Bauer Media says advertisers are missing the mark with women aged 50-64, most of whom think advertisers aren't interested in speaking to their age group and that advertising is ageist, according to a survey undertaken by the publisher.

The company said it undertook the research amid criticism that older women have become 'invisible' to the ad industry.

Bauer says while a third of women agreed they 'often feel unnoticed [by] and invisible [to] society’, older women are generally 'supremely confident, recreating social norms, leading the way and showing other women her age what life could look like'.

The Defiant Woman research found 70 percent think that advertisers aren't interested in speaking with women their age and 75 percent find advertising often ageist.

Bauer says brands are failing to recognise who these women are and what matters to them, focusing on a singular view and often lumping middle-aged women in with those the same age as her mother. Bauer says it is therefore 'no surprise the Defiant woman does not notice advertising or marketing'.

Self-love and $28tn

"Defiant Women were born into a tide of rebellion and opportunity, which advertisers and marketers sometimes fail to recognise. They are replacing ageing narratives with a new language of celebration and self-love," suggests Jane Waterhouse, general manager of Bauer Media’s Story54.

“The female economy is worth $28 trillion worldwide. The biggest slice of this market is women over the age of fifty, yet brands are invisible to her. We believe there is an enormous opportunity here for brands to connect with this age group of women who are living some of the best years of their lives."