WOMEN AGED 30-49 HAVE CLOUT, CONSULTANT TELLS MANUFACTURERS

LISA A. TIBBITTS

NEW YORK -- Females between the ages of 30 and 49 are the fastest-growing, smartest, most powerful generation of women ever and manufacturers need to design their marketing campaigns with that in mind, advised Ken Dychtwald, president and chief executive officer of Age Wave, a lifestyles consulting company. As these women grow older, their buying power -- which is considerable already -- will only continue to grow, making them increasingly attractive to brand marketers. The golden rule for brand marketers remains constant: Know your customer.

Women in this group prefer brands and they favor a brand that is new and improved, he said. They are also willing to experiment with new products.

Dychtwald was in New York to present the results of his study "Marketing To Women 30-49," commissioned by the Ladies' Home Journal.