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New Study of 1,000 Women Finds While Facebook a Fave, 75 Percent Uninfluenced by Social Networking Channels to Purchase

Posted on: Tuesday, 1 September 2009, 08:48 CDT

CHICAGO, Sept. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- ad:tech Chicago and Q Interactive's "Women Channel" recently conducted a comprehensive study, "Women & Brands Online: 'The Digital Disconnect' Emerges." The report, which will be fully unveiled at ad:tech Chicago on Wednesday, September 2, investigates the digital lives of women and how brands are a part of that world. One core finding centers on women's interaction with social media. While exceptionally engaged, they are overwhelmingly uninfluenced, and often "turned off," by brands in this space.

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"There lives a growing impetus for marketers - especially those working with Fortune 500 CPG brands who enjoy a majority female customer base, to build a better connection with women in the dynamic social media landscape," said Matt Wise, President, Q Interactive. "We know women are social creatures and highly active in mediums like Facebook, where they now outnumber men. Yet, we found, they are virtually uninfluenced - and sometimes put off - by brands in channels that are a routine part of their day."

The study of more than 1,000 women across age, geography and households found:

• 75 percent of women are "more active" in social networking than last year
• More than half (54 percent) visit social networking sites at least once per day
• Yet, 75 percent share that social networking sites "not really" or "not at all" influence what they buy
  

"While brands seem to have such small influence within this space, which is relatively new territory for marketers, over half of the women surveyed have 'befriended' or 'become a fan of' at least one brand. This tells us there is a willingness among women to partner with brands in social media - but the current dialogue is not where it needs to be," said Drew Ianni, Chairman, Programming for ad:tech Expositions. "The challenge becomes finding a meaningful, appreciated and successful presence and partnership."

The study found:

• 52 percent of women surveyed have "befriended" or "become a fan of" at least one brand
• 83 percent feel "neutral" or "negative" when they see a brand on a social networking site
• 10 percent of women engage in product / brand-related activities ("get product information, including coupons and savings" and "writing reviews about products") most on social networking sites - above common activities like "send private messages to friends" and "share photos"
  

The complete study findings will be presented at ad:tech Chicago (www.ad-tech.com) by Wise and Jonathan Ashton, Managing Partner, Agency.com - Chicago.

"Having analyzed feedback on such topics as coupon use and shopping 'research,' value and price, branded newsletters, brand favorability across the digital space, and more, the study unearthed 'The Digital Disconnect,'" said Ashton. "We're looking at a significant gap in the dialogue between women and brands online that needs to be overcome."

About Q Interactive's "Women's Channel," CoolSavings.com, & Q Interactive

Q Interactive's "Women's Channel" is a pioneer in starting an online dialogue between leading brands and their ideal women customers. The network's success is attributed to both its long standing partnerships with top branded Web properties including iVillage, All Recipes, BabyCenter and CoolSavings.com, as well as its ability to find targeted women. The Channel locates highly engaged women on the sites they visit for shopping, community and trusted advice.

This includes CoolSavings.com (www.CoolSavings.com) - one of the Internet's leading consumer saving destination sites, owned by Q Interactive. A one-stop shopping site, CoolSavings.com helps consumers save time and money on purchases through printable grocery coupons, online coupons, free shipping offers, free samples, comparison shopping features, and more.

Q Interactive (www.qinteractive.com) is a performance-driven advertising network specializing in predictive behavioral targeting, the most advanced targeting online today. This cutting edge targeting cost-effectively acquires customers for advertisers and agencies, and maximizes advertising revenue for publishers. Every year more than 1,000 leading brands rely on Q Interactive's consultative service to generate quality results, including nearly half of the nation's top 100 advertisers as ranked by Advertising Age, such as Procter & Gamble, PepsiCo, Johnson & Johnson and Glaxo Smith Kline.

About ad:tech

ad:tech Chicago (www.ad-tech.com) is Tuesday and Wednesday, September 1 - 2, at Chicago's Navy Pier.

For more than ten years, ad:tech has provided media, marketing and technology professionals with the tools and techniques they need to succeed in a changing digital world. With 10 shows in 7 countries, ad:tech's globally respected roster of speakers, workshops and exhibitors continues to make it the preferred resource and destination for digital marketers everywhere.

About Agency.com

Agency.com (www.agency.com) is a global network of 11 offices and 500 interactivists, and is a part of the TBWA\ arm of Omnicom Group, the Cannes Lions "Network of the Year" and The Gunn Report's "Most Awarded Agency Network in the World." Agency.com is a strategically focused, full service digital agency, helping some of the world's largest brands create and join the dots in their customers' journeys with digitally led ideas.

As a comprehensive digital marketing agency, Agency.com offers a complete mix of disciplines from creative and strategy to design and production, online advertising to web build, emerging and social media, search, mobile and all things interactive. Clients include: Apple, BA, BT, Cannon, Dulux, eBay, Electrolux, Energizer, HP, Ikea, LG, Mars, Nike, Sears, and T-Mobile.

SOURCE Q Interactive

Source: PR Newswire

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