9/20/13
Women are more likely than men to describe themselves in a wide range of positive terms, including trustworthy, kind, helpful, practical, intelligent, smart, and independent, according to FleishmanHillard and Hearst Magazines. Women and men are about equally likely to consider themselves ambitious (though only about a quarter of each say so), realistic, decisive, and successful.
Gen Y women (70%) are more likely than Gen X (63%) or boomer women (57%) to describe themselves as “smart.” Just over half of Gen Y men (54%) and Gen X men (55%) describe themselves as “smart”-representing a significant gender gap within these generations. Boomer men and women are equally likely to describe themselves as “smart.”
Gen Y men are more likely than Gen Y women to be very or extremely satisfied with their careers (54% vs. 35%), while Gen X men (29%) are slightly less likely than Gen X women (36%) to be this satisfied with their careers. There is little gap between boomer men (46%) and women (49%) in this regard.
Shopping Habits
Both men and women (91% of each) agree that getting good value for money is more important than finding the very lowest price, but women are more likely than men to wait for items to go on sale before buying (84% vs. 74%).
Nearly all women (98%) and 92% of men take pride in making smart purchase decisions. Nine in 10 women (92%) and 86% of men believe they’re smarter shoppers than ever before.
Shoppers’ emphasis on getting the lowest price varies according to category and, in some cases, by gender. Women place a stronger emphasis than men do on getting low prices when shopping for household appliances, groceries and household supplies, and home furnishings. Men are more concerned than women are with getting the best price on financial services.
Nearly three-quarters of women (74%) prefer to spend money on experiences rather than material possessions, compared with 65% of men who feel this way. Men (54%) are more likely than women (47%) to say they’re worse off financially now than they were before the recession. Men are more likely than women to stick with the brands they grew up with (60% vs. 45%) and to say they prefer luxury brands in many categories (38% vs. 28%).
More than a third of men (37%) and nearly half of Gen Y men (49%) think all brands are largely the same, compared to 32% of women who agree with this idea. When asked which factors, apart from price, are most important when choosing brands, both men and women consider reliability most important. Women are more concerned than men are with the quality of a brand’s customer service, how well it treats employees, its environmental practices, and loyalty or rewards programs. Men are more likely than women to be swayed by a brand’s reputation for innovation.
SOURCE: “Women, Power & Money, Wave 5: A Study of Women’s Lives, Lifestyles, and Marketplace Impact,” July 2013, FleishmanHillard and Hearst Magazines. FleishmanHillard, Lisa Dimino, SVP & Senior Partner, 200 N. Broadway, St. Louis, MO 63102; 314-982-1700; www.fleishmanhillard.com. Price: available online at no charge.
Hearst Magazines, Marlene Greenfield, VP & Executive Director Research, 300 W. 57th St., New York, NY 10019, 212-649-4401, mgreenfield@hearst.com, www.hearst.com.
© 2013 Business Valuation Resources, LLC (BVR). May not be reproduced without written consent of publisher.