Meet the Decision-Makers: Microsoft Advertising Women and Moms

It’s well-known among marketers that women influence as much as 85% of household purchases. But how many times have you seen a commercial or advertisement that misses the mark (a certain controversial auto ad from last year’s Super Bowl may come to mind…)?

Here at Microsoft Advertising, we recently pounded the pavements of our MSN, MSNBC, Windows Live, Xbox and Mobile virtual neighborhoods to find women between the ages of 18 to 64 who were ready and willing to share their opinions. Who are they? What are they thinking about? What are they shopping for? And how do they respond to advertising?

What we found is that women and moms are more than just influencers—they’re primary decision-makers across verticals. 90% of the entire sample is either the primary of shared decision-maker across all categories studied.

Here’s a quick look at our results:

Microsoft Advertising Women & Moms At-a-Glance

• 63% of women and moms in the Tech Adopter profile are primary decision-makers for all tech purchases
• 77% of women in our Entertainer profile visit at least one of Microsoft Advertising’s entertainment properties weekly (MSN Entertainment, Wonderwall, MSN Movies, MSN TV, MSN Music)
• 39% of women and moms in the Recommender profile have passed along a brand they’ve seen advertised on Microsoft Advertising sites to a friend or a family member (compare that to about 7% of the average online population, according to Nielsen’s “The Increasingly Connected Consumer: Connected Devices,” October 2010)
• 67% of the entire sample strongly prefer MSN and MSNBC to other portals as a source for news and information

What does this mean for marketers?

In Microsoft Advertising Women & Moms: The New Decision-Makers, we take a closer look at how women and moms spend time on Microsoft Advertising sites, and we share insights from the study alongside relevant marketing recommendations.

Take a look—and be sure to let us know what you think!

Thanks,

Kelly

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