Surviving and thriving as an over-50s PR

Back in 2015, according to the 2018 JWT report The Elastic Generation: The Female Edit, the over-50s outspent their younger counterparts for the first time. 

Fast-forward to the present, and as Hitachi Capital UK and CEBR research shows, the over-50s now account for more than half of consumer spending in the UK. So, whether you’re launching a health product or a car (hello, Jaguar), understanding this powerful demographic is crucial to commercial success.

And yet this demographic is increasingly finding its ageing face doesn’t fit – even in the supposedly inclusive world of public relations. The Global Women in PR Annual Index research last year revealed ageism is alive and kicking in PR agencies, with two-thirds of women not seeing themselves working there beyond the age of 50. By contrast 56% of in-house PRs plan to stay in the same sector of the comms industry, so ageism isn’t an industry-wide problem.

It also isn’t just a problem for women. According to a 2019 Hiscox report, 43% of men believe their age has prevented them from finding a new job; 39% of men feel their age has hindered job promotions; and 40% of older men felt they were sidelined or left out of discussions at work.

A young person’s industry?

Amanda Fone, founder of Marketing and Communications recruitment agency f1 Recruitment, says brand PR tends to have more opportunities for the young: “Many consultancies follow the triangular model, with more young people at the bottom and a few older director-level people at the top. So, it’s a young person’s industry – in fact, the average age across the industry is 28.” 

Of course, says Fone, there are other routes in public relations. “There are plenty of 50+ year olds in communications, many of them working in-house. Some are running agencies. But if you don’t manage to move in-house and don’t run an agency, where do you go? And if you take extended time out of work for caring responsibilities, it’s hard to get back in”.

Age discrimination is rife

The stress of staying relevant and finding work in PR past a certain age is taking its toll on public relations professionals says Paula Gardner, a former PR and now psychotherapist to the PR industry. "PRs come to me in their 50s, distraught that they can’t find a job or are blocked from promotion. They are having to draw down on their pension and worry about their future." 

Of course, age discrimination is rife throughout vast swathes of the UK workforce. According to recent research by Totaljobs, nearly half of recruiters think applicants become too old to be considered for a job at just 57. So, when recruitment agency Indeed caused outrage on LinkedIn this year by sharing a graphic on which the over-55's career stage was labelled as ‘decline’, they were simply outing the recruitment world for its deeply entrenched ageism.

Premature retirement

It’s not just job-hunting that’s affected by ageism. Lyndsey Simpson, founder of 55 Redefined, the global platform for over-50s, says older employees are sometimes being encouraged to quit the workplace prematurely. According to their surveys of over-50s, 56% of employees want to continue working beyond the age of 65 and a quarter want to work beyond 80. “And yet, 65% of employers encourage retirement at legal retirement age or before… You’ve got this big disconnect between what the individual wants and what the corporation is doing,” says Simpson.

The tide is turning

If you want to work – in fact have to work, for the sake of financial security and the ability to keep pension pots topped up – this disconnect is alarming. However, the tide is turning as the media slowly wakes up to the fact that over-50s – and over-60s – have a great deal of clout in the modern world. The Daily Mail recently identified over-50s as Power Agers – “sexy, solvent and sorted” and the Guardian dubbed 60 as ‘the new golden age’.

And commerce is catching on too. Savvy businesses from Boots to Atos and Starling Bank are proud to employ the over-50s. So, PR agencies are missing a trick if they overlook their value. Understanding the needs and sentiments of the older demographic – their bank accounts stuffed with grey pounds – surely relies on employing people who have hit that milestone themselves. But also, a seasoned professional has seen and done it all before, knowing that “This too shall pass,” whatever the crisis may be.

“What’s more, over-50s have an excellent work ethic, are reliable and get the job done with minimal fuss,” says Fone. “They’re good with younger team members and interested in helping them develop their careers, not necessarily looking for the limelight themselves. And seasoned PRs ask good, wide questions as well, which we really need in the workplace, with so much change happening”.

The blended workforce

Victoria Tomlinson, CEO of Next-Up, experts in 50+ employees, concurs. “The most profitable companies are intergenerational – companies like Airbnb – and employers are missing out on the amazing benefits that come with the combination of the vigour, ideas and energy of younger employees and the experience of older ones”. 

“Clients and journalists want to trust PRs, so that is what is fundamental – not age,” says Kay Phelps, founder of PR in HR. “Older PRs have experience and deep knowledge. I’m able to join the dots between what we’re hearing from clients, what the media is saying and previous information. It makes for deep insight and rich pitches,” she adds.

Staying relevant

Keeping relevant is key to survival. “With everything changing so quickly, with new platforms and AI to contend with, you need to be nimble to keep up. Some over-50s enjoy playing with TikTok, or will quickly adapt to Bluesky, but if it’s not your thing, you need to take extra time to get confident on new platforms and to stay relevant,” says Gardner. 

If you’re looking for work, make a point of showcasing the advantages age brings you and remaining visible. 

“You have wisdom, the ability to step back and look at things strategically, to talk to customers in the right voice, knowing your demographic and understanding brand identity, so be prepared to talk up the campaigns you’ve worked on in job interviews and highlight them on your CV,” advises Gardner. 

And staying visible via thought leadership – from sharing your advice on crisis communications for disgraced MPs to managing the latest PR scandal in the world of celebrity chefs – can reposition you as a PR consultant to be reckoned with. “Basically, use your PR skills on yourself,” she says. 

High-quality AI data

In a world where AI is only as good as the data we put on the web, the lived experience of the over-50s needs to be channelled into great content to give AI the best material to work with. We need savvy people asking the right questions too. “A smart person with experience and insight will get far better results,” says Fone. 

Ultimately, whether it’s for in-house corporate communications, big business or the public sector, the advantages of having a few mature staffers in your blended workforce, willing to mentor others, know no bounds, says Simpson. “Everybody gets happier, everybody gets more productive, and your absenteeism comes down. The business case is unequivocal: you will improve productivity and every facet of your talent cost”.

Marina Gask is a journalist, press consultant and visibility coach.

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