Outdated stereotypes have blindsided brands to the ‘Silver surge’ and the opportunity they represent. An active, aspirational, digitally savvy and financially empowered generation who are central to future growth. The takeaway is clear: ignoring the Silver generation is no longer an option.

However, brands are now beginning to challenge age-related stereotypes through age-positive campaigns and stereotype-defying storytelling, but the shift must go beyond communication and into innovation. True innovation starts where others stop looking. Real opportunity lies in unmet needs. That means listening differently, understanding people as individuals shaped by motivations, social ties and cultural context. Designing for the overlooked doesn’t limit innovation, it supercharges it.

So, when it comes to Silvers, how can we move beyond surface-level assumptions? And, how do we truly understand and innovate with this generation, not just for them?

Why even AI gets the Silver generation wrong (and how to make it smarter)

As an experiment, we asked ChatGPT to generate new ideas for the Silver generation across different categories: beauty, snacks, entertainment, smartphone, mobility, finance and healthcare. Here’s what we got:

The result? A flat, one-dimensional view of the Silver generation focused on anti-aging, retirement, joint health, walking aids, large icons and a band, clinical design aesthetic. Everything here screams limitation instead of opportunity.

This is because AI mirrors our biases. And there’s a lot of biases in Large Language Models (LLMs) if we don’t feed them rich and nuanced data. We know that only 5-10% of marketing budgets are targeted towards people over 50 years old and AI clearly amplifies this disconnect.

To better leverage AI for innovation, we thus need to combine:

• Secure AI assistants that protect proprietary insights within your organisation
• Rich human data from real conversations with your target audience
• Subject matter expertise from innovators who know how to uncover innovation platforms and stimulate divergent thinking

When we fed our proprietary AI innovation assistants with deeper qualitative insights, the outputs transformed completely. Instead of walking aids and large-button phones, we got ideas celebrating evolving capabilities and expertise exchange.

The outcome: five innovation platforms

You might be wondering, what does this all mean for innovation with the Silver generation? Through our AI enhanced research approach, we identified five platforms driving real innovation.

These platforms aren’t just theoretical models; they’re actionable, data-backed opportunity spaces grounded in real consumer insights. Each platform is supported by signals, stories and data that show how they resonate with Silvers. Designed to be cross-industry, they’re flexible and ready to be tailored to your specific reality.

In our next blogpost we’ll explore one platform: Boundless Motion in more detail, diving into the opportunity to develop products and services that evolve with Silvers and not against them.