Marie Claire has announced the results of an extensive research initiative about the mindset of the modern woman called "All Access Woman." In partnership with consumer research expert Pam Danziger, Marie Claire commissioned the study of 1,800 women to give marketers additional insight into the attitudes and issues that drive multi-faceted women.
"Women today are more highly educated and informed than ever before," said Marie Claire Vice President/Publisher Susan Plagemann. "We felt the time was right to take a much closer look at the things that really matter to women to help us educate marketers on the best way to reach and speak to today's multi-dimensional females."
After asking: What is on her mind? How does she manage her priorities? How do her values impact her role as a consumer, Marie Claire discovered women have 5 top priorities:
1. Emotional Health & Family—Caring and supporting her family is the No. 1 priority at 88%. Her top challenge is finding time to relax, unwind and take care of herself at 61%.
2. Career & Finances—Achieving financial goals and saving for retirement are tops in this category (78%). Women apply their business acumen to their lives: She is in a constant search for value in her life. She'll pay more—a lot more—for value.
3. Society & Politics—In this pivotal election year for women, the Marie Claire survey reveals that fully 75% of women strongly agreed that in the upcoming election, what the candidate will do and the beliefs they hold are more important than gender or race. Additionally 86% plan to vote in the November election. As for the 'Society' category, 80% of women give back to charity financially or with a time commitment.
4. Health & Wellness—She's busy, she's stressed. Wellness takes time. Nearly half (49%) of women surveyed sacrifice sleep as one of her primary time-management strategies. Women need products and services that help her make time for her health.
5. Fashion & Beauty— She is an extremely powerful consumer: Her consumer power comes not just from having money, but from knowledge. She invests her time—her most valuable currency—to learn more and to be a smarter person and a smarter shopper. While her family and her job are very important to her, fashion and beauty are areas that are hers and hers alone.
Overall, marketers have to deliver an experience: Women want more than just a product. She doesn't need more tangible things in her life, rather she wants a shopping experience that enhances her life.
"Marketers need to rise to the occasion that this new powerful — and empowered — woman shopper represents. Marketers and retailers want to build a more meaningful connection with this woman than simply having her as their customer." said Danziger. "They want more than just a transaction, they want to develop a relationship and the way to do that is to align their marketing and branding messages with her values and priorities.'
About the "All Access Woman" Survey
"All Access Woman" included both qualitative focus groups and quantitative survey methodologies. The survey was conducted February 15-23, 2008, using an online polling service. Survey respondents were qualified by reading one of eight leading women's magazines, including Marie Claire, Allure, Elle, Glamour, InStyle, Lucky, Vanity Fair and Vogue. It totaled 1,803 women, with an average age of 37.2 and average household income of approximately $87,500. Nearly two-thirds of women surveyed were married and 70 percent owned their own home or condominium/apartment. Some 63 percent were employed full time and 14 percent worked part time. The survey sample was also highly educated with 64 percent having completed a four year college degree or post-graduate level attainment.
"Women today are more highly educated and informed than ever before," said Marie Claire Vice President/Publisher Susan Plagemann. "We felt the time was right to take a much closer look at the things that really matter to women to help us educate marketers on the best way to reach and speak to today's multi-dimensional females."
After asking: What is on her mind? How does she manage her priorities? How do her values impact her role as a consumer, Marie Claire discovered women have 5 top priorities:
1. Emotional Health & Family—Caring and supporting her family is the No. 1 priority at 88%. Her top challenge is finding time to relax, unwind and take care of herself at 61%.
2. Career & Finances—Achieving financial goals and saving for retirement are tops in this category (78%). Women apply their business acumen to their lives: She is in a constant search for value in her life. She'll pay more—a lot more—for value.
3. Society & Politics—In this pivotal election year for women, the Marie Claire survey reveals that fully 75% of women strongly agreed that in the upcoming election, what the candidate will do and the beliefs they hold are more important than gender or race. Additionally 86% plan to vote in the November election. As for the 'Society' category, 80% of women give back to charity financially or with a time commitment.
4. Health & Wellness—She's busy, she's stressed. Wellness takes time. Nearly half (49%) of women surveyed sacrifice sleep as one of her primary time-management strategies. Women need products and services that help her make time for her health.
5. Fashion & Beauty— She is an extremely powerful consumer: Her consumer power comes not just from having money, but from knowledge. She invests her time—her most valuable currency—to learn more and to be a smarter person and a smarter shopper. While her family and her job are very important to her, fashion and beauty are areas that are hers and hers alone.
Overall, marketers have to deliver an experience: Women want more than just a product. She doesn't need more tangible things in her life, rather she wants a shopping experience that enhances her life.
"Marketers need to rise to the occasion that this new powerful — and empowered — woman shopper represents. Marketers and retailers want to build a more meaningful connection with this woman than simply having her as their customer." said Danziger. "They want more than just a transaction, they want to develop a relationship and the way to do that is to align their marketing and branding messages with her values and priorities.'
About the "All Access Woman" Survey
"All Access Woman" included both qualitative focus groups and quantitative survey methodologies. The survey was conducted February 15-23, 2008, using an online polling service. Survey respondents were qualified by reading one of eight leading women's magazines, including Marie Claire, Allure, Elle, Glamour, InStyle, Lucky, Vanity Fair and Vogue. It totaled 1,803 women, with an average age of 37.2 and average household income of approximately $87,500. Nearly two-thirds of women surveyed were married and 70 percent owned their own home or condominium/apartment. Some 63 percent were employed full time and 14 percent worked part time. The survey sample was also highly educated with 64 percent having completed a four year college degree or post-graduate level attainment.