Drivers of Life Satisfaction for the 50+-Consumer: Evidence from Four Western Countries

Marketing research usually focuses on the well-being of companies achieved by serving customer needs. This research takes a different view: it focuses on the well-being of consumers, specifically those in the promising 50+ market. A model of life satisfaction is proposed and empirically tested across four Western countries. The results show that 50+ consumers in the U.S. are more concerned with health than with money issues whereas 50+ consumers in Germany, France and Spain--who pay higher taxes and have fewer opportunities to build wealth--worry more than their American counterparts about making ends meet. The effects of cognitive age and sociality on life satisfaction are also analyzed and implications for marketing to the 50+ consumers in the US, Germany, France, and Spain are derived.