Advertising and Purses

Posted by Carroll Trosclair Dec 23, 2007

What do women carry in their purposes? And what do those items tell advertisers? Marketing Consultant Kelley Styring explored those mysteries in interviews with 100 women and inspections of their 100 purses.

Her research indicated that women carry an average 67 items in their purses, everything from cell phones and lipstick to mints, letters, eyeglasses, books and even weapons.

Styring says there’s gold in those purses.

"For frequently purchased items, say on a monthly basis, the sales potential skyrockets to 2.5 billion units."

Styring examines the purse contents in her book, In Your Purse: Archaeology of the American Handbag.

She said the purse is the "nerve center of a woman's life, bearer of her most important things." It is intended to organize her life and to help meet her needs, which Ad Week Magazine identified as wellness, preparedness and self indulgence.

But in most cases, she said, the purse is actually "a disorganized bag full of junk."

But she added, that the contents and the disorganization represent a huge opportunity for marketers and advertisers to determine women's needs.for wellness, preparedness and self indulgence.