By Cindy Kelly
Image: Tim Hortons
Think back to the days before the pandemic. When was the last time you visited Tim Hortons or McDonalds to order something and enjoy it with your friends? How often did you see older adults in these businesses?
I’m Cindy K., from Winnipeg, Manitoba. I’m in a new chapter of my life, recently retired from the Federal Government. Any time my husband and I would stop at Tim’s or McDonalds to order something, it was difficult to overlook the many older people gathered together, socializing, sharing stories.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve noticed TV commercials for Tim Hortons (their latest is the breakfast sandwich), A&W, and Burger King. No one over the age of 50 was featured in any of them. Why? Do advertisers think that when people reach a certain age, they become invisible? Who is the target market for these ads? If older adults order coffees, burgers, or donuts, why aren’t these age groups represented in the advertising strategies of these companies?
Tim Hortons recently had its 2021 ROLL UP TO WIN campaign. The problem is customers need smart phones in order to participate. Yet many older adults do not own smart phones and are excluded.
I wrote to Tim Hortons and A&W, expressing my concerns, and asking why they don’t show older people in their commercials. I am still waiting for a response from Tim Hortons. A&W acknowledged that they received my e-mail; however, there has been no further response.
People who buy goods and services should be valued by businesses, and that includes those 50 and older. In my opinion, if you shop at a store where you are ignored, given the ‘brush off’ by sales staff, or are not valued, that establishment does not deserve your business.
My suggestion is this, write to these companies and demand that their marketing departments recognise older adults as an important part of their customer bases and include them in their advertising. When contacting business establishments, use ‘I’ statements such as: I was treated___, I want___, My expectations are___. The greater number of older adults who write or email these companies, the more likelihood ads and commercials will begin to reflect them, not simply those who are younger.
Better still, shop with your wallet. I do!
