Psst: Baby Boomer women rely on word of mouth

November 26, 8:58 AMBaby Boomer ExaminerPaul Briand

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Psst: Did you hear about WOM?

Baby Boomer women believe and rely on word of mouth when it comes to making decisions about what to buy.

A study, sponsored by Prevention magazine, tracked the conversations of 14,000 women over the course of the year.

According to a press release, Baby Boomer women age 43 to 62 have higher quality word of mouth (WOM) than younger women (18-39); what boomer women say is more credible, they're more likely to pass on what they hear to others, they're more likely to seek additional information, and they're more likely to make a purchase based on that word of mouth.

"Drawing on greater experience and sophistication, the social networks of Boomer women are very powerful,whether it is face to face or Facebook," says Cary Silvers, Director of Consumer Insights for Prevention, who led the study.

The study found:

• 68 percent of Boomer women rate what they hear in their conversations as being very credible, a full 10 points higher than younger women 18-39 (58 percent),
• 56 percent of them are likely to pass along what they hear to others versus 51 percent of younger women,
• 39 percent of Boomer women will seek additional information compared to 34 percent of younger women,
• 55 percent intend to purchase compared to 50 percent of the young women.

Dotsie Bregel, founder of the National Association of Baby Boomer Women, isn't surprised at all by the results.

"In fact, boomer women seek advice from friends and colleagues. We'll ask what moisturizer they use, what book they're reading, a favorite doctor or restaurant, or what web sites they frequent. So not only is information shared, it's also sought,” said Bregel.

“We are older and wiser and have a wealth of information within us that we're willing to share for the good of other women. We are not married to specific brands, we try new products and services if recommended, and we also try new products such as the iPhone, if we think it's worth our while."

And word of mouth no longer means conversations that take place in person.

"Nowadays, it also means email to email, texting, and reading online forums," said Bregel, who also has a web site, BoomerWomenSpeak. "Using the internet and reading what others have to say about their experience with a product or service is valuable information. When women learn from other women that they are impressed with something, they often act quickly to give it a try."

Here's what the Prevention study said are the 20 most talked about products:

1. Folgers
2. Olay
3. Avon
4. Walgreens
5. Pantene
6. Kraft
7. Lipton
8. JC Penney
9. CVS
10. Olive Garden
11. Kohl's
12. Red Lobster
13. Diet Pepsi
14. Sears
15. Tylenol
16. Diet Coke
17. Applebee's
18. Fisher Price
19. Dove
20. Kroger