For a long time, NJ advertising agencies have focused almost exclusively on capturing the attention of younger consumers. They were seen as more open to adopting new brands, having more disposable income, and in general having a better long-term return on advertising investment than older Americans. Recently, however, some NJ advertising agencies have been challenging this conventional wisdom and specifically targeting consumers in the 55 and older category as part of their advertising strategy.

In fact, due to changing demographics and the disproportionately negative impact of the recent economic downturn on younger Americans – this approach makes a good deal of sense. According to a recent article from the Radio Advertising Bureau, older Americans make an increasingly attractive target for NJ advertising agencies due to their higher median incomes and lower unemployment rates. The unemployment numbers make this case most strikingly. Among 20–24 year-old Americans, the unemployment rate is 14.2%. This drops to 9.4% for 25–34 year-olds and falls still further to only 6.2% of 55–64 year olds.

Is it any wonder that more NJ advertising agencies are trying to reach this growing segment of America’s population?