Women Expand Marketplace Sphere of Influence

Half of women in 2011 said they regularly influence friends and family to buy or not buy a particular product or service, representing a 61% jump from 31% who responded that way in 2008, according to [pdf] a white paper released in January 2012 by Fleishman-Hillard in partnership with Hearst Magazine. Millennials (61%) were the most likely to say they influence their friends and family, followed by Gen X women (46%), Boomers (36%), and Seniors (29%). In fact, a majority in each age group except for Seniors reported feeling it their responsibility to help friends and family make smart purchase decisions, led again by Millennials (73%).
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