Grace Creative and Women Over 50: A Force Changing How Media Views Midlife

https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/dbbgks/Grace_Creative_final_-_3_4_21_300_PMbc2vx.mp3

EPISODE SUMMARY

Advertising is an incredibly important aspect in ensuring brands and products for midlife women are properly marketed. Kathy Sjogren and Susan Lee Colby, co-founders of Grace Creative LA are two women helping women over fifty have their voices heard. In today’s episode, we sat down with Kathy and Susan to discuss their advertising agency and the realities of being a midlife woman in the advertising business.

Firstly, we asked how their agency, Grace Creative, came to be. Kathy told us that the two worked together in the nineties, and that years later, she received a call from Susan in the car talking about a manifesto. Susan spoke about how she sought to reveal midlife women as the important and profitable marketing demographic that they are, and after that, the two began working together again to create Grace Creative. We then asked about their past experiences in the industry and how brands have responded to their midlife demographic. Kathy and Susan explained to us that, a majority of the time, the brands and people they work with in advertisement are younger, for stereotypes suggest that midlife women are incapable of handling the same work. As for brand responses, they described the experience as “pushing a big rock up a hill”.

Midlife women are often lumped in with all other customers, however, things are starting to change. As more midlife women start their own businesses and products, there are more brands to be advertised for women over fifty. When looking for which products to advertise, they said it is important they find brands that actually serve midlife women. They want their brands to be authentic and not just saying their midlife friendly when they’re actually targeted for a different audience. We asked about the restrictions surrounding midlife women and advertising, and they told us how there’s a double standard. For men, no subject is off the market, but for women, anything mentioning menopause or vaginal health is immediately shut down. Through their blog, “Girls Gone 50”, Kathy and Susan strive to break this stigma and promote conversations surrounding midlife and the experiences women go through as they age. We then talked about Grace Creative’s online campaign called “#AgeIsNOTJustANumber”. Through the hashtag, Grace Creative encourages midlife women to be proud of their age and share their experiences to spread the word and promote positivity surrounding midlife.

When asked why it’s difficult for ad companies to help change the narrative surrounding midlife, they told us that the problem stems from the fact that the ad companies are mostly run by men. However, when women create menopause-focused brands, it helps get the attention of ad companies, which results in more menopause and midlife-friendly products being put on the market. In regard to the easiest place to advertise for midlife women, surprisingly enough, Kathy and Susan said that social media platforms such as Instagram and twitter were good. More and more midlife women are starting to become tech savvy, so using social media is a smart way to communicate with them. We then asked about larger brands incorporating midlife women, and they told us that, while progress is being made, there is still a long way to go. They hope more companies will start to see the benefits of marketing towards midlife women as time goes on. Finally, when asked their hopes for the future of Grace Creative, Kathy and Susan said that they hope it becomes stronger and that bigger brands start to see the benefits of marketing to midlife women.

Kathy Sjogren and Susan Lee Colby

Kathy’s Bio (via gracecreativela.com)

Kathy’s work and reputation at major Los Angeles ad agencies led to a 15-year stint as creative director for Disney’s Consumer Products and Live Family Entertainment divisions. Kathy is a proven pro at bringing transformational campaigns to national and global markets — all with unflagging good humor. While raising four children, she also launched her own startup, Poettree, producing original recordings of holiday poetry for retail sale. Kathy’s work in print, television, digital, branding and design has been recognized in major industry award shows. When not creating the next big ad campaign you can find her summiting Mt. Whitney.

Susan’s Bio (via gracecreativela.com)

Over Susan’s award-winning career, she has brought her own instinctive brand of creativity to some of the world’s largest brands – including Honda, Apple, Pizza Hut, and Yamaha. After stints at RPA, Chiat\Day, Della Femina, and BBDO she launched “Crazy Cat Lady,” an upscale retail pet business featured widely in newspapers, magazines and national television. Susan has raised two daughters, given birth to two businesses, and delivers the kind of thinking for her clients that wins major awards like One Show, The Clios, and Communication Arts.