Courtesy of Advertising Age this week, we learn that 2007 was the year that women tipped the scale to compose more than 50% of online users. What are they doing online?
- Shopping: travel, clothing, health & beauty products, financial products, and food. Women 45 to 54 were much more likely than men to make impulse purchases online when given limited-time offers or extra free items.
- Gaming: women are more likely to pay for play.
- Viewing video: news, movies previews, and music videos.
- Parenting: more than 43 million moms go online daily and spend an average of 85 minutes there.
- Socializing: women 25-34, with a college degree are more often to search for local dining and entertainment information, use instant messaging, visit social-networking sites, read blogs, and download music.
- Dating: when dating online, they lie about weight more often than any other attribute.
- Staying healthy: almost 84% of all women sought healthcare information online.
With the rising costs of healthcare and fewer companies covering insurance costs, consumers are increasingly interested in wellness information. Staying well, means staying away from doctors, which means saving money. Healthcare-associated brands are recognizing this need for health and wellness information and they are finding ways to become the consumer resource for this information. The newest “brand” to jump on this bandwagon is the Lance Armstrong Foundation. The Wall Street Journal today reported that “the Lance Armstrong Foundation, which spends about $40 million a year on health programs and cancer research, is teaming up with Web-site operator Demand Media Inc. to launch a health-and-wellness We site funded by advertising. The site, called ‘livestrong.com,’ is expected to go live this year.”
The Armstrong Foundation “felt that launching a for-profit site would increase awareness about the foundation and promote its core mission of helping people with cancer…Like Mr. Armstrong’s foundation, more philanthropies are linking up with for-profit companies to raise cash and elevate their profiles.”
“The Armstrong Foundation says it will work with Demand Media to build a Web destination for people who want to count calories, track workouts or connect with other people trying to keep fit. Mr. Armstrong, now retired from competitive cycling but still an avid athlete, will contribute content to the site.”
