#6: They're fierce, female and over 50
Why these gals are a B Corp's dream ticket.
Welcome to Punchmag. This is the showcase for B Corps, brands, movers & shakers who are doing business better.
What do a formerly incarcerated felon-turned-founder, the CEO of a native-led non-profit and a former US Chief of Navy Operations have
in common?
They’re all women and they’re all over 50.
Yep, if you thought women of a certain vintage were mainly concerned with white wine and mindfulness colouring books, think again.
In honour of International Women’s Day last week, I wanted to delve into the world of fierce, over-50 females who, according to Forbes, account for over 27% of all consumer spending. In consumer terms that makes them a seriously untapped resource.
So what is it that these women want? How can B Corp and impact-driven businesses serve these power consumers? And who’s already doing it well?
Hi, I’m Martha. THANKS for reading. If you’re enjoying it, come and say hello here.
Online community platform NOON describes midlife women as ‘Queenagers’. They entered the workforce after university and have been working ever since. NOON research reveals that:
“Nearly a third of university-educated women aged 45-60 don’t have children and many of those who do have returned to work after raising their families…
In 2019 census, women over 40 out-earned women under 40 for the first time ever. These women… are financially solvent, driving 93 per cent of consumer decisions, but are underrepresented in advertising and the market.”
This woman defines success on her own terms. She’s got money and she’s ready to spend it. For brands that see her, welcome her and serve her, the spoils are surely there for the taking.
Of course, we believe that business is about more than profit.
But you know who else agrees?
It’s her.
Women in their 40’s-60’s are as eco-conscious as consumers get. For B Corps, this lady is a real dream ticket.
So which brands are wooing her well and what can we learn from them?
First of all, let’s talk about Better You. Rooted in nutritional science and research, this company has actually been around since 2005 and is currently leading our 50’s lady into better health with an extremely effective range of high-absorption supplements, in particular, magnesium products.
In the last few years Better You has won a whole host of awards and products have started popping up in high street chains, not just on their website.
Better You also has plenty of initiatives going on around sustainability and packaging and an army of devoted, 5* fans on Trustpilot. Smashing it.
Next up, let’s talk chocolate. Like Better You, Divine also began decades ago as the first farmer-owned Fairtrade chocolate company. Talk about creating something very special when there’s absolutely no blueprint. Divine has been a pioneer for decades and I can’t imagine the level of tenacity it’s taken to keep on teaching us about the origins of cocoa and the people who depend on it when you’ve started a brand that’s ahead of the curve.
With all those antioxidant flavonols going on surely a bar of Divine dark chocolate is on every 50-something wishlist?
Finally, let’s do fashion and Baukjen. The Times Fashion Director, Anna Murphy, has described Baukjen’s Drake Utility Jacket as one of the “best buys on the high street”. High praise indeed.
As of last year, Baukjen joined the top 5 global fashion B Corps with a score of 153.6 which proves its entirely possible to run an incredibly stylish apparel brand and lead the way on sustainability at the same time.
For me, 2 big takeaways here:
i) To capitalise on opportunities with this consumer, get to know her better. What specific concerns does she have at this life stage that your product could address? Better You are tackling changing hormones and Baukjen are conquering style with the odd elasticated waistband thrown in. What’s your version?
ii) If you feel like your brand is onto something great but you’re ahead of the curve, don’t give up, but do think about how you might need to tweak or pivot to take this lady along with you.
What’s your take?
The Punchmag. 7
Introducing the B Corp movers and shakers who are either female, over 50 or loved by those that are…
Animal Experience International (AEI) is a B Corp that will match your wanderlust with an animal-related volunteer opportunity that redefines what travel looks like. Volunteer around the world with dogs to dolphins, sea turtles or sharks in locations as exciting as Costa Rica, Mongolia or Malawi. Co-founder Nora Livingstone tells me that their offer is a winning one for midlife women.
For a powerhouse collective of women, many of whom are 50+, take note of B Corp comms specialist, AG Comms. This plethora of expertise and talent will work with your business to improve impact on people, planet, nature and communities, covering comms, culture and strategy.
Everyone needs a decent night’s sleep and Avocado Green Mattress are on a serious mission not just to give you that, but to be the world’s most sustainable brand. Their certified organic mattresses are made in Los Angeles with organic wool, cotton and latex and boast over 40,000 customer reviews as well a string of certifications for max sustainability.
Need to look sharp? Get your B Corp certified tights on, courtesy of Sheertex. To date they reckon they’ve saved more than 33 million pairs of tights from landfill and use 13 x less fossil fuel resources than your average pair of disposable tights.
Award-winning, female-founded social enterprise, Goldfinger, has created bespoke furniture and homeware for clients including Selfridges and Tate Modern. By offering sustainable craft workshops to promote wellbeing, bringing wood-working back into classrooms and upskilling 16-29 year olds from low-income backgrounds, they’re bringing craft back into the community too.
Let’s stick with homeware and the dynamic force that is Emma Bridgewater. Citing the B Corp framework, rather than “bouts of enthusiasm” as the driving force to become a more responsible organisation, this well-loved brand has been driven by female founder Emma for more than 40 years to become a £20m business.
And finally, BEEN London. Because if there’s one thing that most women can’t resist, it’s a bag. Especially when it’s made from discarded leather and plastic to minimise carbon footprint with a zero waste approach. Named “one of the most innovative companies in the world” by British Vogue.
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