About Harbinger
Harbinger is the marketing consultancy and communications company focused on women. Our broad and deep understanding of women and our proprietary processes and tools ensure we deliver the best strategic approach and strongest possible marketing programs to meet client objectives.The XX Factor: Harbinger's consumer insights that help marketers connect with women.
The departure of children from the home can leave moms experiencing a combination of relief, sadness, loneliness, along with a newfound sense of freedom and a feeling that they have a second lease on life.
While these women are commonly referred to as empty nesters, Harbinger defines them as being members of the Back to Me lifestage, which we believe more aptly describes their focus away from their family first back to their own needs. In addition to no longer having children living at home Harbinger qualifies women in this lifestage as being active members of the workforce, who are now able to enjoy two of life's greatest luxuries: time and discretionary income.
Consumers with time and money typically represent opportunity for marketers. Consider these statistics that help describe the spending potential of the Back to Me lifestage:
A typical household increases their per-person spending by an average of 51 per cent in the years after their children move out (source: Center for Retirement Research at Boston College);
Many so-called boomer women are at the peak of their earning potential. Eight in 10 say they don't plan to retire.
Connecting with women in the Back to Me lifestage, however, is not just about delivering products and services that appeal to their renewed sense of self. It requires sensitivity to the mixed emotions they are experiencing at this point in their lives and to how, why and where they prefer to learn about and discuss what marketers have to offer.
To help address this latter need, this edition of The XX Factor explores word-of-mouth among the Back to Me lifestage.
From Harbinger's Women and Word-of-Mouth study
Learn more about the research details from our news release.
Download definitions for Harbinger's six lifestages.
Topline analysis
- The Back to Me lifestage is very active spreading the word on products and services, but prefers to do so using more traditional methods and with people they know well:
- Only Career Graduates use Social Media less than women in the Back to Me lifestage. While half (51%) of women in the Back to Me lifestage are on Facebook only 2% are using it to obtain information about products or services.
- More than nine in 10 (93%) of these women say they share information or their opinions on products or services in person with family or friends.
- When researching a product or service these women are the most likely of any lifestage to go to family or friends first for opinions before going online to confirm their choice. They are among the least likely (25% vs. 36% of women overall) to share information or opinions on products or services in person with strangers or casual acquaintances.
- The Back to Me lifestage is also very active getting and spreading information and opinions within specific product categories. For example, women in this lifestage are the most likely to share information and opinions on appliances.
Back to Me Lifestage's top 5 sources for information/opinions about products and services
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Product categories the Back to Me Lifestage is most likely to research or to spread the word on
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How the Back to Me Lifestage uses technology/Social Media
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