Brands, marketers and the media can be guided by these four principles as they rethink age-led demographics.

There is a dissonance between people’s age and what society thinks they should be doing at that age. A new global study released by McCann Worldgroup found that traditional age norms are no longer true.

Consider the following data gleaned by McCann’s Truth Central:

Two-thirds of folks in their 70s believe “you’re never too old to casually date.” They also believe that the greatest benefit to getting older is “having more freedom.”

60 percent of Asians 70 years and above feel positive about the idea of getting older. 87 percent of elderly Filipinos feel the same way.

It’s youngsters in their 20s who fear death the most among all age groups. In the Philippines, 63 percent of twentysomethings say they fear death versus the global average of 57 percent. Death to them feels like the end of everything good in life when they’re just getting started.

There is a reticence to grow up among the world’s youths.

There is a reticence to grow up among the world’s youths. In the Asia Pacific region, the most commonly cited reasons are an increase in responsibilities (40 percent) and an expectation for them to act more responsibly (33 percent).

Individuals in their 20s exercise more than four hours a week. So do those in their 60s.

When asked the question, “On a scale of one to 10, where one is not old and 10 is very old, how old would you rate yourself?” the worldwide trend showed that people from their 30s through 70s consistently rated themselves “5.”

The numbers give rise to new suppositions such as:

Age is a less reliable predictor of attitudes, behaviors, success and vigor.

Aging seems to be primarily a problem of the young.

Ting Jocson, a 55-year-old marathoner and fitness instructor at Saddle Row, exemplifies these new suppositions.

“Aging does not equate to being frail. When you age, it doesn’t mean that you’ll become slower,” she asserts. “It depends on the effort you put into it. It’s a matter of committing to what you want to do.”

The findings above emphasize the importance of understanding people fully as human individuals rather than as predictable members of a demographic category because apparently, they’re not. Brands, marketers and the media can be guided by these four principles as they rethink age-led demographics:

Start young. Traditionally, the “aging” conversation is reserved for the over 50s but data indicates that young people in their 20s and 30s constantly reflect on the process of aging and the passage of time.

Celebrate the gains. Too often the cultural conversation focuses on the “losses” associated with age — from reduced cognition to limited physicality — and aging is framed as a negative process. And yet data indicates that lives mostly get richer and happier over time. There is a need to rewrite the loss-oriented language associated with the second half of life (“retirement,” “empty nest” and “downsizing”).

Go beyond the number. In general, age has become a less useful predictor of behavior. The fact of the matter is that everyone thinks about aging differently, regardless of their numerical age. Consumer segmentations must be approached in new ways. As Google Philippines Industry Analyst Geia Lopez says, “We need progressive marketers to speak the truth about aging philosophies.”

Promote intergenerational connection. Individual cultures prioritize different things in the pursuit of healthy aging. For example, whereas Indians are more likely to believe that being respected by society is the key to aging well, Brits stress the importance of a good sense of humor. The one consistent theme that transcends markets when it comes to aging well, however, is spending time with people of different ages. A rich opportunity exists for brands and other stakeholders to build connections between generations.

There is a need to create a new lexicon of aging that talks about its gains. Let aging be framed as a story of gaining — instead of losing — things.

“Bigger opportunities await brands that choose to see people beyond the number,” Earl Javier, McCann Worldgroup strategy director, states. “How can we inspire a world where we celebrate an individual regardless of their age?”

“Truth About Age” is a worldwide study conducted by McCann Truth Central, McCann Worldgroup’s global intelligence unit. It surveyed nearly 24,000 people, aged 20 through 70, across 28 markets, supplemented by qualitative research in 36 markets around the globe.