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US survey reveals what women want online

Yahoo! and Added Value survey finds that content-rich websites, not social networks, are the hot ticket for brands marketing to women. Titled Connectonomics, the survey examines how and why women are using different kinds of online channels on a daily basis. The study is aimed at providing brands with a new framework for targeting women online, one that is centered around the needs of today’s woman.

More Information

The survey found that:

-  The most important needs for women revolve around personal growth, as well as their interdependencies on others in their social circle. 

-  44% of women say they get information about products and brands on women’s lifestyle sites.

-  Women’s lifestyle sites and special interest sites fulfill the most needs for women. They also offer anonymity, which can result in deep emotional connections for women.

-  Women are most receptive to marketing messages on lifestyle, specialty and review sites. These channels deliver three times the impact on purchase decisions in comparison to the other online sites that were examined in the study.

Core Facts

  1. NEED STATES – the common ground: Despite demographic differences, women share the same core needs which revolve around personal growth and a shared interdependence on others. Companies may be better served by understanding women’s core “needs” or what drives and motivates them rather than subscribing to existing stereotypes, such as Mums vs. Non Mums, stay-at-home Mums vs. working Mums, etc. Understanding women’s need states allows marketers to have more relevant conversations with them. Different strokes for different channels

  2. DIFFERENT STROKES FOR DIFFERENT CHANNELS, NOT JUST DIFFERENT WOMEN: Various online channels cater to different need states. Women receive, share and are receptive to information in varying degrees on each of these channels. Understanding this is fundamental to media and marketing effectiveness.

  3. POWER OF ANONYMITY: The study found that the anonymity that content channels offer can lead to deeper emotional connections for women. Women said these sites offer users access to like-minded women and solutions to problems without the risk of being judged by people they know in real life.

  4. SOCIAL MEDIA IS NOT A SILVER BULLET: a surprising insight is that social media is less relevant in the context of shopping, brands and purchase decisions. Content channels such as lifestyle and special interest sites offer three times the impact on purchase decisions compared to other online channels, creating much better opportunities for advertisers to build relationships. Marketing messages resonate more with women when presented in the context of content channels, as opposed to social media sites.

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“Connectonomics weaves learning from various disciplines like sociology, psychology, consumer behaviour and social media usage to arrive at more accurate insights. Rather than subscribe to widely held stereotypes about gender or media use, this study tries to answer basic, critical questions like “What do women really want in 2010?” and “Where should marketers be to connect with them?”

Nima Srinivasan, Vice President, Added Value:

"Connectonomics builds on our goal to help marketers and brands better speak with women. Understanding the basic needs of why women leverage online communication channels leads to more powerful and nuanced connections. The end game is about portfolio management, knowing what women are using each channel for, and how to activate each through integrated marketing.”

Radha Subramanyam, Yahoo! VP and Head of Corporate and Media Research:

Company information

About Added Value Group:

Added Value offers brand development and marketing insight services to blue-chip companies across all industry sectors. Everything they do starts with insight and ends with action, in pursuit of healthy brand growth for their clients.

With a footprint that now extends across 22 locations in 14 countries, drawing on the expertise within its global network, Added Value Group fuses brand marketing, consumer insight, innovation, and communications optimisation to help solve clients’ marketing problems.

Added Value Group is part of Kantar Group, the information, insight and consultancy arm of WPP, a world leader in communications services.

More information is available at: www.added-value.com

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9th August 2010

Main Press Contact

Rafal Kwiatkowski

Public Relations

+44 (0) 207 199 2814

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