Building age-inclusive brands: the case of 19/99 Beauty

Purpose This paper aims to answer the under-researched question: how can brand managers design an age-inclusive brand? Design/methodology/approach An extended case study approach was used to trace the creation of a successful age-inclusive beauty brand (19/99 Beauty) through a variety of data, including archival, social media, interviews and participant observation. Findings This study finds three forms of institutional work institutional entrepreneurs undertake to design an age-inclusive brand by fostering belonging: narrative work that positively reframes stereotypes associated with the stigmatized group, material work that expands the possibilities for the stigmatized group to engage with the market and relational work that gives voice to a range of market actors from the stigmatized group. Research limitations/implications This paper defines age-inclusive branding as fostering a sense of belonging in the marketplace of the traditionally overlooked aging consumer segment. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is one of the first empirical studies exploring how branding professionals create age-inclusive brands. It suggests that entrepreneurs and brand managers should treat age-inclusive consumers as an intersectional segment that cuts across traditional segmentation tools. Additionally, it provides an age-inclusive branding checklist for branding professionals.