Though women 25 to 54 respect the media as a credible source of information, they don't have a lot of time to absorb the information. So offering shorter chunks of information for women to digest likely will cut through the clutter
Ketchum Group; recommendations for marketers

A national survey reveals why marketers find it more difficult today to reach women ages 25 to 54 -- a powerful demographic group of 53 million women. The conclusion: They have much more on their minds today than five years ago as more things compete for their attention, leaving little time for commercial messages.

The survey of 1,000 Americans by Ketchum, a leading global public relations firm, found that 58 percent of women ages 25 to 54 have "much more" on their minds now than five years ago. That percentage is a startling 18 percent higher than that of the total public, 20 percent higher than men ages 25 to 54, and 35 percent higher than men in general.

Women ages 25 to 54, the survey found, are more likely to have many things competing for their attention as they juggle multiple tasks and thoughts, and also are more easily distracted. In addition, they're 70 percent more likely to report feeling pulled in different directions than are men, and 74 percent of them spend more time thinking about other's needs than their own, which is a higher percentage than other groups.

"What the survey makes very clear is that women ages 25 to 54 are 'multi-minding' today -- they're constantly physically and mentally juggling those multiple facets of their complex lives," maintains Kelley Skoloda, director of Ketchum's Global Brand Marketing Practice. "The previous term used to describe these women -- 'multitasking' -- is passe because it doesn't capture the myriad dimensions of their lives."

Skoloda is the architect of a new Ketchum program, aptly named Women 25to54, to assist marketers in reaching these multi-minding female consumers, who are a potent community of super-consumers. The first-of-its-kind, four-phase communications program identifies, creates and delivers credible messaging that connects quickly and completely to this demographic group, which controls the bulk of the $3.3 trillion in consumer spending that women in the U.S. influence today.

The survey -- conducted by the Ketchum Global Research Network and Synovate, the market research arm of communications specialist Aegis Group plc -- underscored why women 25 to 54 are more likely to report they don't often have undivided time to consume media. Sixty-two percent of this group say they have little time for such messages, with nearly two in five women 25 to 54 acknowledging they have to read or hear something more than once because they're often distracted or interrupted. That's much higher than the total public and also their male counterparts.

Underscoring how little time they have in an average day for media, the survey disclosed that, among women 25 to 54:

-- Fifty-nine percent "rarely" or "never" read a newspaper from beginning to end, compared to 52 percent for the total public and 51 percent for men ages 25 to 54.

-- Only half (51 percent) "frequently" watch a television program from start to finish, compared to 60 percent of men and 55 percent of the total public.

-- Just 47 percent frequently listen to the radio for more than 30 minutes straight versus 62 percent of their male counterparts.

-- Fifty-six percent rarely or never read a magazine from cover to cover, a percentage that, surprisingly, is nearly similar to their male counterparts (57 percent).

The survey also found that women ages 25 to 54 trust experts the most for information (27 percent), followed closely by family and friends (26 percent). And nearly one in four (23 percent) cites media reports as the most credible sources of information. Marketing, however, isn't likely to be considered credible, with direct mail (3 percent) and advertising (2 percent) at the bottom of the list.

Ketchum's Skoloda says the survey findings hold important implications for marketers:

-- Though women 25 to 54 respect the media as a credible source of information, they don't have a lot of time to absorb the information. So offering shorter chunks of information for women to digest likely will cut through the clutter.

-- Since this demographic group trust experts the most for information, tapping into experts will lend credibility to media reports, campaigns and messages.

-- While women ages 25 to 54 may not realize they're indeed multi-minding, they have less information on how to deal with all of the thoughts and concerns they juggle. -- Because these women spend a significant amount of time thinking of others, marketers likely can tap into women 25 to 54 by showing them how their products and services can help them take even better care of others, and themselves.

To assist with its new Women 25to54 offering, Ketchum has established a Women 25to54 Advisory Board. Its members review and provide counsel for major 25to54 offerings and client work, attend selected senior-level meetings, and participate in various marketing events.