Ageism: the ‘forgotten issue’ of the industry diversity debate
Age discrimination has been branded the forgotten diversity issue of the industry but one that is real and impacting the level of knowledge and skill within agencies.
Christina Aventi, Warren Brown, Lisa Ramsey, Louise Genge and Ali Tilling at Mumbrella360
While debate rages around gender and race, the skew towards a younger workforce in advertising is often overlooked, delegates at Mumbrella360 were told.
A debate exploring the “youth-obsessed” industry concluded that having older members of staff brings experience, knowledge and confidence – traits that are often neglected.
As a sign of this article, in the coming months, three 55+ gents, with around 30 + years experience each, in the industry, will leave the game. Ron Phillips, Shane Goninon, Ian Sawers. Who will replace that experience.
Paige said ” Age is a question of mind over matter, if you don’t mind then it doesn’t matter.”
As a 50+ specialist, I have found this to be true.
Age doesn’t make you old, your attitude does.
If Ron and Ian are looking at their 3 wave careers and are reading this, I’ll shout you a drink as we are always looking for good looking older models!! – regards Gill
Thanks for finally discussing the elephant in the room.
This has baffled me for ages, as someone in their 40s who has now gone client side and sees things from over the bridge.
Message: youngsters in their 20s and early-mid thirties aren’t actually that attractive to us clients. We’d rather have experience doing our work, not youth.
And it’s even worse with digital agencies, where the sales guys promise the world to get the work, and then I end up with a 26yo with about two years experience working on my job.
I know that person is probably on a low salary, so presumable the rest of my money is going to the agency founders – whom I never see. It’s a rort – and we’re all getting sick of it.
If you can bring added value to a client as a result of your experience , most clients will value that . Not everyone does despite their experience . And most are not as hungry and/or have the attitude that warren refers to ( spoken by a 40+!)
I learnt more from warren brown in a 30 minute pitch a couple of years back than anyone under the age of 40 has taught me in several years of pitching… miss the bugger
If as an industry we continue down this path I can see a day when thirty will be ‘too old’, then twenty. Will it end there?
One thing I have learned over the years is that generalities about any generation espoused as truths are fatuous. I was told by a renowned recruiter in Sydney that I was too old for the industry when I was about to turn 40. He was wrong.
Who never wished they had the knowledge and experience they hold today when they were much younger? As they say ‘you can’t put an old head on young shoulders’, but perhaps with AI there will be no need.
Hunger is known to increase the amount of risk an individual will take. Is unfettered ‘risk’ a good thing? Perhaps not, although I am sure that Warren actually meant energy, enthusiasm and curiousity.
At twenty-five I could only imagine having the opportunity to work with the diversity of great clients and brands that I have over the years.
I have been extremely fortunate to have had a wonderful career (to date) and have no reason to believe it won’t continue.
I found this article very inciteful as I’ve recently gone back to university to complete a bachelor in marketing to move out of sales. I’m 43 and just entering the marketing field. I am as hungry as I was in my 20’s, and I agree, that there should not be age discrepancy. I have a healthy, open attitude and thrive for new experiences and new knowledge so to have an opinion that on young people have this is rubbish.