Commentary

Tech Savvy Women Use Printed Inserts to Research a Purchase

Tech Savvy Women Use Printed Inserts to Research a Purchase

According to Jim Litwin, vice president of market insights at Vertis Communications, "As technology continues to become adopted into our everyday lives, we find younger women are becoming increasingly dominant users of media and high technology compared to their male counterparts."

The recent Vertis Communications Customer Focus Tech Savvy study revealed that:

  • 26 percent of Generation Y women (born 1977-1994) plan to purchase a personal desktop computer in the next 12 months, compared to 20 percent of Generation Y men
  • 25 percent of Generation Y women wish to purchase a cell phone with advanced features in the next year, compared to 14 percent of total adults
  • 16 percent of women in the same group plan to purchase a digital video recorder within the next year, compared to 11 percent of total adults

Litwin continued, "Today's female teens and 20-somethings are purchasing electronics to complement their active work and social lives. (Though) marketers often target men for electronics advertising, they should consider broadening their approach to reach this key female consumer segment..."

The study indicates that 83 percent of Generation X women and 73 percent of Generation Y women have Internet access at home, and that these consumers are the highest users of printed advertising inserts when researching where to shop. Only 20 percent of Generation X women use online circulars to research a purchase before going to a store, while 57 percent of this group uses printed advertising inserts, according to the study.

The Customer Focus Tech Savvy study also revealed the following:

  • 28 percent of Generation Y women plan to purchase a digital camera within the next year, whereas only 21 percent of Generation Y men plan to make the same purchase
  • 21 percent of adults with an annual household income of $30,000-$50,000 plan digital camera purchases in the next year, while only 14 percent of adults with a higher income of $75,000-$100,000 a year are planning to purchase a digital camera

Since 2004, the percent of Generation X women whose purchasing decisions are most influenced by advertising inserts increased from 32 to 38 percent Among Generation Y men, there has been a decrease in the influence TV has on purchasing decisions, from 38 percent in 2004 to 27 percent in 2006.

As women become increasingly tech savvy, Generation Y women lead the way in video game purchases, with 15 percent having purchased one or two video games within the past 12 months, compared to 11 percent of total adults.

32 percent of Generation Y women feel special offers such as free items and discounts are most important when deciding where to purchase video games, compared to 23 percent of parents surveyed.

To view the full report with supporting charts, please visit the PDF file here.

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