A spot of rouge was once the make-up must-have of the over 50 set but a recent study has proven lipstick sales are on the decline for its once leading target market. Roy Morgan Research revealed lipstick sales among Australian women aged over 50 have declined by 20 per cent since 2011. In contrast, the number of lipstick buyers aged under 25 has blossomed by 70 per cent to 23.8 per cent of the total lipstick market in Australia.
For Roy Morgan, the study’s results and the change in this market reflects a fault on brands who are choosing to target younger generations and alienate older consumers. General manager Andrew Price comments: “Lipstick is almost exclusively marketed to a youthful audience, despite women 50+ being more likely to buy it than any other age group. While they remain the nation’s most avid lipstick-buyers, their purchase incidence has slipped quite markedly.
“Why would women aged 50+ be influenced by advertising when choosing which lipstick to buy? With Dolce & Gabbana’s Sophia Loren campaign being the obvious exception, older women might as well not exist in the lipstick universe.”
Price suggests brands reassess their target demographic when it comes to advertising if they wish to regain fans in the 50+ age group. “Brands wishing to leverage this age group’s obvious interest in purchasing lipstick would do well to tailor their marketing accordingly – either by featuring the occasional mature model, by highlighting the qualities these women prioritise when buying cosmetics (anti-ageing benefits, moisturising benefits and sun protection) or by gaining a better understanding of where and how this demographic likes to shop.”
