Marketers think they know women, but do they?
Women ReKnown Research: From Gatesman
Women ReKnown is a ground-breaking, national study from Gatesman Research that provides a fresh look at women as customers, as employees and as influencers. It balances statistical insights and AI-augmented analysis with first-hand perspectives to build a deeper understanding of women from the ground up.
21%
increase in chronic illness
45%
increase in mental health diagnoses
64%
are tired of being a super mom / wife / worker
75%
don’t trust big brands
Sources: American Psychological Association 2023 Report of Collective Trauma Recovery; 2023 State of Women Report - The Harris Poll of 4,500 women on behalf of TheSkimm; 2025 US Consumer Trends Report
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Women have extensive purchasing power and influence. They make 85% of day-to-day spending decisions, are roughly half the workforce, and outnumber men 1.4 to 1 in college enrollment, suggesting even greater impact in the future.
From 2019 to 2023, Millennials saw a 21% increase in chronic illness and a 45% increase in mental health diagnoses, pushing women to recognize the unsustainability of current paths. They are reflecting, resetting and redefining their priorities. For marketers to be successful, they need to avoid assumptions and get to know women anew. Negative feelings are 70% more top-of-mind than positive ones. However, the longer women discuss their feelings, the more likely they are to return to positive ones, showing this is where they want to be and still feel at their core. Brands will find more success with women by promoting positivity, and positioning offerings as delivering in areas women value today, such as saving time, removing guilt and giving “permission” to buck expectations.
While women spend significant time on social media, and around half use it for commerce, only 24% of women trust social media companies, and most are skeptical of paid influencers. Marketing needs to consider the full consumer journey because women may learn about a product on social or from an influencer, but then check out reviews and commentary from other sources for validation. Influencers remain more trusted than brands, and micro influencers are most trusted of all.
Social media dominates women’s media consumption, with the vast majority of Millennial and Gen X women having used Facebook (71%), YouTube (52%) and Instagram (48%) in the past 30 days. TikTok has shown a steady increase between 2021 and 2024 (now at 31%), while X and Pinterest saw modest declines.
AI is rapidly increasing in adoption for search and more. Women are less likely to trust AI to keep their data secure and have doubts about model bias; however, their interactions with AI are growing. 33% of women have experimented with AI (vs. 44% of men), but rate of adoption (3X vs. 2X) is closing the gap. Women who use AI at work are more comfortable with it for personal purposes. A large subgroup is reluctant to engage for ethical reasons. These can include concerns over the environmental impact, the capacity for misinformation and distortion, elimination of jobs and more.
Women appreciate that they are seeing more diversity in advertising based on physical characteristics (race, body type). However, they still think brands are reducing women to one facet of their identities and motivations, instead of representing them as the complex beings they are. Some stereotypes women hate are “women want to be younger than they are,” “being flustered and hurried is relatable,” and “mothers see chores as acts of love.” Marketers need to go beyond checkboxes and recognize unsaid truths that unify women, but avoid the temptation to reduce them to single dimensions.
Sources: Techcrunch; National Student Clearinghouse Research Center; American Psychological Association 2023 Report of Collective Trauma Recovery; Gatesman Analysis of Fall 2024 and Fall 2021 MRI Simmons Data; 2025 US Consumer Trends Report; 2024 Deloitte Insights Report: Women and Generative AI report
Susan English is SVP, Director of Strategic Communications for Gatesman, head of the Gatesman Research Department and author of the Women ReKnown research study. Susan has a journalism background and more than 25 years of agency experience. She is the author of Gen Z Reframed and several proprietary reports customized for client needs. Learn more about Gatesman research or reach out to Susan directly for more information.
Marketers who listen and learn, who lift women up, who solve problems that demonstrate understanding - these marketers will connect so strongly and authentically that loyalty and community will build naturally.
