Posted 26 February 2026 in Press Release
New research from WPP Media and Are Media, The Power Gap, unveiled today at the AIMCO Creator Summit, has revealed that women aged 45+ are significantly more influenced by credible sources than younger women, challenging common assumptions about how influence works in today’s social-first landscape.
Underpinned by a national study designed to better understand the influence drivers, trust factors and purchasing behaviour of women 45+ across social channels, media platforms and creators, the research found that trust, expertise and validation across multiple channels play a decisive role in shaping purchase decisions of Australian women in their economic prime. With credible editorial environments and editorial-aligned creators emerging as some of the strongest drivers of confidence for this audience.
Shivani Maharaj, Chief Creator Officer at WPP, said the research was commissioned to better understand how influence is evolving for one of the most commercially important but under-examined audiences.
“We wanted to better understand what and who were the real driving voices of influence when it came to one of the most powerful consumer segments in Australia, women 45+,” Maharaj said.
“The research confirms that credibility is key when it comes to shifting behaviour. It is not a one-size-fits-all approach for this generation of women, and they are looking to validate their discovery through people and platforms that carry authority and trust. Brands that combine trusted media environments along with specialists creators, while authentically representing this cohort of women will be far more effective in driving better campaign outcomes”
Natalie Bettini, Head of Consumer Data & Insights at Are Media said Australia is home to 4.8 million women aged 45+, many at the peak of their earning power and controlling substantial household spending.
“In the beauty category alone, this audience spent on average 2.8 billion dollars in health and beauty in the last four weeks, that’s 34% of the total spend in Australia, that’s more than gen z and y combined*.
“Despite this economic power, the research suggests brands have underestimated the importance of credibility and trust as catalysts to her path to purchase. Women 45+ are more selective than younger audiences, but when influence resonates it is credibility that drives action.”
The research was based on a national quantitative study of 1,067 women aged 18 years and over, using a combination of Are Media’s proprietary research panel, The Insiders Community, and an external sample to remove any potential bias.
Women 45+ are driven by credibility built across multiple trusted touchpoints
The research found that women aged 45+ place significantly greater importance on expertise, trust and validation than younger audiences when making purchase decisions, with influence operating as a layered ecosystem rather than a single platform interaction.
Nearly twice as many women aged 45+ reported not purchasing any beauty or personal care products based on a single social media recommendation in the past six months compared with women aged 18 to 44 (44% versus 23%), underscoring a higher threshold for trust before taking action.
However, when influence does resonate, credibility becomes the defining factor. Among women who purchased products following recommendations, those aged 45+ were four times more likely than younger women to have also noticed advertising for that product in editorial-driven media (36 percent versus 9 percent), reinforcing the role trusted environments play in building confidence and validating decisions.
For beauty enthusiasts aged 45+, the most influential sources included editorial websites, contributing experts and editors, consumer reviews and paid advertising. This group was also more likely than younger audiences to follow specialist creators or editors (52 percent versus 44 percent) demonstrating that repeat validation, authority and editorial-aligned creators drive action.
When it came to topics that women 45+ were looking for, the insights highlighted that one in three follow social accounts to support health goals or issues, and to learn new skills, while more than one in four seek travel inspiration. This highlights an audience motivated by self-improvement and practical needs rather than passive entertainment.
A high-spending audience that feels undervalued and underrepresented
Despite their economic power, many women over 45 feel overlooked by brands.
More than a quarter of women 45+ surveyed said they do not feel represented by major brands across advertising, packaging and communications, rising to nearly one in three among the largest segment of the audience.
This gap between economic influence and representation highlights a significant opportunity for brands to better connect with this demographic.
Specialist creators and premium publishing offer the strongest growth opportunity
Creators who demonstrate expertise, credibility and consistency in their content themes, particularly those with editorial alignment or subject matter authority, proved to be more influential among women 45+ than celebrity-style personalities.
Women 45+ were more likely than younger audiences to follow specialist or topic-focused creators, with just over half saying they follow influencers who focus on a specific area of interest (52 percent versus 44 percent). This reflects a preference for depth, relevance and trusted guidance over broad popularity.
The findings point to a significant opportunity for creators seeking to broaden reach and deepen trust to collaborate with premium publishing environments that provide credibility, context and authentic representation. For brands, partnerships that combine specialist creators with trusted editorial platforms are likely to deliver stronger engagement and greater influence with this audience.
*Roy Morgan Single Source September 2025
AIMCO Panellists included:
Are Media – where connection ignites intention