Did you know that women influence 85% of U.S. consumer spending and have seen a 42% income increase between 2011 and 2021? But according to W Code’s 2023 U.S. Female Consumer Fact Pack, only 38% of U.S. women feel that brands truly understand them.
As part of this year’s My Code Intelligence Center Multicultural Consumer Fact Pack, this annual research is designed to arm marketers with compelling, nuanced insights that help them better understand, connect with, and authentically enrich the lives of female consumers. The U.S. female population is a melting pot of diverse cultures and communities. Women are a growing, diverse, and influential part of the U.S. population and they are more motivated when they feel understood by brands. Here’s what the study shows:
BUILDING CONNECTION THROUGH RELATABILITY AND AUTHENTICITY
Advertising that demonstrates a deep understanding of women in relevant and relatable situations can have a stronger positive impact potential on purchase behaviors. In order to successfully drive these behaviors, it is critical for brands to express relatability through advertising and feature people in “everyday situations.” When the audience can connect with or relate to the brand, they can imagine themselves using that product in their daily lives and will feel more compelled to make purchases:
- Cultural creative elements with the highest behavior impact potential include illustrating a clear stance on issues consumers care about, featuring mixed-race families, featuring unconventional beauty/physical appearances, and using a language other than English that consumers speak at home.
- When it comes to relatability, it is important for brands to start from within. If you are marketing to women, look within your internal teams to make sure you have people on staff who can understand the audience from many perspectives. They will be able to provide valuable context that their non-female counterparts might not comprehend or consider.
- Brands should champion women throughout the year, in addition to tentpole awareness days, holidays or celebratory months. Develop long-term approaches by recognizing, supporting, and elevating women in ways that feel as authentic to your brand as they do to the audience. Consider supporting or partnering with an organization that empowers women’s equality that aligns closely with your brand’s core values.
CHALLENGING THE STEREOTYPES
Brands can also create meaningful connections through authenticity and respectful cultural representations. While it is important for consumers to feel represented through different cultures, it is equally as important to represent these cultures in non-stereotypical ways. This makes women feel more understood as true nuanced humans, and not just the way they are stereotyped. Challenging stereotypes can also play into the concept of taking clear stances on social issues through advertising. Female consumers feel more understood by brands that have similar views to them, or can connect their product with everyday social issues.
LEADING THE NATION IN MEDIA CONSUMPTION
U.S. women continue to significantly outpace the national average in year-over-year Internet usage. 96% of U.S. women use the Internet at least once a day, whether through social media, online videos, games, or other forms of consumption. Mobile phones remain the leading Internet device among female consumers.
63% of U.S. women say gaining knowledge and being better informed is a priority when it comes to their online behavior, and 63% view online videos at least once a day.
This high Internet usage is accompanied by acute awareness of racial hate online — 58% of U.S. women feel that online racial hate is a serious problem, and 70% of Black women, 58% of Hispanic women, and 55% of AANHPI women share these concerns.
MAKING A LASTING IMPACT
As the expectations and influence of women continue to evolve, marketers must adjust strategy, tactics, and resources to meet audience needs and expectations of female consumers. Intelligence Center from My Code offers a wide variety of insights and information that can help brands create campaigns that build meaningful connections with multicultural audiences.
Download the full 2023 W Code Fact Pack to equip your team with the key data and gain a core understanding of how to effectively generate programs, strategies, and campaigns that are more likely to have an impact on female consumers.
