Decoding Her !New Normal:!Emerging From the Recession

The Man-cession

NY Times, Economix Blog, 10.09

10%

1990 1970

35%

0.34%

2008

Yet, women reported more stress

78 83

Money

75 83

The Economy

55 57

Job Stability

58 66

Housing Costs

63 70

Health

$

Women Men

American Psychological Association, 2008

Fast Forward Four Years

June 2011 May 2009

-218,000 Jobs

+768,000 Jobs

Pew Research Center Analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics

Gallup Economy

It’s a good time to find !a quality job

9%

15%

“Stress over money and the economy is taking an emotional and physical toll on America, especially among women. If Americans continue to experience these high levels of stress for prolonged periods of time, they are at risk for developing serious illnesses.” ! - Psychologist Katherine Nordal, Ph.D.

American Psychological Association

We wondered…!How are women coping?

METHODOLOGY

Three Core Coping Mindsets Emerged

12

“I focus on the things that I do control and like about my life to make the other stuff not as bad.”

DRIVERS: •Economic, political and

environmental instability •Overcrowded life •Wearing too many hats

VALUES: •Simplicity •Efficiency •Harmony •Positivity

13

KEY INSIGHTS 1. Employs the oxygen mask rule 2. Caches an arsenal of tech 3. Weaves safety nets 4. Seeks an edited life 5. Master of her spaces

14

“Getting the right amount of sleep can make all the difference in how you start your day…working out gets the stress out.”

1.EMPLOYS THE OXYGEN MASK RULE She tells us a sense of control in her relationships with family, friends and romantic partner is MOST important Yet, the No.1 way she seeks to gain more control in her life is by taking better care of herself

15

“Rather than sweeping, mopping, and vacuuming each day with young ones around, we found this handy helper to take care of the floors for us. Awesome control of a regular stressor, as I am pretty anal about clean floors.”

2. CACHES AN ARSENAL OF TECH!Smartphones, iPads, planning apps, alarms, Hulu and a plethora of other technologies are light sabers in the fight for control

16

“I am making more of an effort to budget ahead of time to create a savings plan for life's little emergencies” “I tend to deal with the stress of money by making financial plans…I include things that we want and I order/rank them by importance and assign a dollar amount to each”

3.WEAVES SAFETY NETS She feels the least in control of her financial life and exhibits behaviors of actively working against that through careful planning and eliminating debt

17

I decide what I want before I go shopping (136) When shopping, I get what I need and leave (138)

4.SEEKS AN EDITED LIFE She is putting her foot down on over-cluttered shopping lists and schedules

“I just can't say yes to everything.” “I created a spreadsheet weekly schedule … we try not to commit to too many extra things like parties or activities.”

18

“When things start to feel out of control, I often take some time to get organized and refocused.”

5.MASTER OF HER SPACES The battle fields of the anxiety war have become the living room, the desk and even the fridge

“Surprisingly, when I’m stressed, organizing the refrigerator really takes my mind off of things. And makes it easier to find things.”

Streamline the retail experience

Provide budgeting and planning tools

Make researching easy online

HOW WE CAN CONNECT WITH HER

Demonstrate that we ‘get it’

Provide product benefits as they relate to helping her help herself

22

“I cope with change by relying on the support of family because it reminds me that I'm not alone in my situation.”

DRIVERS: •Choice and information overload •Uncertain outlook •Seeking realness

VALUES: •Trust •Authenticity •Intimacy •Familiarity

23

KEY INSIGHTS 1. For better or worse 2. Renewed respect for experience 3. Whittle my options 4. Brands as BFFs 5. Gotta have faith

24

“I seek out wise counsel from my husband, who will tell me what is best for me and not what I want to hear”

1.FOR BETTER OR WORSE In worse times, we see her clinging to her bond with her partner

56%

44%

42%

27%

23%

20%

17%

9%

4%

2%

1%

My spouse

My mom

Friends I know well

My dad

Online reviewers of products

A sibling

Experts

Co-workers

The media

Bloggers

Friends I know through social media

Whose opinion do you trust the most often when it comes to making important purchase decisions?

25

56%

44%

42%

27%

23%

20%

17%

9%

4%

2%

1%

My spouse

My mom

Friends I know well

My dad

Online reviewers of products

A sibling

Experts

Co-workers

The media

Bloggers

Friends I know through social media

Whose opinion do you trust the most often when it comes to making important purchase decisions?

2.RENEWED RESPECT FOR EXPERIENCE She seeks wise counsel based on experience

“I’ve been speaking with the older generation for advice from their experiences during the Depression and WWII”

26

What do you seek their advice about and why do you trust them?

3.WHITTLE MY OPTIONS She reaches out to her circle in the face of choice and information overload

27

4.BRANDS AS BFFs Brands she trusts play anthropomorphic roles of friends in her life

I always look for my favorite brands first (155) I like to follow my favorite brands on social sites (200)

28

“We need that feeling of community. It's why we go to

church in general ... or why we are involved in any sort of group or organization ... to feel a part of

something with others.”

5.GOTTA HAVE FAITH Her spiritual life provides a significant amount of meaning and stress relief Important to attend religious services (166) My faith is really important to me (156)

Engage influencers she respects

Provide strong customer service, knowledgeable staff

Give her a strong brand community

HOW WE CAN CONNECT WITH HER

Provide easy “sharing” functionality so she can quickly sift opinions

Acknowledge her circle of influence and bust stereotypes

31

“Being able to escape from the harsh realities that some change brings can help calm my stress levels and keep me sane.”

DRIVERS: •An overwhelming present and future •Emotional self-reliance

VALUES: •Fun •Spontaneity •Release •Realism

32

KEY INSIGHTS 1. The new getaways 2. Mind vacations 3. An escape a day keeps the demons away

4. Going solo 5. Mini-indulging

33

1.THE NEW GETAWAYS “Vacation” is taking on new forms – from a trip to the grocery store, to the resurgence of the long weekend, to the act of dreaming and planning as the vacation itself I'd rather take 2-3 short trips than one long trip (163)

“Going to sit in the sun for a bit.”

“After a long shift it's so nice to unwind by shopping at night...I get to peruse the aisles in peace, plus I get to chit-chat w/the other nighttime regulars and the overnight shifters (who I affectionately refer to as my buddies )”

34

Through television

Through reading

Through exercise

Through music

Through friends

Through food

Through movies

Through sleep

Through online gaming

Through alcohol

Through social media

25%

15%

10%

9%

7%

7%

6%

5%

4%

4%

2%

What is the No.1 way by which you seek escape?

2.MIND VACATIONS Being transported through fantasy entertainment plays a crucial coping role in her life

“Part of what makes cleaning during nap time "my" time is listening to 90s pop music and reminiscing about high school.”

35

Several times a day

Once a day

Weekly

Monthly

Yearly

19%

38%

29%

16%

0.4%

How often do you seek escape?

3.AN ESCAPE A DAY KEEPS THE DEMONS AWAY Escaping is no longer a “treat” – it is a daily imperative

“Thursday quiet moment in an empty conference room.”

37

4.GOING SOLO Escape Artists seek pockets of alone-time in their daily lives

“Since Jason had to work, we were home from date night by 9 p.m. After he left, I watched two episodes of Mistresses by myself.”

“More time for myself is what will help me most to cope”

38

5.MINI-INDULGING Once reserved for the special and the splurge, micro-indulges are being discovered and celebrated in everyday routines

“Taking a quick breakfast break

at my desk.”

I often buy clothes I don't really need (169) I like to indulge my kids with little extras (147) There's nothing wrong with indulging in fattening foods (214)

Engage her through wit and humor

Drive spontaneous purchases with sales and promotions in-aisle, end-caps

Intercept her in-book and online as she dreams and shops

HOW WE CAN CONNECT WITH HER

Arm her with creative social tools and interactive games

Make your brand omnipresent in all the right virtual escapist spaces

40

How is your target coping and how can your brand help?

CREATIVE CONTROLLER

CONNECTION CRAVER ESCAPE ARTIST

Drivers Economic, political, and environmental instability Over-crowded life Wearing too many hats

Choice and information overload Uncertain outlook Seeking realness

An overwhelming present and future Emotional self-reliance

Values Simplicity Efficiency Harmony Positivity

Trust Authenticity Intimacy Familiarity

Fun Spontaneity Release Realism

Insights Employs the oxygen mask rule Caches an arsenal of tech Weaves safety-nets Seeks an edited life Master of her spaces

For better or worse Whittle my options Renewed respect for experience Gotta have faith Brands as BFFs

The new get-aways Mind vacations An escape a day keeps the demons away Going solo Mini-indulging