BEAUTY’S NEW CUSTOMER: Meredith Corp. is about to release a study to follow up its 2008 Gamma Factor report, identifying a continuing shift in women’s values and attitudes toward health and beauty products, with a focus on how beauty brands can reach out to consumers more effectively. “These women are empowered by information,” said Britta Ware, vice president research solutions Meredith National Media Group. “They are all about sharing, but through more of a viral approach. They want authenticity.” The study focused on women ages 18 to 64, through an online panel.
From a marketing perspective, Ware found that Gamma women, which make up a large portion of its readers, prefer women who appear in ad campaigns to look like the girl next door. “Some examples are what Cover Girl and Dove are doing,” Ware noted. “Aspirational but not unattainable.” Gammas are more receptive than overall women to marketing and advertising, “but the message has to be right.”
Gammas also have brand loyalty and also are on the lookout for new products. They tend to share their recommendations with friends, especially via social networking sites such as Twitter. Meredith found that the median income for Gamma women is $73,450, versus $60,240 for overall women, and 80 percent look for beauty product information in print magazines. Perhaps with this in mind, Meredith has devoted more editorial pages to beauty coverage in a few of its titles, including Parents. — A.W.
ADD A COMMENT
Sign in using your Facebook or Twitter account, or simply type your comment below as a guest by entering your email and name. Your email address will not be shared.