Womens Space 2

According to IPC’s Origin Panel Women’s Space research, the number of UK women regularly using social networking sites has grown by 53% in the last 12 months.

Women’s Space explores women’s use of the internet and where they are on their online journey. The second wave looks at how this has moved on a year later; how women’s use of the web is changing and the best way to target them online.

Two-thirds of women cite social networking as one of their regular online activities, up from 44% in 2007. Looking at the top 10 activities women regularly do online, only buying goods and managing finances saw a year-on-year increase.

In addition to looking at women’s online activities, Women’s Space 2 covers the following areas:

• How, where and when women access the internet
• Their confidence and proficiency online
• How women use the internet in different ways
• Online activities
• Drivers of usage online
• Social media
• Research and purchasing online

Women’s Space 2 has identified six core groups of women online, distinctive in their attitudes towards the web. Two groups remain from the 2007 segmentation, albeit with differences.

• Miss Fanatical (15%) – Very experienced online users, who have become more selective with what they pay attention to online.

• Miss Duress (22%) – Still struggling to build experience and confidence online, and as a result is feeling more insecure about the web.

• Mrs Productive (14%) – Uses the internet to get practical tasks done and make her life more efficient.

• Ms Focused (18%) – Goes online with a clear purpose, for leisure activities and functional tasks.

• Ms Dynamic (13%) – Very enthusiastic and experienced internet user who is receptive to all things online, including advertising.

• Mrs Endeavour (18%) – Inexperienced online, but enjoys using the internet and is keen to know more, however is time poor.

Advertisers need to keep these groups in mind when looking to target women online, as marketing messages will need to be tailored accordingly.

IPC’s Origin Panel is a major rolling programme of research accessing a nationally representative sample of 7,500 women.

Qualitative video footage and analysis is being added to Women’s Space 2 findings in March 2009. For more information on Women’s Space: Live (the qual project), the above or the 2007 research) please contact:

Louise Osilaja, Insight Manager 0203 148 3635 louise_Osilaja@ipcmedia.com
Amanda Wigginton, Director of Insight 0203 148 3636 amanda_wigginton@ipcmedia.com