Study: 'Gamma Women' Follow More Than Trends

applying make-up

  Forget about female "influencers." Health and beauty marketers should focus their energies on "Gamma women" -- or those who share and exchange information, ideas, opinions, contacts and recommendations with a wide network using multiple channels.

According to a new nationwide survey from Meredith Corp., a full three-quarters -- 76% -- of Gammas "frequently" recommend well-liked beauty products to others, compared to just 56% of all U.S. women.

Among "Millennial Gammas," this behavior is even more prevalent -- with word of mouth rising to 85%, according to the study of some 5,000 respondents.

"The key to understanding how these women view beauty is to think of beauty as dual in nature: the outer self reflects the confidence of the inner self," says Nancy Weber, chief marketing officer and SVP of Meredith's National Media Group.

As such, Gammas cited "self-confidence," "positive outlook on life," "sense of humor," "engaging smile," and "upbeat personality" as the top criteria to their definition of "beauty," while purely physical attributes such as "pretty face," "glowing skin" and "great figure" -- although still important -- ranked much lower on the list.

What exactly are Gammas attracted to? Well, compared to just over half of all U.S. women, two-thirds of Gammas try to buy beauty products that use organic/natural/sustainable ingredients, while 64% say anti-aging products are an important part of their beauty routine.

Perhaps surprisingly, Gammas are disproportionately more likely to consult magazines than the Web for beauty tips -- 80% compared to 62%, respectively -- compared to all U.S. women -- 53% compared to 49%, respectively.

What's more, for all their connectedness, Gammas still far prefer traditional channels over the Web when it comes to purchasing beauty products.

One in five -- 20% -- buy beauty products online, compared to 80% who flock to mass retailers; 56% who go to drug stores; 45% who seek out department stores; and 36% who rely on local supermarkets.

For all women, most beauty purchases are planned versus impulse buys, and Gammas are even more likely to plan their purchases -- 80% -- than all U.S women -- 71%.

For better or worse, 80% of Gammas agree with the statement: "I am loyal to a handful of beauty brands." Yet 61% of Gammas -- compared with 50% of all U.S. women -- report "always" looking for new beauty products to try.

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