• by Masha Geller , November 13, 2001

Two reports out today show that advertisers have to pay more attention to women.

One report - The US Market for Solo Female Consumers, a new study released by MarketResearch.com - shows that aggregate income of single women is up an estimated 17% from 1997 levels.

MarketResearch says marketers have only scratched the surface of this explosive market that now claims an aggregate income of $166.1 billion, and with more and more attention focusing on this untapped sales source, information on how single women are spending their money and what messages they respond to is crucial.

Meg Hargreaves, VP of Research Publishing for MarketResearch says that 57% of single women currently own their own home, "making it clear that women are now making the money that allows them to buy their own homes, plan their future financial security, and live fully independent lives."

The second report - the J.D. Power and Associates 2001 Women Investors Special Report - shows that more than one-third of future online moderate to heavy traders will be women.

"Many strategies used to encourage investment activity in the past were geared toward men and did not highlight the interests of women investors," said Nancy Salk, director of investment services at J.D. Power and Associates.

"Now, women have become more independent economically and are investing directly for themselves and for their families. Brokerage firms should take notice of this when developing marketing strategies based on the intentions of women investors."