The new operation will focus on correctly understanding and targeting this age group. The major premise is the fact that marketers are facing a new type of older person – one who is demanding to be defined by their attitude and life stage, rather than by their age. The consultancy will concern itself primarily with the 50 plus age group, an affluent group estimated to account for 80% of the nation’s wealth. In terms of a mission statement, it hopes to be able to explain their interests and activities, and to interpret what drives their purchase patterns.

To this end, Age has already constructed a range of new services in both quantitative and qualitative research. This includes satisfaction measurement, employee attitude research, mystery shopping, market modelling, demand mapping, opportunity profiling, market forecasting and international market analysis.

The two founding partners of Age are themselves "third agers." Chairman and CEO of FDS International Janet Weitz is a 57 year-old housewife, mother and entrepreneur, having founded her company almost 30 years ago. She commented, "In pursuing the youth market, many advertisers and marketers seem to have forgotten this uniquely time rich, economically powerful and highly discriminating group of consumers. The marketing community treats us as second best, either ignoring us completely or pigeon-holing us as over 50 and therefore over the hill. In reality we are in our prime. Enjoying life and with the financial clout to represent a new marketing challenge." Nick Cole, the 45 year-old director of The Oxford Partnership, added that "The difference between a mid-50’s year-old and a mid-70’s year-old is more than just 20 years. It’s a totally different mindset, yet how many advertisers bother to segment the market in the same way, for example, as they slice up the youth market? To imagine that we’re all interested in Stannah stairlifts and incontinence pads is to run the risk of alienating a huge slice of their audience. The attitudes of this group will condition the attitudes of society as a whole. And we defy such homogeneously convenient labels as "greys" or "silver surfers", for we are as demographically atypical and as culturally diverse a market sector as any manufacturer or service provider might wish to target. Age provides a new marketing service to meet that challenge."