Home of the SWANK - Frank About Women

FRANK ABOUT WOMEN > HOME OF THE SWANK
Home of the
SWANK
August 2015
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FRANK ABOUT WOMEN > HOME OF THE SWANK
TABLE OF
contents
PREVIOUS REPORT:
1
Introduction
2
The Life and Times of a SWANK Homeowner
IN THIS REPORT:
3
The Great Outdoors
COMING SOON:
4 Healthy Home
5
Dudes and Their Homes
6
Smarter Homes
7
Mom as Homeowner
INTRODUCTION
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FRANK ABOUT WOMEN > HOME OF THE SWANK
A BRIEF
look ahead
In our last report, we introduced you to today’s “SWANK” – SINGLE WOMAN,
AFFLUENT, NO KIDS. Homeowner and gave you insight on how she approaches
home ownership, as well as how her shopping experiences differ from those of
Single Men Homeowners and Family Women Homeowners. In this report, we’ll
take a deeper look at Swanks in the outdoor living space. But first, let’s revisit
the Swank.
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INTRODUCTION
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FRANK ABOUT WOMEN > HOME OF THE SWANK
HOME AND
the single woman
Over the past several years, single women have become a significant force in
home buying. In fact, they have consistently outpaced single men when it comes
to purchasing homes — about twice as many single women have bought homes
compared to single men since 2001. While much has been made about the
number of single women buying homes, little has been said about how these
women behave after they’ve bought the home. So we here at Frank About Women
decided it was time to investigate this important segment. Because we believe
that single women will enjoy and improve their homes differently — and marketers
across a huge range of categories will need to rethink how they connect with this
critical consumer audience.
Meet the
SWANK
So who is the single woman homeowner? Though single women homeowners
represent a hugely diverse spectrum of ages, life stages and socioeconomic levels,
today we’re looking at Swanks. Think of the Swank as post-Sex in the City; instead
of focusing her emotional energy on the quest for marriage, she owns her singlehood
and the freedom it affords her. She’s highly educated, has a higher income, lives
alone and has plenty of disposable income to spend as she likes.
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INTRODUCTION
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FRANK ABOUT WOMEN > HOME OF THE SWANK
OUR
methodology
To get a closer look at Swank homeowners and how
they may feel, think, act and shop differently than their
counterparts, we fielded a proprietary survey among 600
recent homebuyers. All our respondents had purchased
a home within the past two years, all were aged
24–49 and all had a household income of $75,000 or
higher. For the purposes of comparison, we divided the
respondents into the following unique segments:
600
recent
homebuyers
THE SWANK: She’s a single homeowner in the
purest sense — regardless of marital history or
relationship status, she’s currently living alone and
purchased the home for herself.
THE SINGLE MAN: This is the male counterpart
THE FAMILY WOMAN: She shares her home with
a partner/spouse and potentially some children.
In a later report, we’ll take a closer look at “Moms”
(those with a partner and kids in the home) as unique
from “Coupled Women” (those sharing their home with
a partner, but not kids). But for today, we’re looking at
these Family Women as a whole.
THE FAMILY MAN: The male counterpart to our
to our Swank. He lives alone and purchased the
home for himself.
Family Woman — he shares his home with a partner/
spouse and potentially some children.
We asked these homeowners about a range of topics — from their motivations
and emotions during the homebuying process, to their attitudes and
experiences shopping as homeowners, and even to their participation in
some emerging home trends. Compelling insights emerged — from life stage
differences unique to today’s shifting landscape to classic gender divides. In
this report, we will give you insight on how Swanks treat the Great Outdoors.
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INTRODUCTION
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FRANK ABOUT WOMEN > HOME OF THE SWANK
The great
OUTDOORS
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FRANK ABOUT WOMEN > HOME OF THE SWANK
MAKING THE
great outdoors greater
In recent years, the outdoor living space has received renewed attention from
homeowners. Gone are the days when just a plain yard and a couple of aluminum
chairs around a charcoal grill were enough. Today, popular TV shows such as
Yard Crashers on DIY Network or Deck Wars on HGTV inspire homeowners with
endless possibilities for creating an outdoor paradise, while social media feeds
from Facebook to Pinterest suggest that anyone can conquer a backyard makeover.
Homeowners are taking up the challenge, now personalizing their outdoor spaces
both to enhance their home value and also to create their own oasis to enjoy
for a range of reasons – from creating their own urban oasis, to dialing up their
summertime entertaining game, or even just boosting their home’s value. Our
Swanks are eagerly taking on this “Great Outdoors” trend, bringing their own
unique priorities and approach to the space.
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THE GREAT OUTDOORS
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FRANK ABOUT WOMEN > HOME OF THE SWANK
FOUR TRUTHS
about Swanks and the
great outdoors
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OUTDOOR IS THE NEW INDOOR: A vast
majority of Swanks believe their outdoor space is
important, with over half describing it as incredibly
important and an extension of their home living and/
or entertaining space. So perhaps it’s no surprise
that Swanks are eager to put their mark on it. In
fact, Swanks ranked the outdoor living space and
landscaping as No. 2 for space they want to improve
or remodel in the next year. All the more impressive
when you consider that a full 37% of Swanks have
already completed improvement projects in their
outdoor space.
TOP 3 SPACES SWANKS PLAN TO IMPROVE:
bathroom
outdoor living space &
landscaping
kitchen
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WITH A SIDE OF CONFIDENCE,
PLEASE: Swanks enjoy shopping for outdoor
furnishings and décor more than any other segment
in this study. Yet, 2/3 of them are also less likely
to feel confident while making these purchases.
SWANKs have a vision they want to create, but
they need help discovering the best solution for
their end result. A majority of Swanks told us that
with a little bit of research, their confidence will
be boosted.
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HER PERSONAL OASIS:Swanks want their
outdoor space to be a little bit of everything. Creating
an ideal place for relaxing and unwinding emerged as
the top priority for our Swanks, though entertaining
friends and family and improving a home’s overall
visual appeal were also important when it comes to
enjoying their outdoor space. Remember, Swanks are
the segment most willing to splurge on products that
help showcase their personal style. So whether taking
inspiration from Pinterest or browsing the outdoor
décor aisles of her favorite stores, you can bet that
today’s Swanks are infusing their signature style to
create a unique outdoor oasis of their own.
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AN EARTHIER APPROACH: Of course,
Swanks are about more than just appearances.
In fact, they were the group most likely to favor
maximizing the environmental friendliness of their
outdoor space. That aligns with their overall approach
to homeownership, as Swanks were also the group
most willing to splurge on going green more
generally, with 1 in 4 saying they’d spend more
products that help them live a greener lifestyle.
Notably, Swanks are also dipping their toes into
the urban farming trend, with 1 out of 10 SWANKs
saying they’ve purchased “farm” items like chickens,
beehives, or more substantial garden structures
for their outdoor space. We’re expecting that
participation to grow along with her confidence,
as she gets more inspiration and information
from the vast resources available to her.
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THE GREAT OUTDOORS
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FRANK ABOUT WOMEN > HOME OF THE SWANK
COMPARED TO FAMILY WOMEN
SWANKS ARE:
more
13 %likely
to
more
64%likely
to
SPLURGE ON PRODUCTS
THAT HELP THEM LIVE A
“GREENER LIFESTYLE”
PURCHASE SMALLER
APPLIANCES FOR
THE OUTDOORS
more
22%likely
to
more
38%likely
to
PRIORITIZE OUTDOOR
IMPROVEMENTS THAT MAXIMIZES
ENVIRONMENTAL FRIENDLINESS
more
11%likely
to
PURCHASE “FARM” ITEMS
(CHICKENS, BEEHIVES, ETC.)
FOR THE OUTDOORS
more
66%likely
to
PURCHASE OUTDOOR
FURNISHINGS
PURCHASE FIXTURES
FOR THE OUTDOORS
more
15%likely
to
PURCHASE
OUTDOOR DÉCOR
less
22%likely
to
FEEL CONFIDENT SHOPPING
FOR OUTDOOR FURNISHINGS
AND DÉCOR
9%likelylessto
PRIORITIZE THEIR
OUTDOOR SPACE TO
RELAX AND UNWIND
28%likelylessto
PRIORITIZE OUTDOOR
IMPROVEMENTS THAT
MAXIMIZE OVERALL
VISUAL BEAUTY
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THE GREAT OUTDOORS
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FRANK ABOUT WOMEN > HOME OF THE SWANK
A FEW THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND
while talking to Swanks
HELP HER BUILD LASTING CONFIDENCE: Swanks are ready to invest in
their outdoor space and will start researching the best products that will fit
their needs. Be there with the right tools to give them the confidence and
establish loyalty while they are in the discovering phase. If she sees your brand
or product as supporting her journey to the backyard, she’ll turn to you for the
rest of the house.
GREEN IT UP: Swanks expressed more interest in an environmentally friendly
approach to home ownership than any other segment in our research – from
a willingness to splurge on green lifestyle products to a desire to be more
eco-friendly in her outdoor living space. And with increasing awareness of
environmental issues ranging from food safety to water usage and energy
conservation, we expect her appetite for green products and services will only
increase. So show her how your products promote her efficiency while doing
right by the planet, engage her with easy “eco-hacks” for landscaping and
gardening, and inspire her with the latest innovations.
HELP HER GET HER HANDS DIRTY: Swanks are up to the challenge when
it comes to personalizing their outdoor space. Help her discover the trends that
fit her lifestyle, whether encouraging her green thumb with foodscaping, helping
her infuse her personal style into urban farming, dialing up their yard’s relaxation
potential, or showcasing new décor or small appliances that up their entertaining
game. How can she become hands-on with your brand?
Want to talk about this more? Reach out to Kathryn Hiatt or Shaun Stripling to see how
Frank About Women can help your brand better connect with today’s homeowners.
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THE GREAT OUTDOORS
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