RoperASW Looks for Women's Funny Bone

RoperASW has been commissioned to conduct an annual, in-depth research program into the motivating forces in women's lives, on behalf of Oxygen Media and with the support of strategic media planners and buyers MediaCom. The study will probe the unique wants, needs, and motivations of America's female consumers.

Oxygen Media is an independently owned 24-hour cable television network which delivers the youngest audience of all the women's networks. Each year 'Women's Watch' will focus on one major motivating force in women's lives, such as humor, intimacy, or empowerment, with the goal of providing advertisers with actionable insights into how to effectively reach women.

In its first year the topic is humor. 'Women's Watch on Humor' will look at what makes the female consumer laugh, what doesn't, how that differs from men, how it breaks out by age group and under what circumstances humor can make advertising more - or less - effective among women. The results will be made public in early spring of 2004.

Qualitative research is taking place in four cities with equal number of groups of men and groups of women talking about humor in life, TV, and in advertising. In addition, a quantitative online survey will be completed with 2,000 women and 500 men, all 18+ years old pre-recruited from a Roper panel.

According to Geraldine Laybourne, Chairman and CEO, Oxygen Media, 'We believe there's a common misperception in the world that men are the funnier sex. We think this study is going to bust that myth - and find that women are funny - but in a different way than men. Our goal is to find out just what tickles their funny bone'.

Ed Keller, CEO of RoperASW, says the company has a very long tradition of monitoring the changing role of women in society and the marketplace. 'We're delighted to be continuing that tradition with Oxygen and MediaCom. Our research about advertising effectiveness has long showed the value of well-targeted humor in attracting and holding audience attention. So we feel this topic, for the inaugural 'Women's Watch' study is particularly important'.

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas unless otherwise stated.

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