Last week’s Women’s March was the single largest demonstration in U.S. history. No, those aren’t “alternative facts,” – it’s legit. People from all walks of life met up in the nation’s capital, and in cities around the world, to voice their concerns, frustrations, and more frequently overlooked – their hopes. Regardless of your feelings surrounding the March, it was undeniably a historic moment for this country. We have to ask:

Who participated in the Women’s March?
What do they care about most?
What will they do next?
What have they done in the past?
What could have been done better?
And lastly, should any brands get involved?

To begin, take a look at these topline results:

9% of Americans nationwide attended a Women's MarchOf the 2,083 people we surveyed, approximately 2% attended the Women’s March in Washington D.C., and 7% say they attended a Women’s March in another city. These percentages would suggest that participation in the March was much higher than most estimates – but perhaps a lot of respondents are saying they attended “in spirit,” or that they attended one of the smaller marches. We’ll leave it to the crowd-sizing experts to figure out how many people were actually there.

Our goal is to go a little deeper. To start, let’s look at the profile of the Marchers.

Demographics of the Women’s March

Age:

 People who attended the Women's March are 95% more likely than non-Marchers to be under the age of 18, and 48% less likely to be over the age of 55.

This is pretty interesting. People who attended the March are 95% more likely than non-Marchers to be under the age of 18, and 48% less likely to be over the age of 55. For one, this has to inspire hope in the younger generation. This March brought them out of the Twittersphere and into well…real life.

The second thing to consider is how few Baby Boomers attended a March. This could be, in part, due to accessibility issues. Though the Women’s March publicized its efforts to create a space for people of all ages, perhaps they couldn’t control the crowds enough to provide comfort for older folks.

There’s also the likely possibility that these Baby Boomers didn’t march out of principle, given that older people tend to lean more conservative in the first place.

What Type of Area Do You Live In:

People who attended the Women’s March are 54% more likely to live in a city, and 31% less likely to live in the Suburbs.

People who attended the Women’s March are 54% more likely to live in a city, and 31% less likely to live in the Suburbs. This really stands out.  

On the one hand, this is a very simple observation. The Marches took place in large cities around the country and around the globe, so this seems like a natural insight. For example, here are some of the largest Women’s Marches, according to Politicus USA:

Atlanta: 60,000 Marchers
Chicago: 250,000 Marchers
Boston: 250,000 Marchers
Denver: 200,000 Marchers
New York City: 200,000 to 500,000 Marchers
Washington D.C.: 500,000 Marchers

Generally speaking, major urban areas tend to lean to the political left, and might not adequately represent views outside of those areas. There has even been rising talk of coastal and urban elitism – a notion that those in major cities and on the coasts think of themselves as better or more educated than folks in the middle of the country.

Keeping politics aside, I’m sure we can all agree that this election shined a vibrant light on the dissonance not only between Republicans and Democrats, but between those in cities and those in more rural areas.

I don’t feel a need to critique the March, but I suppose just a lengthy word of skepticism: if political activities continue to center around major urban areas, without accessibility or outreach to those with different views in more suburban and rural areas, we may continue to face a familiar political divide.  

Where Will the March Lead?

Throughout the noise of millions of voices, it can be hard to determine what the main “ask” is, or if there is one. This is a familiar critique of many past movements. Fortunately, our data does provide a glimpse of what issues stand out the most among Marchers. We track hundreds of positions, and these were the three top correlations to surface:

1. Climate Change. People who participated in the Women’s March are 142% more likely to say they are “Very concerned” right now about climate change and the environment. This was the highest correlation we found.

2. Public infrastructure. Marchers are 44% more likely to say they’re very concerned with the state of public infrastructure in the U.S. Of course, lack of public infrastructure and prominent issues brought up by the Women’s March organizers, like race and class, can tie closely together. For an example, you need only look at the ongoing water crisis in Flint, Michigan.

3. Veteran Affairs. 51% of Marchers say they are “Very concerned” about the state of veteran affairs in the U.S. Interestingly, that number is almost the exact same, at 50%, among non-Marchers. Though many of these issues are undoubtedly divided, could this be an issue that brings Women’s Marchers and others together in the future?

51% of Marchers say they are “Very concerned” about the state of veteran affairs in the U.S.

Movers and Shakers

Regardless of what issues these participants tackle next, it’s clear that they’re more than just talk. In fact, they are 129% more likely than non-marchers to volunteer at least once a month, and 74% more likely to have worked for a political party or candidate. And given the fact that they’re more likely to earn over $100k each year, it’s probable that they will continue putting their money towards the issues they care about. In other words: We haven’t seen the last of this march or its participants.

Marchers Need Vitamins

On a more capitalist note, take a look at this:

People who attended a Women’s March are 253% more likely than others to be fans of the Vitamin Shoppe. You can’t make this up. People who attended a Women’s March are 253% more likely than others to be fans of the Vitamin Shoppe.

Perhaps the nutritional superstore may want to get more involved in the movement, given this overwhelming data.

Wrapping Up

Lastly, here are some other insights we found. People who did attend a Women’s March (whether in D.C. or otherwise), are more likely than those who did not to:

  • Have graduated from college.
  • Live in the US Midwest.
  • Use Twitter.
  • Go to the movies at least once a month.
  • Say they are “Not at all concerned” right now about the Economy and Jobs (by 168%).

And they are less likely to live in the U.S. Northeast. Surprised?


Interested in similar insights? Check out our recent posts on the ongoing feud between Kellogg’s and Breitbart.com, and an area of gray (dare we say, hope?) in this time of political division.