HORIZON 1 • SYSTEMS MAP

Age with Agency: Building a pro-aging consumer product ecosystem by 2050.

This map traces why the market remains stuck in 2026 and where change could begin. Select R1-R4 to follow the reinforcing loops, or choose B to see the balancing response. Use Follow these steps to trace the connections, click a node for its evidence, or reveal the four leverage points. Colors identify thematic families.

Layout

Quadrant field: thematic families arranged around the central market failure.

Feedback loops

Intervene

Thematic family

Identity & stigma

Cultural context

Market dynamics

Supply-side structure

Link & loop type

Same-direction effect (+)

Opposite-direction effect (−)

Reinforcing feedback (R) • Balancing response (B, dashed)

Leverage point

Structural intervention (LP1, LP2, LP4)

Highest leverage • LP3

Toggle to reveal LP markers

Evidence base

Sources

AgeTechX (2026a) ‘The Silver Economy by the Numbers: 2026 and Beyond’. Available at: https://agetechx.com/agenda/silver-economy-by-the-numbers (Accessed: 3 October 2026).
AgeTechX (2026b) ‘The Global Ageing Opportunity: Two Billion Customers. One Decade to Move’. Available at: https://agetechx.com/agenda/global-ageing-opportunity (Accessed: 3 October 2026).
Bradley, S. (2021) ‘How do you solve a problem like… ageism in the marketing business?’, The Drum, 1 June. Available at: https://www.thedrum.com/news/how-do-you-solve-problem-ageism-the-marketing-business (Accessed: 8 July 2026).
Coughlin, J.F. (2017) The longevity economy: inside the world’s fastest-growing, most misunderstood market. New York: PublicAffairs.
Dong, H., McGinley, C., Nickpour, F. and Cifter, A.S. (2015) ‘Designing for designers: insights into the knowledge users of inclusive design’, Applied Ergonomics, 46(Part B), pp. 284–291. doi:10.1016/j.apergo.2013.03.003.
Dychtwald, K. (2021) ‘Ageism is alive and well in advertising’, Global Coalition on Aging, 8 September. Available at: https://globalcoalitiononaging.com/2021/09/08/ageism-is-alive-and-well-in-advertising/ (Accessed: 8 July 2026).
Human Rights Watch (2025) Punished for getting older: South Korea’s age-based policies and older workers’ rights. New York: Human Rights Watch. Available at: https://www.hrw.org/report/2025/07/08/punished-for-getting-older/south-koreas-age-based-policies-and-older-workers (Accessed: 8 July 2026).
Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (2024) Agency census 2023. London: IPA. Available at: https://ipa.co.uk/knowledge/publications-reports/agency-census-2023 (Accessed: 8 July 2026).
Levy, B.R., Slade, M.D., Kunkel, S.R. and Kasl, S.V. (2002) ‘Longevity increased by positive self-perceptions of aging’, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 83(2), pp. 261–270. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.83.2.261.
Maximo, T., Fong, K.N.K. and Lau, N.M.L. (2024) ‘Stigma and the use of umbrellas, hiking poles and walking sticks to aid walking in Hong Kong’, Hong Kong Journal of Occupational Therapy, 37(1), pp. 52–60. doi:10.1177/15691861241254862.
Meadows, D.H. (1999) Leverage points: places to intervene in a system. Hartland, VT: The Sustainability Institute. Available at: https://donellameadows.org/archives/leverage-points-places-to-intervene-in-a-system/ (Accessed: 8 July 2026).
Neugarten, B.L. (1974) ‘Age groups in American society and the rise of the young-old’, The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 415(1), pp. 187–198. doi:10.1177/000271627441500114.
Porter, M.E. (1985) Competitive advantage: creating and sustaining superior performance. New York: Free Press.
Simpson, D. (2015) Young-old: urban utopias of an aging society. Zürich: Lars Müller Publishers.
Szmigin, I. and Carrigan, M. (2001) ‘Learning to love the older consumer’, Journal of Consumer Behaviour, 1(1), pp. 22–34. doi:10.1002/cb.51.
Warren, C., Batra, R., Loureiro, S.M.C. and Bagozzi, R.P. (2019) ‘Brand coolness’, Journal of Marketing, 83(5), pp. 36–56. doi:10.1177/0022242919857698.