leading brands are changing tack to win 50-plus consumers

IN THE GLOBAL RACE FOR GROWTH, most companies are still chasing youth. A few are building for the era of longevity.

In boardrooms and brand strategy sessions, youth remains the gravitational center of attention — coveted, chased, mythologized. Yet just beyond that narrow field of vision lies one of the most powerful economic forces of the 21st century: the global 50+ population, a cohort expected to soon control $15 trillion in annual spending and that accounts for more than half of consumption in sectors ranging from finance to travel to technology. Despite this, only 5 to 10% of marketing budgets are directed toward them. That disconnect is not just an inefficiency — it is a strategic failure.