TV in the Bedroom More Important to Boomer Women Than Regular Sex, Continuum Crew Survey Finds
Ten years ago when we were more focused on the WWII cohort as the senior consumer, we made many assumptions in our targeting about who led the decisions in a household and who influenced decisions, and therefore how to talk with those consumers. In most categories, we were targeting a male head of household with influence from his wife. We have seen a shift as the financial power of Boomer women has grown—they have something their foremothers didn’t have—access to education, opportunities and careers. The balance of household power is shifting and with this survey we wanted to understand if couples are really shopping for big–ticket items together or acting as individual consumers, particularly as electronics have become more personal, and how and what couples will spend individually without consulting their spouse.
Among the findings are that Boomers report independent purchase behavior, many mature consumers self–identify as being tech–savvy, and Boomer women report the important role technology plays in their lives.
The reports for this research are available for download on this blog, under the ‘Resources’ column on the left. These documents are:
Research Slides – Mature Consumers & Personal Tech/Consumer Electronics
Fact Sheet–Research Highlights – Mature Consumers & Personal Tech/Consumer Electronics
An important implication for marketers is that men and women are likely to respond differently to consumer electronics and personal tech device product advertising. While men may be early adopters and have a lot of interest in product features, women are much more likely to care about the product benefits and the way those benefits are conveyed. Women need to understand more explicitly how a technology product will make their life better or easier. The supposition, although it stills warrants further testing, is that once that product becomes integral to their lives, women are more reliant on it and may be more inclined to upgrade or remain loyal. The difference in use and importance of technology in older consumers’ lives has valuable marketing implications. When coupled with the willingness to make separate purchase decisions this information enables marketers to create a powerful sales model for their target consumer.