Degree Type
Honors Capstone Project
Date of Submission
Spring 5-1-2013
Capstone Advisor
Prof. Kevin O’Neill
Honors Reader
Prof. Brian Sheehan
Capstone Major
Advertising
Capstone College
Public Communications
Audio/Visual Component
no
Capstone Prize Winner
no
Won Capstone Funding
no
Honors Categories
Professional
Subject Categories
Advertising and Promotion Management
Abstract
Wired Women represent a segment of the larger millennial generation that has not previously been looked at as a singular target. Previous generational spans of 15-20 have until now successfully identified people of similar tastes, behavior and experience. The increased rate of technological discovery and innovation that has taken place over the past 25 years has caused a generational divide within millennials. It is necessary that this group of 18-24 year old women be examined separately from older millennial women as well as their same-aged male cohorts.
18-24 year old women represent an opportunity for advertisers to reach a group of increasing potential however they present advertising challenges unlike young adult generations before them. In order to effectively target and reach this unique group, advertisers must understand the differences between Wired Women and other millennials. Failing to grasp the importance of this group now will most likely result in continued problems as society continues to change more rapidly then before.
In order to provide an accurate look at the lives of Wired Women and examine the difference in opinions, behaviors, and habits from others the use of raw data from sources that are able to provide the necessary sample sizes including Pew Research, Simmons OneView, the United States Census, and others was employed. Industry sources, scholarly articles and research reports also influenced and reinforced findings. The combination of data from various sources allowed for new and original conclusions about this never-before defined generation.
Three factors unique to Wired Women present advertisers with the opportunity to most effectively reach this influential target. Image is extremely important, no matter the product Wired Women seek the approval of others and do what ever it takes to maintain their image. Keeping Wired Women connected is key as well. Wired Women appreciate products and brands that promote their social desires and need for interaction. Engaging Wired Women is not always simple, but also necessary. In order to be of interest to Wired Women advertisers must capitalize on Wired Women’s desire to enjoy themselves. Advertisers must align themselves with media and events that are our interest to Wired Women in order to break through the growing clutter.
The insights found through the comparison of Wired Women to other millennial segments serve as a guide for reaching this unique group. The findings allow advertisers to better understand Wired Women and therefore allow advertisers to reach them more effectively. Wired Women are growing into a strong position of social and financial power and it is necessary for brands to relate, engage and connect with them in order to survive and grow.
Recommended Citation
David, Jessica, "Wired Women: understanding and reaching the 18-24 year old women of today" (2013). Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All. 84.
https://surface.syr.edu/honors_capstone/84
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
