How did we ever manage without it? Can it really be 15 years old?

On 30 April, the world marked the 15th anniversary of the birth of the web, 15 years to the day since the web’s code was put into the public domain.

The web has changed our lives in so many ways, from internet banking and booking holidays to the availability of 24 hour news and the phenomenon of social media networking.

Are marketers wasting their time and money targeting their efforts on the youth market while ignoring the highest earners in the UK, the baby boomers? That’s the question posed by a new survey, out this week.

The study revealed that 45-65 year olds are given much less attention in marketing campaigns than the younger generation. This suggests an inbuilt prejudice towards the younger consumer. Perhaps the industry needs to take a harder look at its targeting.

This chimes with what we at Eclipse Marketing have been saying for some time. Click here for a related item on older audiences.

by Chris Thorneycroft Smith, associate director, Eclipse Marketing

My experience in the UK automotive industry taught me many things. One of the most important is that, when it comes to marketing, if you don’t constantly innovate you’ll be left a distant speck in your competitors’ rearview mirrors.

It used to be that the UK automotive sector was in the vanguard of marketing, setting the trends and leading the field. I’m not sure this is true any more. In recent years the world of marketing has changed almost beyond recognition. Unfortunately, automobile industry marketing – particularly to its retail customers – hasn’t kept pace.