Quick. If you had to come up with the way quote unquote singles were depicted in ad campaigns, would you say: singles are in their early 20s, city-livers, hip dressers, thin, concerned with their hair style/color and wearing the latest clothing styles, all the while working serious careers - but also hanging out at bars nightly and in the gym early mornings? As the saying goes: think again.


Instead, as reported by Packaged Facts, the publishing division of MarketResearch.com, half of all U.S. households are headed by unmarried adults, 43% of all singles are 45 and older, and nearly two-thirds of single women are 35 or older. These more "mature" single women view their lifestyle as a choice and not a sign of failure, and prefer to see themselves portrayed (in ad campaigns, for example) with friends or family, doing anything but pining away at home alone or in some sad, dark bar.
A few key points from the Packaged Facts report that jumped out at me (being both a marketing type and a 40+ year old single woman):
* After married couples (who make up 61% of home buyers), single women are the next largest group (22%), accounting for nearly a quarter of all homes sold in the United States in 2006. By comparison, single men buy only 9% of homes.
* Especially in cities, single women look for safe, well-established neighborhoods while single men want plenty of space "for their toys" (according to Rosy Wansor, a ReMax agent interviewed for the report).
* Women, both single and married are more likely to do yoga (9% each of single and married women, versus 5% of single and 3% of married men). Men (single and married) are more likely to participate in weight training.
* Single women are more likely than married women to favor sports with a social component (inline skating, martial arts, volleyball) and are also more drawn to outdoor/extreme sports such as rock climbing, snowboarding, and surfing, etc.
One more of the many insights in the report: Most marketing to childless singles focuses on 18 - 24 year olds, but the vast majority of childless singles who live alone are older than 35.
Hmmm. Who knew? I sure did. If you need a reality check on today's single woman and how to reach her, read this report and/or just get in touch with me.
P.S. There is a great quick-look at the report's contents in a MediaPost article, as well.