Over-50

Generational Divide in Marketing

@fckitwontcutit. 

That's the marketing campaign Boston University student-run AdLab and PRLab came up with.

The mission is to remind those returning to campus that coronavirus was real and not just for old people.

Today, Odwyperpr.com published my analysis of that approach. 

Takeaway: Marketing in this era of message clutter demands innovation.

Be bold in messaging. Complimentary consultation for what you need for strategy, research, ghostwriting, and editing janegenova374@gmail.com.

Aging - You Were Hot, Not You're Not, Shot at Returning to Hot

Even youth has its the grim encounter with being hot, then not.

Remember climate change activist Greta Thunberg. COVID-19 stole her thunder.

More typical is the downward trajectory of child stars such as Maculay Culkin. 

But, when the loss of hot happens to an aging player the suffering can be profound. That's because they assume - wrongly - they don't have another shot at BigSuccess. 

In itself, that expectation that they're "finished" blocks their putting together an attention-getting Next. 

The reality is that the Next can be put in play for those who are open. For the new door to open the former one has to be shut. 

The prime example is Clint Eastwood. He was open to letting go of his signature action films. He embraced serious drama. Currently Eastwood is more known for films like "Million Dollar Baby" than his earlier work.

One-time tech innovator Bill Gates forged a next and even more fame than he had on this first round. The shift has been to philanthropist. That was right in time to be the voice of reason during the COVID-19 pandemic.

And, Betty White, in a Hollywood which discards women early in the game, carved out a fresh identity through being an advocate for the aging.

Here's what I recommend to those I coach who have gotten stuck:

• You are your story. Stop telling the one about being a vice president of communications at a Fortune 50. Focus the narrative on what you are now exploring. Through that story line you could attract help to reach your new goals.
• Shift the focus from maximizing income to acquiring the know-how in the new field. A former management consultant came to me desperate to match her previous compensation. I told her she would hit a wall unless she ditched that perspective. Once she did she eventually made her mark as an intuitive coach. Continually media outlets quote her. It's irrelevant to her how much she is earning, as long as she can make ends meet. 
• Prune the network. Those from the past can block the lanes needed to navigate to get to what could pay off big. The longer in our lives we work to earn income the more colleagues, superiors, subordinates, clients, customers and old college acquaintances we will have to ditch. A useful read in Henry Cloud's "Necessary Endings."
• Have no expectations. Just go out there and try new things. If money is low, grab a survival job. Actually that could be fun and you wind up less tightly wound. Here is my book, free to read, on how to land, hold, and move on to better work, at any age Download Outwitting ageism.

One more thing. Yes, there really is a phenomenon called the "late bloomer." You might not have made it big the first time but you could pull that off the second or third. Only as he matured did Frank Lloyd Wright attract fame and influence. An amazing book about the emergence of peak performance later in life is David Galeson's "Old Masters and Young Geniuses."

Coaching, lecturing, and writing/ghostwriting thought leadership content on human resources and careers.  

For individual coaching – sliding scale fees. Complimentary initial consultation. The special area of expertise is the displaced over-50 professional. Please contact Jane Genova janegenova374@gmail.com.