Niche Can Be Big
Over the past decade, the shaming of the advertising industry has created a fleet of new campaigns. No longer is everyone lithe and stunning. Ad campaigns are inclusive to all of us. It feels like the page in magazines that note celebrities shop just like us, they dress like us, they are us!
The venture world invests in businesses that have the ability to make substantial returns. The concept that we should all be building businesses that sell to Millenials or Gen Z makes zero sense. The businesses considered niche all these years have supposedly never made sense. News alert, older people have big purse strings, most people are not size 4, and disabled people want stylish-looking furniture too.
I love seeing older people in ad campaigns that are as happy and engaged as a 25-year-old. That is becoming more of a reality as people live to be much older and continue living their fullest lives.
This past week Pottery Barn dropped 160 piece collection aimed at people with disabilities, injuries, and those who are aging. It is brilliant. They are leading the way. I would gather that they looked at this “niche” and realized there is a big overlooked audience out there.
These are positive shifts that should be applauded. It is time that inclusivity is number one. Niche might be a specialized segment, but it appears we are finally realizing that niche is more significant than we all wanted to believe.