A woman in a yellow hoodie, symbolizing the limits of age-based marketing. Her individual style points to a new direction for marketing strategies.
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The Relationship Between TPO and Marketing, Part 2] ~ Seeds of Marketing 103

A woman in a yellow hoodie, symbolizing the limits of age-based marketing. Her individual style points to a new direction for marketing strategies.
Is the Era of Age-Based Segmentation Coming to an End? 🎯 Is Japan an “Easy-to-Target” Society? In the world of marketing, the Japanese market is often said to be easy to segment. For example:
  • “Office casual wear for men in their 40s”
  • “Elegant fashion for women in their 50s”
  • “Beauty-conscious women in their early 20s” 👩✨
This tendency to clearly divide the market by attributes like age, gender, and occupation might be a unique characteristic of Japan. However, this also seems to be linked to the “peer pressure” and “concern for public image” deeply rooted in Japanese society. 🕰️ A 40-Year-Old in 2024 is Not the Same as a 40-Year-Old in the 1950s! Just imagine for a moment:
  • A 40-year-old in the 1950s: Commutes in a suit, has elementary school-aged children, plays golf on weekends.
  • A 40-year-old in 2024: Works at a startup in a T-shirt & sneakers, is single or DINKs, and spends weekends at festivals or filming vlogs. 📸🎶
Their lifestyles and values are like those of completely different people. And yet, aren’t companies still pigeonholing them, assuming “40s = mature, calm, conservative”? 👕 The Hoodie Ban: Now an Urban Legend? The “no hoodies after 40” debate we discussed last time, while it gained some traction, doesn’t reflect reality. In fact, you see people in their 40s and 50s wearing hoodies all the time on the streets. And they’re not just “trying to look young”; they’re naturally incorporating them into a style that suits them. In other words, the very idea that companies think “people over 40 won’t (or shouldn’t) buy our hoodies” is already outdated and could be a significant marketing missed opportunity. ⚠️ 📊 Data Also Proves the “Collapse of the Age Dogma” According to purchase data from one apparel brand:
  • About 28% of male users aged 40-49 purchased items from lines aimed at 20-somethings.
  • 35% of women in their 50s bought trendy products via social media.
The assumption that 🧓 = classic style and 👩‍🦳 = muted colors has already been surpassed by users’ free choices. 🚀 From “Age-Based” to “Value-Based” Marketing In future branding and product design, new approaches like these will become more effective: ✔️ “Basic wear for those who keep challenging themselves.” ✔️ “For those with a youthful sensibility but a demand for quality materials.” ✔️ “‘Be-yourself’ clothing loved across generations.” In short, we are entering a phase where messages that appeal to “lifestyle and aesthetics” rather than age are required. 💡 Summary: “Redefining Targeting” Leads to Brand Regrowth When thinking about “who to sell to,” it’s fine to use age as a “guideline.” But it’s a waste to make it a “limitation.” ✅ There are hoodies that look great on 40-somethings. ✅ There are sneakers that 60-somethings want to wear. ✅ There are 70-year-old icons that 20-somethings admire. “Age” is just a number. Focusing on “what values a person lives by” seems to be the key to marketing from now on. Next time, I’d like to delve into ideas for “age-agnostic marketing design” using real brand case studies. 📈 (To be continued) You might also like this article from the Marketing Seeds series: → Seeds of Marketing 26: Why Supplements Keep Attracting People Repeatedly