Is 18 to 34 still the most coveted demographic? (2024)

Mike Hewitt / Getty Images

I turned 35 on Monday. And sure, getting older sucks. But it’s not my hair thinning that gets me, or that thing with my knee. The real existential gut punch of it all is that on Monday, I aged out of the coveted 18-to-34 demographic.

For decades, the 18-to-34 age group has been considered especially valuable to advertisers. It’s the biggest cohort, overtaking the baby boomers in 2015, and 18 to 34s are thought to have money to burn on toys and clothes and products, rather than the more staid investments of middle age.

“Eighteen to 34 has been regarded for so long as the young demographic,” said Michael Miraflor, global head of futures and innovation at the ad agency Blue 449. “So when you age out of that you’re like, ‘OK, now what am I considered?’”

Old, Michael! And, even more sadly, irrelevant. See, literally my entire adult life, from the minute I turned 18 until this week, my opinions have not only mattered — they’ve moved markets.

For advertisers, Miraflor said, “It’s about the opportunity to kinda convert those 18- to 34-year-olds into brands and products and services they’ll use for the rest of their lives.”

Miraflor explains that these big demographic “buckets” were created back in the “Mad Men” days, when age was a proxy for interests. Young people must like fizzy soda and fast cars; old people prefer iced tea and slow cars — sell them stuff accordingly. And if you want to help an old person feel young? Sell him a sports car, of course.

This gave me an idea. What if I could use my final days of relevance to sort of pull the culture towards me? Living it up, consuming all the stuff I love, I could signal to advertisers that my taste is what’s hip. Doing so, I could move the needle toward my taste one last time … before my taste stops mattering.

So that’s what I did. For example, I love ambient music; new-agey drones and tones type stuff. Last week I went to see some ambient artists perform. I bought the ticket with my credit card — that’s a data point CapitalOne will sell to advertisers.

I also posted all over social media: dozens of tweets and likes and snaps. Together, all those data points make a little data constellation, that, if it’s bright enough, tells advertisers “Hey. Look over here. This stuff must be cool — look at the coveted young person who’s consuming it!”

End result, said Lee Maicon, chief strategy officer at ad agency 360i, “You might start to see some of that music in some of the advertising you’re being targeted with.”

Maicon, who just so happens to share my same birthday, has brought me the greatest gift I could ask for.

“Age is still valuable,” Maicon said. “It’s not the whole story.”

In the era of big data, Maicon said age is just one data point. Now, things work almost the opposite of the way they did in the “Mad Men” days. If young people get into iced tea and slow cars — or, say, seltzer, vinyl records, mom jeans — advertisers will learn that from the data, and adjust the demographics accordingly.

In addition, Maicon said that “rather than see things by demographic, we’re able to see adjacent passions.”

If I really wanted to boost the signal on my music taste, he notes, I might have spent the last week consuming fashion and gadgets and fine dining, too. Then the data would correlate my taste in music with all of that other, coveted consumption.

But most importantly, Maicon assuages my biggest fear. That culture-hacking experiment I’ve been performing using my last week in the coveted 18-to-34 demographic to influence advertisers and tastemakers? The new big data paradigm means my age doesn’t matter as much as it used to — I can influence the culture just as much from my new demographic as I did in my old one.

“It’ll matter just as much,” Maicon said.

Thank god for getting older.

Related
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Is 18 to 34 still the most coveted demographic? (2024)

FAQs

What is the coveted age demographic? ›

Although there is ample debate, the age demographics said to be most coveted by businesses is 18 to 34 year olds.

What is the most valuable demographic? ›

1. Age. Age is the most basic variable of them all, albeit the most important because consumer preferences continually change with age. Almost all marketing campaigns target age-specific audiences.

What is the 18 34 demographic called? ›

Pew identified four generation groups for American adults: Millennials, currently between the ages of 18 and 34; Gen X, between the ages of 35 and 50; Baby Boomers, aged 51 to 69, and the Silent generation, between 70 and 87.

Why is the 18 34 demographic so important? ›

For decades, the 18-to-34 age group has been considered especially valuable to advertisers. It's the biggest cohort, overtaking the baby boomers in 2015, and 18 to 34s are thought to have money to burn on toys and clothes and products, rather than the more staid investments of middle age.

What is the 25-34 age group called? ›

1 Millennials are defined as persons born between 1981 and 1997. In some parts of the report, special focus is given to younger millennials, ages 18-24, and older millennials, ages 25-34, as these groups represent different stages of the young adult cycle.

Why is 18 49 demographic so important? ›

Adults ages 18-49 are known as the key demographic because advertisers believe they have the most disposable income and least brand loyalty, which may make them more susceptible to advertising. Rating is the percentage of total TV households tuned into a program at a given time.

How to market to 18 35 year olds? ›

Here are their words on how to market to people younger than 35.
  1. Make sure your product is Instagram-worthy. ...
  2. Let your audience be your star. ...
  3. Optimize content for social. ...
  4. Focus on word of mouth. ...
  5. Meet them in person. ...
  6. Give them an instant response. ...
  7. Make your campaigns adaptable. ...
  8. Appeal to their values.
Apr 20, 2017

What is the largest age demographic in the US? ›

U.S. population by sex and age 2021. The estimated population of the U.S. was approximately 331.89 million in 2021, and the largest age group was adults aged 30 to 34. There were 11.67 million males in this age category and around 11.43 million females.

What age group is the largest? ›

Age distribution in the United States 2021

This statistic depicts the age distribution in the United States from 2011 to 2021. In 2021, about 18.24 percent of the U.S. population fell into the 0-14 year category, 65.08 percent into the 15-64 age group and 16.68 percent of the population were over 65 years of age.

What is the single most important demographic trend in the US? ›

The Changing age structure of the population:

 The single most important demographic trend in the United States is the changing age structure of the population. Ageing of the population will have a significant impact on markets and those who service them.

What is the demographic of the 1%? ›

The typical household in the one percent is more likely to be a white, heterosexual, married couple compared to other households. Indeed, about 89% of households in the one percent are different-sex married couples, whereas only 55% of households in the bottom 99% are different-sex married couples.

Are 18 34 year olds Millennials? ›

Other sources may skew slightly different. However, as the Census Bureau and major organizations have picked up a specific convention, we put the exact date range of millennials as those who are 27 to 42 today - basically today's recent college graduates to 42 year olds.

What percent of the U.S. population is 18 34? ›

18-34: 75.6 million (22.8%) [pop share down]

What age group is 18 to 30? ›

One might alternatively speak of 'a Provisional Adulthood (18–30)... [&] the initiation to First Adulthood' as following that. Alternatively, MIT has generally defined "young adulthood" as 18 to 22 or 25, although this is likely to align with the typical age range of college students.

What is the hardest demographic to market to? ›

Millennials are the least responsive demographic to advertising because they don't like being told what to do. Advertising “at” them, saying “Buy this!” and “Buy that!” is one of the worst things you can do. Millennials are very opinionated and want the final say in everything they purchase.

What are 18 25 year olds called? ›

Today's young adults (aged 18 to 25) are a subgroup of the Millennial generation (which includes people born from 1980 to 2000).

What is the largest demographic in the world? ›

The world's largest nationality group is Chinese, with Mandarin being the world's most spoken language in terms of native speakers.

What Gen is a 34 year old? ›

Baby Boomers: Born 1946-1964 (59-77 years old) Gen X: Born 1965-1980 (43-58 years old) Millennials: Born 1981-1996 (27-42 years old)

What is the age group 18 29 called? ›

Emerging Adulthood” is a term used to describe a period of development spanning from about ages 18 to 29, experienced by most people in their twenties in Westernized cultures and perhaps in other parts of the world as well.

Is 25 the start of adulthood? ›

Adolescence (generally defined as puberty through age 18) Young adulthood (generally defined as 18 to 22 or 18 to 25) Later adulthood (generally defined as mid-20s and older)

What demographic watches the most TV? ›

U.S. TV consumption: average viewing time 2009-2021, by ethnicity. In 2021, TV consumption in the United States was highest among African Americans,who watched an average of 3.5 hours of TV each day. Meanwhile, Asian Americans spent around half that amount of time watching television each day.

What is the main demographic? ›

Demographic information examples include: age, race, ethnicity, gender, marital status, income, education, and employment. You can easily and effectively collect these types of information with survey questions.

What demographic watches the view? ›

'The View' Ranks No. 1 in Households and Total Viewers Among the Daytime Network Talk Shows and News Programs. “The View” averaged 2.392 million Total Viewers, 306,000 Women 25-54 and 226,000 Women 18-49, during the week of Sept. 27, 2021, based on Live + Same Day Data from Nielsen Media Research.

What is 18 35 age group called? ›

Participants were divided into age groups that, broadly defined, covered young adulthood (18 to 35 years), middle age (36 to 55 years), and older adulthood (56 years and older).

Why marketing to millennials is difficult? ›

Millennials have been a constant challenge for marketers around the world. Some believe it is due to their ever-changing mindset regarding a brand. Others believe it is their finicky nature that makes it harder for the Gen Y to remain loyal towards one brand.

What age group is the target market? ›

Age segmentation means focusing on the age range most valuable to your product or service. Marketing demographic age brackets are usually 18-24, 25-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55-64, and 65 and older.

What is the poorest age group in the US? ›

The lowest poverty rate for both men and women was for those aged between 65 and 74.
...
Poverty rate in the United States in 2021, by age and gender.
CharacteristicMaleFemale
18 to 24 years16.49%21.55%
25 to 34 years9.59%14.75%
35 to 44 years8.93%12.64%
45 to 54 years8.5%10.08%
4 more rows
Oct 11, 2022

Is Gen Z bigger than Millennials? ›

Gen Z is currently the smallest adult population in U.S.

Members of Gen Z age 18 or older only make up 10.3% of the total U.S. population, compared to the largest generation, millennials, who make up nearly 22%. Even once all of Gen Z are grown, they'll still be a smaller generation than millennials.

How many 18 25 year olds are there in the US? ›

Data Type All
LocationAge group2019
United States18 to 2412%
United States25 to 64170,969,676
United States67%
United StatesAges 65 and over54,036,735
4 more rows

What is the most active age group on social media? ›

What age group uses social media the most? According to recent research studying social media usage statistics by age, as of 2021, US adults from 18 to 29 are the biggest users of social media. As many as 84% of them say they use at least one social network.

What are the major age groups? ›

Age
  • Neonates or newborns (birth to 1 month)
  • Infants (1 month to 1 year)
  • Children (1 year through 12 years)
  • Adolescents (13 years through 17 years. They may also be referred to as teenagers depending on the context.)
  • Adults (18 years or older)
  • Older adults (65 and older)*
Sep 2, 2022

Which age group is the fastest growing globally? ›

Ageing
  • Trends in Population Ageing. Globally, the population aged 65 and over is growing faster than all other age groups. ...
  • Demographic drivers of population ageing. ...
  • Key Conferences on Ageing. ...
  • Resources.

What is the fastest growing age group in us? ›

It's possible to live long and well, but how? The fastest growing age group in the U.S. is people over age 85, and the second fastest is people 100 and over (centenarians).

What demographic stage is the US in? ›

We have lived in the first stage of the Demographic Transition Model for most of human existence.

What is the most significant demographic trend facing the US workforce? ›

The most significant demographic trends are in the US workforce is facing is increasing the number of old workers because of low rates of birth, but at the same time, it's since individuals more normal keep on working even as they get more seasoned.

What salary is considered rich in USA? ›

Based on that figure, an annual income of $500,000 or more would make you rich. The Economic Policy Institute uses a different baseline to determine who constitutes the top 1% and the top 5%. For 2021, you're in the top 1% if you earn $819,324 or more each year. The top 5% of income earners make $335,891 per year.

What is a top 1% man? ›

According to recent studies, to be in the top 1% of earners in the U.S., you need to bring in an annual salary of at least $597,815. This means that the other 99% of earners in the U.S. make less than this amount per year.

What net worth is considered wealthy? ›

According to Schwab's 2022 Modern Wealth Survey (opens in new tab), Americans believe it takes an average net worth of $2.2 million to qualify a person as being wealthy. (Net worth is the sum of your assets minus your liabilities.)

At what age do you stop being a millennial? ›

Researchers and popular media use the early 1980s as starting birth years and the mid-1990s to early 2000s as ending birth years, with the generation typically being defined as people born from 1981 to 1996.

How old are Millennials now 2022? ›

A person born between 1981 and 1996; a member of Generation Y. In 2022, Millennials will range in age from 26-41 years old. The median age of the first-time homebuyer is 33. In the U.S. in 2020, there were approximately 72 million Millennials.

What is the biggest generation in the world? ›

Millennials were the largest generation group in the U.S. in 2021, with an estimated population of 72.19 million. Born between 1981 and 1996, Millennials recently surpassed Baby Boomers as the biggest group, and they will continue to be a major part of the population for many years.

What age group has the highest percentage in population? ›

Globally, about 25 percent of the world is under 15 years of age and 10 percent is over 65 years of age. Africa has the youngest population worldwide.

What age group uses social media the most 2022? ›

According to recent research, global consumers aged 20 to 29 are the biggest users of social media—not entirely dissimilar to social media age demographics in the US. Those in this age group make up nearly one-third (32.2%) of all social media users worldwide.

Is 35 considered middle age? ›

The stages of adulthood examined here include: Early Adulthood (ages 22--34). Early Middle Age (ages 35--44), Late Middle Age (ages 45--64), and Late Adulthood (ages 65 and older).

Are 30s middle age? ›

The American Psychological Association defines "middle adulthood" as beginning at 35 or 36, and many ranges do not end until 60 or 65. The Lancet considers midlife as starting from around age 40.

Is 36 a middle age? ›

middle age, period of human adulthood that immediately precedes the onset of old age. Though the age period that defines middle age is somewhat arbitrary, differing greatly from person to person, it is generally defined as being between the ages of 40 and 60.

What are the age demographics for target? ›

What Is Target's Consumer Age? The majority of Target shoppers are between the ages of 18 and 44, so Target considers this demographic their target market.

How to market to 25 35 year olds? ›

Here are their words on how to market to people younger than 35.
  1. Make sure your product is Instagram-worthy. ...
  2. Let your audience be your star. ...
  3. Optimize content for social. ...
  4. Focus on word of mouth. ...
  5. Meet them in person. ...
  6. Give them an instant response. ...
  7. Make your campaigns adaptable. ...
  8. Appeal to their values.
Apr 20, 2017

How to target 30 40 year olds? ›

How to Target 25-40 Year-olds Online
  1. Keep it informative. As with targeting any group online, it's important to first understand this age group. ...
  2. Tell them (nearly) everything about you. ...
  3. Appreciate that it's a great target market to have. ...
  4. Mix old and new.
Nov 27, 2012

What age group does Walmart target? ›

Target also markets itself to a somewhat younger audience, primarily succeeding with consumers between the ages of 18 and 44. Target customers also tend to spend slightly less per visit and visit fewer times throughout the year, spending about $1000 a year on average.

What age group is McDonald's targeting? ›

McDonald's Demographic Segmentation

McDonald's target age group is consumers from 6 to 70 years old, both male and female.

What are the 5 demographics? ›

5 main segments for demographics

There are five main segments in consumer demographics: age group, gender, income level, education and occupation. While focusing on just one demographic characteristic might be profitable, targeting all five may deliver a better outcome.

Where does the US rank in age? ›

The average age in global comparison

The average age has risen in almost all countries since the World War II. In 1950, it was 23.9 years worldwide. In 2005, it was 28.1 years. Among the 121 countries evaluated here, the USA are in 44th place with an average age of 38.5 years, led by Japan at 48.6 years.

What percentage of population is 18 35? ›

Some other popular age groups, including the ever-present 18-34 bracket: 18-29: 52.5 million (15.8%) [pop share down] 18-34: 75.6 million (22.8%) [pop share down]

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