Food Marketing to Women Under Age 40: Healthy & Efficient Design

With today's hectic lifestyles, many women are struggling to find balance in their diet and nutrition. For some women, the busy aspects of the day often give way to consumption of fast food, grazing on snacks and avoiding healthy food choices. Understanding these dynamics, food advertisers must take a new approach in marketing to women in specific age groups.

Women under age 40 are believed to be the most ethnically, culturally and economically diverse demographic. When compared to women of prior generations, this demographic of women make the majority of food selections based on marketing and advertising products. Managing culture, taste preference, nutrition, and catering to a specific social status, many food advertisers find there is a need for a variety of marketing campaigns when focused to this female population under age 40.

For many women under age 40, without regard to ethnicity, culture or social status, there is a general focus upon food selections that are deemed low fat, healthy and foods that will encourage proper weight management. However, with this need for specific food selections, these same women also require services that are quick, easy, and require minimal work or effort. In addition to healthy and quick, women are also attracted to specific brands and commonly report they are loyal to one or two brands, changing only when there is a health benefit and even when labeling presentation is appealing.

While there are some cultural or ethnic issues associated with food choices, most women would choose food that is appealing, quick, healthy and inexpensive before considering religious, ethnic or cultural compliance. In recent years, however, there has been a growing change among some women with a focus on choosing foods that are considered environmentally friendly. For some women, this may mean changing to a vegetarian diet while for others it simply means choosing whole foods or organic foods.