CORRECTING and REPLACING Vertis Communications Unveils New Research Confirming Women of All Generations Wield Formidable Purchasing Power

Women are Universally Edging Out Men in Most Shopping Categories, but Not All Female “Chief Shoppers” Are Created Equal

BALTIMORE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Please replace the release with the following corrected version due to revised second chart ("Assisted With Purchase").

“As marketers continue their shift to utilize the newest technologies, it’s important to remember that Boomer women are the most open to new opportunities, have money to spend, and more time to spend it. Marketers who want to remain competitive in this environment must take these generational differences into account.”

The corrected release reads:

VERTIS COMMUNICATIONS UNVEILS NEW RESEARCH CONFIRMING WOMEN OF ALL GENERATIONS WIELD FORMIDABLE PURCHASING POWER

Women are Universally Edging Out Men in Most Shopping Categories, but Not All Female “Chief Shoppers” Are Created Equal

Vertis Communications, a results-driven marketing communications company that delivers inventive advertising, direct marketing and interactive solutions to prominent brands across North America, today released power2thewomen2.0: the Shopping Trend Revolution Continues, a proprietary white paper on the buying power of women. The piece explores the similarities and differences in the shopping behaviors of Gen X, Gen Y and Baby Boomer women and the media channels that influence their buying decisions.

The findings were gathered using Vertis Communications’ proprietary Customer Focus® Research, a quantitative annual survey of 2,500 adults, supplemented by information from leading external resources including comScore, Nielsen Wire, Forrester Research and the Pew Research Center. Results show that women wield formidable purchasing power, controlling approximately $5 trillion in spending annually, and while they share in the ownership of many retail and marketing channels, they differ in how they interact with and respond to those channels.

Key findings from the research include:

• Gen X/Y shoppers are more likely to shop for value, are less brand-loyal than their older counterparts and are more likely to purchase store-brands and generic products.
• Gen X/Y women do not watch the most television, but cite it as being the most influential in their purchasing decisions.
• Boomers watch the most television, but they say advertising inserts are the most influential.
• Younger women utilize direct mail more than Boomer women for either in-store or online purchases.
• While Gen X/Y women are online more than Boomer women, both generations do online shopping research at about the same rate, with only a seven point difference between them.

“These findings are significant for marketers who are trying to tap into the extraordinary buying power of women, because they shine a light on how females are taking over the primary purchasing decisions for items typically handled by male shoppers and reveal important differences between generations that are often overlooked,” said Janet Tonner, Director of Research & Analytics at Vertis. “As marketers continue their shift to utilize the newest technologies, it’s important to remember that Boomer women are the most open to new opportunities, have money to spend, and more time to spend it. Marketers who want to remain competitive in this environment must take these generational differences into account.”

Tonner will speak in-depth about the research findings at the Direct Marketing Association of Washington’s 2011 Bridge Conference on Thursday, July 21. More information can be found here.

Additional findings of the power2thewomen2.0 paper include:

Messages Women Respond To
	Gen X/Y Women	Women Boomers
Coupons	83%	78%
Buy one get one free	78%	75%
Percent off	73%	62%
Discount off single item	71%	67%
Gift card	67%	60%
Gift with purchase	42%	42%
Grand opening	39%	41%
Everyday lowest price	38%	38%
Loyalty card offer	35%	24%
Event invitation	24%	23%
Consumer tips	22%	28%

Assisted With Purchase
	Gen X/Y Women	Women Boomers
Print coupons or printouts of online email coupons	56%	45%
Ad insert/circular	42%	52%
A direct mail piece	34%	32%
A newspaper ad	27%	40%
Website printout	20%	17%
Catalog	12%	15%
Your mobile device to show coupons	10%	5%

Also included in the white paper are findings from the Research Institute on Social Change (RISC), Vertis’ annual study tracking consumer attitudes. RISC examines the socio-cultural traits of U.S. consumers and maps individuals along axes related to responsibility, stability, enjoyment and exploration. Much like the Vertis Consumer Focus® Research on women shoppers, RISC revealed significant generational differences in attitudes among female consumers. For example, as Gen X women struggle to balance employment, parenting and caring for aging parents, they are likely to be resistant to change. Their need for stability, however, should not be equated with brand loyalty. For these women, a desire for flexibility and convenience from service providers and products is acute. In contrast to Gen X, Boomer women are more open to change and welcome new opportunities.

“Digging beyond demographics into attitudinal modeling, as we do with RISC, allows us to create personas which can be used to develop personalized, strategic marketing plans,” added Tonner. “In the case of female shoppers, the insights we have gained from RISC help us understand these generational groups and develop marketing strategies that are more likely to resonate.”

For the complete power2thewomen2.0: the Shopping Trend Revolution Continues white paper or more information on Vertis Consumer Focus® Research or RISC, please contact Jessica Vastyan with Stanton Communications at 202-223-4933 or [e-mail].

About Vertis Communications

Vertis Communications is a results-driven marketing communications company that delivers inventive advertising, direct marketing and interactive solutions to prominent brands across North America. Our deep industry knowledge and extensive range of offerings—including integrated data solutions, digital program management systems, creative services, world-class print and mail production, logistics, out-of-home and business process outsourcing—are used to deliver superior program performance that drives bottom line results for our clients. With 100 strategically positioned locations and more than 5,000 dedicated professionals, we deliver impeccable quality and fast turn-around to any market. For more information, visit www.vertisinc.com.

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