Lena Hansson

Institution/Department: Centre for Consumer Science/GRI
Previous studies: The Swedish School of Textiles, University of Borås; School of Business, Economics and Law
Thesis: Universal design – a marketable or utopian concept?
Research areas: consumer culture, consumer behaviour, 55 consumers, ­universal design, gender & design
Current research: Consumer images in market communication – a study of 55 consumers and ageism. My research aims to provide a more nuanced ­picture of today’s 55 consumers and problematize the concept of age and ageing in relation to market communication. In a time when lifestyles and identities are increasingly expressed through consumption what happens with consumers who are excluded by market communication due to ageism? The overall research questions are: (1) what images of older consumers are ­mediated through media and used in market communication, and (2) how are these images experienced by consumers within the market segment 55 . It is important to critically question prevailing norms and practice within ­marketing to counteract ageism. Market communication should reflect changing consumer behaviour due to societal changes including demographics etc. Still, youthfulness is glorified and sanctioned which makes words like ‘young’ and ‘elderly’ linked to very different value-charged connotations. However, as ­consumers relate to their age and ageing differently it is not obvious how market communication addressing 55 consumers should be designed to be successful. Methodologically, a qualitative research approach influenced by ethnography is used and visual interpretation is performed in order to reveal existing ‘images’ of older consumers in market communication.

E-mail address: Lena.hansson@cfk.gu.se
www.cfk.gu.se