Affluent Women Dramatically ‘Multiply’ Major Purchases with Word-of-Mouth

Marketing Charts, October 22, 2008 — A new subset of affluent women dubbed “Marketing Multipliers” spends twice as much as other affluent women on consumer electronics and fashion, and uses dramatically more online and offline word-of-mouth to drive increased purchases, according to a study from the New York Times Company.

Based on qualitative interviews and a survey of more than 3,000 women with household incomes of at least $100K, the research identifies a combination of extensive social networks, past recommending behavior and personality traits that differentiate influential Marketing Multipliers from other affluent women.

“In a time of tight marketing budgets and an increased focus on return, this study provides advertisers a much better understanding of consumers who are powerful catalysts for purchase behavior and brand influence,” said Denise Warren, SVP and chief advertising officer, The New York Times Media Group. “The Marketing Multipliers research will help advertisers effectively reach and communicate with this key group of customers.”