The Power of Marketing to Women

My brother, Sandy, is constantly searching for seminar topics that will generate significant interest from corporate culture. It's how he earns his living at Sandy Smith Seminars and the closer he is to the collective pulse of those in charge, the more successful his efforts. He recently delivered a popular workshop on working with the millennial generation at Carilion Clinics in Roanoke and now he's working on the seminar equivalent of the gorilla in the room: women and spending power.

Here are some of his bullet-point findings:

The Largest Economies on Earth

3. The American Male
2. The Nation of Japan
1. The American Female

As an Economy, the American Female makes:

• 80% of all purchasing decisions in a household
• 70% 0f women {ages 25-54} work outside the home
• In 2005 50% 0f all US businesses were owned by women
• 10.2% of women earn more than their husbands
• Sales people sell to women 81% of the time

Women over 55 are the fastest growing group on the net

• 42% of managers are women
• 80% of all checks written in the US are written by women
• Women Influence:
• 91% of new home furnishings
• 92% of vacation plans
• 80% of DIY projects
• 50% of air travelers are women

Today Women Earn:

• 55% of Undergraduate Degrees
• 53% of Masters Degrees
• 40% of PhD Degrees

Women Buy:

• 65% of all cars in the U.S. and influence 81% of car buying decisions<
• 51% of tires are bought by women
• Women constitute 40% of NFL viewing audience
• Women consume 30% of all light beer
• In 1970 women had a 1 in 27 likelihood of participating in sports, today it’s 1 in 3