What do Anthea Turner, Simon Rimmer, Aled Jones and a team of JAAers have in common? We were all on stage at the Silver Marketing Association Summit 2025 last week. The insight packed day was crammed full of learnings, case studies and first-hand experiences of how to successfully market to a silver audience.

Sue Fernando-Solini picked a core theme of this year’s summit – the power, impact and importance of multigenerational teams. Covered in the key note by Carl Honoré, award-winning writer, broadcaster, TED speaker and Ageing Advocate a number of speakers and panellist concurred. Teams made up of different ages (amongst other intersections of gender, ethnicity, sexuality, disability etc) make for more dynamic, sensitive marketing teams that go on to deliver effective marketing and advertising campaigns.

Here at JAA, our teams are multigenerational with our youngest apprentice at 18 and our experienced Chairman at 81. That’s a span of 63 years. As Caroline, went on to raise in her panel the IPA have recently brought to light some alarming statistics in their report ‘Time for Some New “Age” Thinking‘.

Only 8% of the ad industry workforce is over 51 years of age – against a national average of 33% – we have some way to go in marketing.

Now we know a conference cannot call itself a conference without the mention of AI in 2025 but Josie Espinosa’s favourite session of the summit focused on how AI can, and should be, a great enabler for the silver market. Here’s why:

This theme was picked up by Mike Mernin, AV Buyer at JAA. His take away is that age can be misleading and result in inefficient targeting. Mike went on to say that the under representation of 55+ actors/actresses in UK TV ads – only 25% of ads feature an actor/actress over 55+ (source: Marketing week).

Representation matters – as was highlighted by Tricia Cusden, founder of Look Fabulous Forever. Her range of cosmetics and beauty products only feature people of the age the products are meant for. The heated discussion between Tricia and TV personality was worth the entry fee alone. Although in the end both parties agreed that no matter the method, (organic products or fillers and Botox) beauty is an attitude and age is not the deciding factor.

Hosted by JAA’s Marketing Director, Caroline Ayling, this panel featured four inspiring and insightful Gen Z marketers including JAA’s own Mike Mernin. The panel immediately dispelled any concerns about Gen Z being a snowflake generation, lazy and disinterested in the silver demographic. Far from it, the panel’s inquisitive nature to explore what their audience wants came shining through.  

From testing digital formats, to pairing nostalgia with modern messaging, to embracing gamers on Classic FM, the panel really proved their passion and understanding of the silver market. Mike discussed how linear TV has successfully reached 96% of his target audience for Pure Cremation, but he’s exploring new AV channels such as CTV to ensure no stone is left unturned.

Mike’s closing comment got a number of heads in the auditorium nodding along – as young professionals living and working in London, we can get caught up in the ‘London Marketing Bubble’. It’s our duty not to take our own biases and assumptions and project them on to the entire UK. Wise words indeed Mike and a lesson to us all.

The day was topped off with the Silver Marketing Association Awards, expertly hosted by Global’s Classic FM star Aled Jones – yes he of Walking in the Air fame. Huge congratulations to our RSPCA team for picking up the gong for Best Use of Digital Media for their legacy campaign, that included using Microsoft Ad Network to specifically target a 72+ audience.

The judges said:

JAA is a proud member of the Silver Marketing Association. We understand older audiences media consumption habits and patterns and are constantly testing and innovating to ensure we effectively reach the silver market.

Get in touch for more information or to speak to a member of the team.