Consumer Entering That Awkward Age Between Target Demographics

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SAN LEANDRO, CA—Acknowledging that he has reached a stage in his life when he doesn’t quite seem to fit in anywhere, marketing experts confirmed Monday that local consumer Keith Eberhardt, 34, is entering that awkward period of transition between target demographics. “Though Keith no longer fits in with most of his 18-to-34-year-old peers, it may be a while before he feels like he really belongs in the 35-to-49 demographic, and that can be a difficult time in a consumer’s life,” said Laura Washburn of KPG Digital Marketing, noting that while Eberhardt has grown out of mobile ad campaigns for energy drinks and UFC programming, he isn’t yet solidly part of the audience buying luxury automobiles and mortgage refinancing services. “It’s never easy being on the outside looking in, but Keith just hasn’t quite grown into a middle-aged adult with an income of $60,000 or more in his peak purchasing years. Until then, he’s probably going to feel a little bit overlooked by advertisers and branding experts. It’s something every college-educated, white, upper-middle-class male goes through.” Washburn added that Eberhardt will undergo a series of changes in the months ahead, explaining that he’ll likely start noticing ads for high-fiber cereals and whole-grain snacks and begin feeling things toward these products that he has never felt before.