Women No Longer Define Aging Gracefully in Looks Alone

Survey Shows Women's New Attitudes and Perceptions Are Redefining Aging

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C., March 25, 2004 - As women age, 50 percent actually look forward to getting older and wiser, and many are less likely to define "aging well" as looking 10 years younger than their true age. In fact, according the surprising results of a new survey, 66 percent of women over 35 are unafraid of aging.

The study, Aging Redefined: A Frank Perspective on Marketing to Women as They Age, was conducted by Frank About Women, a Winston-Salem, N.C. - based strategic consultancy dedicated to helping brands build lasting relationships with women.

"The results of this study defy conventional wisdom about older women," said Siobhan Olson, a director with Frank About Women. "While looking young and healthy is still important, they also care more about how they feel as they age."

A majority of women in the study (55%) say "aging well" means looking great, no matter what age they are. Only 12 percent overall say looking younger defines aging well, but younger women were much more inclined to say they want to look 10 years younger. In fact, among women 35-39, 18 percent said looking a decade younger was their definition of aging well, compared to only 9 percent of women over sixty.

Women's perceptions of aging are not only changing, in some cases they are disappearing altogether. One quarter (25%) of women in the survey say "old age" never begins. The older women get, the more likely they are to reject the notion of old age; 37 percent of women over 65 say there is no specific age they would classify as old, compared to only 15 percent of women aged 35-39.

"We're seeing a huge shift in the way women feel about growing older," Olson said. "In fact, it seems they feel aging doesn't apply to them at all, and that feeling only grows as they age."

The nationally representative online study was based on 1,562 responses from women between the ages of 35-74.

About Frank About Women

Frank About Women, based in Winston-Salem, N.C., is one of the world's largest strategic consultancies dedicated exclusively to helping worldwide companies harness the loyalty and purchasing power of women. The organization is a national alliance of 60 on-staff executives, more than 40 female thought-leaders, and an online panel of more than 1,000 female consumers. Frank About Women has developed and executed women-directed initiatives for a wide range of corporations and organizations, including T.J. Maxx, Oxygen, Eddie Bauer, Stop & Shop and General Motors. Frank About Women is part of the Interpublic Group of Companies, one of the world's largest marketing communications firms. For more information visit www.frankaboutwomen.com