Says Mike Luscombe, CEO of The SpaceStation: "The secret of successful campaigns is research, planning and a solid understanding of who your audience is. The Female Nation Survey has done wonders in helping us guide our clients in terms of who they need to be speaking to, refining their messaging and identifying the content areas that resonate best with their chosen target audience."
The survey ran on all the 24.com websites and a total of 5 304 completed surveys were received,and this raw data was analysed by imagineNATION Alliance.
When the data was crunched there were three specific factors that separated the respondents - age, life-stage and attitudes to the Internet. These factors, plus the interplay between the demographics, behaviours and usage, and attitudes of the respondents allowed the team to build five archetypes. These archetypes were: The Socialite, The Seeker, The Wired Woman, The Organiser and The Conservative.
The Socialite:
The Socialite has grown up with the Internet and uses itin all spheres of her life - to bank, to shop, and to stay in touch with friends and acquaintances. She is often a blogger. She is social media savvy and uses the Internet to keep up to date with the latest news, events and fashions. She is young (18 - 30) and is a first time worker earning less than R10 000 a month. She has no children.
The Seeker:
The Seeker has children. Sheis less entrenched in the Internet perhaps due to time constraints and she seldom accesses the Internet from home - she tends to go online at work or on her phone. She is active in online discussions (53%) and seeks expert advice (66%) more than any other group, possibly due to being a parent. She uses online banking and makes purchases, but not at the same level as her counterparts. She spends more time catching up on emails than on social media sites. She is also young (18 - 30), she has one or more children and works full-time. She earns between R5000 and R15 000 a month.
The Wired Woman:
The Wired Woman is a stereotypical middle-aged working mom. She uses the Internet in a very practical manner, spending less time on social media sites and more time using functional tools like online purchasing, banking and emailing. She uses the Internet to make her busy life, easier and more efficient. She is very open to engaging with brands online, clicks on adverts and enters most competitions. She accesses the Internet from home and her phone.
The Organiser:
The Organiser accesses the Internet at work and uses it to make purchases and do her banking. She spends a lot of time on email and is engaged in social media as a way to network and keep in touch with friends. As a businesswoman with a tight schedule, the Internet is her way of keeping up to date with the latest news and trends. She is a middle-aged career driven woman with no kids. She is the highest earning archetype and she earns more than R25 000 a month.
The Conservative:
The Conservative accesses the Internet mostly from work, sometimes from home, and very seldom from her mobile phone. She is the least engaged with social media out of all the archetypes. She uses it, but is more likely to check her email once a day, than regularly check or update Facebook. She is relatively comfortable online, but has only reallybeen engaged online through email at work, or through pressure from her kids or friends as a means of staying in touch. She is middle-aged and works full-time.
"The Female Nation Survey archetypes are going to go a long way in helping advertisers and media planners better understand who 24.com's female users are, what their Internet habits are and how their Internet needs can best be met," says Sam Wilson, Editor In Chief (Women24, Food24, Parent24), 24.com.
