INSIGHT #1 She’s empowered by the expected unexpectedness:
·        84% of young women feel very confident in who they are
·        73% of young women say they are excited by everything that is going on in their lives

To view the “Women in Transitionhood” presentation and videos, go to: www.generationO.tv
.        

Cynopsis Media presents:
Demographic Viewing Patterns
10.25.10

Good morning. It’s Monday, October 25, 2010, and this is the second installment of our special five-part series on Demographic Viewing Patterns.  Evaluated by category, each Special E-Report will explore the latest research on viewing patterns and evolving media preferences of specific demographic groups.  Cynopsis Media will also look at the newest trends networks and ad agency executives are using to target and reach each of these demographic categories.  As always with any special edition, we hope you find the information relevant, interesting and informative, and encourage your feedback.

A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE FROM OXYGEN

INSIGHT #2 She wants it all, and 30 is her (soft) target:
·        65% of young women say that moving up the ladder in their career is a priority
·        65% of young women say they plan to continue working after they have children, even if they don’t need the money

To view the “Women in Transitionhood” presentation and videos, go to: www.generationO.tv
.

 
Women
by Daisy Whitney

What do women want?

It’s the age-old question and when it comes to media, the answer is just as hard as ever to pin down. That’s because the media habits, desires and marketing preferences of adult women vary greatly, making it all the more necessary for television networks and marketers to research and understand the nuances of the female demographic. 

From a big picture point of view, 92% of women 18-54 watch some TV each week and, on average, each woman aged 18-54 watches 28 hours per week, according to research shared by media agency MediaVest.

Despite their deep affection for TV, the media habits of women are diverse. The favorite leisure activity of female internet users was actually spending time on the web, so they’re hanging out online for fun, according to a 2009 eMarketer report. In that report, the Internet ranked ahead of TV and also books for top leisure activities for women.

Interestingly enough, women often watch TV when they are online. WE tv has found that 34% of women 18-34 watch full episodes of their favorite TV shows online. “As programmers, we want to make sure that we’re serving our viewers where they are and are making it as convenient for them to watch us as possible,” said Kim Martin, President and General Manager for WE tv and Wedding Central.

In addition, women also spend time visiting social networking sites when they’re online. As of April 2010, the percent of online time women devoted to social networking was 16%, the highest of any activity and well above instant messenger at 11% and email at 8%.

Indeed, TV networks that attract a high concentration of women, such as Oxygen, TLC, WE tv and Lifetime, are keenly aware of the multiplatform nature of their female viewers.

A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE FROM OXYGEN

INSIGHT #3 She naturally connects and shares:
·        90% of young women have social networking profiles
·        80% of young women have recommended a brand to friends or family

To view the “Women in Transitionhood” presentation and videos, go to: www.generationO.tv
.

“All of our viewers are increasingly busy – perhaps none more than the ‘multitasking moms’ – and we’ve found they are relying on multiple screens for their information and entertainment. TLC has responded to this with a commitment to strong mobile, social, and digital content that extends our brands onto the platforms they are already using when watching TV, managing their families, and catching up with friends,” said Nancy Daniels, SVP Production & Development, TLC. “Our upcoming television event, Sarah Palin’s Alaska, has a strong social and digital media component to provide access to information about and build a community around the series. However, it’s still true that TV continues to be a relaxing escape and social experience for our audience. Our Friday wedding block (Say Yes to the Dress, Four Weddings, etc.) is one example of how strong programming creates a destination for our audience.”

Networks are finding other ways to bring social media into their shows, such as Oxygen which is incorporating tweets from “superfans” and cast members live-on-air during some of its shows via OxygenLive.com.

One of the most challenging aspects of marketing to women is their tastes and needs vary greatly, explained Donna Speciale, President of Investment, Activation and Agency Operations at MediaVest. Marketers and networks need to be cognizant that women and moms are in different places depending on their age, whether they have kids, and the ages of their kids. “There are working moms, stay-at-home moms, moms with older kids, moms with younger kids. You may have to dissect moms into ten segments,” Speciale explained.

Targeting to moms then is more complicated than targeting to kids, because kids are more universal in their likes and dislikes. But moms are incredibly niche. “There are so many choices that we now have to get our content, from that you need to figure out more than ever what these habits and behaviors are. And we literally have to reach women every step of their day – from morning, noon and night. Primetime is anytime now,” she said. “It used to be that TV was 80 to 90 percent of a medium mix and over time it becomes 60 to 70. None of these mediums will go away. They just need to be used in combination and that’s where you can get more accountability.”

A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE FROM OXYGEN

INSIGHT #4 She embraces the ‘me’ in media:
·        90% of young women watch live TV

To view the “Women in Transitionhood” presentation and videos, go to: www.generationO.tv
.

Lifetime is attuned to that.

“It’s about having a constant dialogue with your consumers and your audience,” said Mike Greco, EVP of Strategic Insights for AETN. “We do focus groups, influence groups, subscribe to neural science technology,” he said, citing examples that Lifetime relies on to try to attain a “holistic” view of its audiences.

The notion of “me time” has become important for women, he said. Lifetime’s research has shown that “me time” is especially essential for women who are balancing career and family. “We created these movie blocks like we have now on weekends where you have women saying ‘this is my me time. I kick back with a glass of wine and watch my movie,'” That includes Pick-a-Flick Friday on Lifetime Movie Network.

Knowing the audience also means knowing what a network’s viewers are doing online. Greco said 76% of women play video games occasionally and that’s why online gaming has been vital for Lifetime. In fact, about half the network’s online audience is driven by casual gaming. “Our online site is not solely based on watching additional episodes of Project Runway. It’s driven by women coming in and carving out some me time for themselves and playing games.”

Marketers who are advertising their goods and services on TV will likely enjoy some of the deepest engagement online. Online is where moms truly become brand ambassadors and spread the word for the products they love. An eMarketer report says that moms who blog are becoming important marketing partners for brands because they spread the word to the 32 million moms who go online in the US.

“Marketers can maximize their efforts to reach moms who read and write blogs by aligning their blog marketing with their marketing on Facebook and Twitter,” eMarketer analyst Debra Aho Williamson, wrote in a report on mom bloggers. “Marketing via moms who blog requires daily effort and regular participation. Successful marketers create real relationships with blogging moms and work hard to make it easy for moms to support their marketing initiatives. This means understanding that moms have different points of view and don’t always focus on the same topics. What’s more, having an influence means more than simply flooding the blogosphere with coupons and giveaways.”

Reaching the mom blogger and her readers can in turn help a TV campaign because online is often where a brand can hook a consumer.

The Demographic Viewing Patterns 5-part series is available to read or download on the Cynopsis website in our Special Editions section.

A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE FROM OXYGEN

INSIGHT #5 She’s uniquely open to brands and (savvy) spending:
·        81% of young women enjoy trying new brands  40% more than non-transition women
·        53% of young women have forwarded an online coupon to friends or family

To view the “Women in Transitionhood” presentation and videos, go to: www.generationO.tv
.

Later  — Daisy
Daisy Whitney for Cynopsis Media
10.25.10

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Mike Farina – Sr. Dir/Business Development & Sales – 203-218-6480 / mike@cynopsis.com
Classifieds – Trish Pihonak- 203-381-9096 / trish@cynopsis.com

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