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Between Demographic Reality and Advertising Perception: Age-Appropriate Advertising in the Context of Socially Sustainable Corporate Responsibility

Category: Journal Articles

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Meiners, N. (2025). Between Demographic Reality and Advertising Perception: Age-Appropriate Advertising in the Context of Socially Sustainable Corporate Responsibility. International Journal of Sustainability in Business and Economics, 1(1). https://doi.org/10.51137/wrp.ijsbe.2025.nmbd.45819

 

 

 

 

Demographic change and growing societal demands for social sustainability and diversity necessitate a fundamental reassessment of advertising communication directed at older consumers. Building on the foundational study by Meiners and Seeberger from 2011, this paper investigates how the academic discourse on age-appropriate advertising for the 50plus target group has developed between 2012 and 2025. The focus lies on the expectations of older consumers regarding value-based communication, the integration of age-related representations into sustainability discourse, and theoretical as well as empirical advances in the field of advertising targeting older consumers. Drawing on a narrativesystematic literature review, this study evaluates scientific contributions published between 2012 and 2025. The findings reveal that core requirements—such as readability, authenticity, and respectful portrayal—have remained largely unchanged, yet are now more explicitly situated within the broader framework of social inclusion and corporate responsibility. Simultaneously, a considerable gap persists between societal aspirations and advertising realities, particularly regarding subtle forms of age discrimination. This study underscores that age-appropriate advertising must increasingly be recognised as a strategic element of socially sustainable corporate communication. Organisations that credibly embrace age diversity contribute not only to societal inclusion but also ensure their long-term relevance within an ageing society. The results offer actionable insights for sustainable marketing strategies and highlight key areas for further academic and practical exploration, including a conceptual framework that traces the evolution of age-inclusive advertising across three analytical dimensions. 

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