'90S Moms Eliminate Generation Gap According to Clinique Study; Enjoying More Influence as Peers.

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 15, 1998--Clinique Laboratories, Inc. today announced results of its national study, fielded by Yankelovich Partners, on the state of the Mother/Teen Daughter Relationship finding moms and teen girls in sync on everything from general values to career choices and 90% report being "very happy with the relationship."

The "GENERATION CLINIQUE Study: Exploring the New Dynamic Between Mothers & Teen Daughters," which surveyed over 500 teenage girls and over 500 mothers of teenage daughters, also reveals a shift from the traditional compliance-based mother/daughter relationship to one that is built on friendship, with daughters treated more like peers.

A majority of moms (68%) say they discuss household rules with their daughter before setting them. Additionally, 88% agree "I am more open and honest with my daughter than my mother was with me" and 72% say their relationship with their daughter is better than their relationship was with their mom when they were younger. Among teens, 68% want to be like their moms and 63% would go to their moms if they had a personal problem before going to their friends.

"With a constant eye on women's issues, we have watched the generation gap between moms and teens narrow over the years through our focus groups and general market research," says Sandy Cataldo, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Research for Clinique North America and study director. "The survey has enabled us to validate and quantify this trend."

"This is a generation of moms that is truly young at heart and daughters like it," says Ann Clurman, Partner at Yankelovich. "These moms cherish their youth, and have no intention of growing old or 'turning into their mothers.' They remember what it was like to be a teen, and can really relate to their daughters. This has created an evolution in the mother/daughter relationship, producing a peer-to-peer friendship."

THAT'S WHAT FRIENDS ARE FOR

Ninety-four percent of teens and 87% of moms agree "my mother/daughter is my friend" and 78% of teens and 70% of moms say "my mother/daughter really understands me." Additionally the vast majority (84% of teens and 92% of moms) agree "my mother/daughter and I share the same general values," and 91% of teens and 75% of moms say their mother's/daughter's approval is very important to them.

IN-FASHION NOT OLD-FASHIONED

Selecting which characteristics describe their moms, 49% of teens say "stylish," 41% say "cool or hip," 95% say "intelligent," 89% say "confident," 87% say "attractive," and 77% say "ambitious."

Additionally, 41% of teens say they go to their mother for fashion advice and 47% say they often ask their mother for beauty and makeup advice.

"The study confirms what we are seeing at our counters across the country," says Jane Lauder, Marketing Manager New Concepts for Clinique, who is spearheading ongoing teen market research. "Moms aren't picking makeup for their daughters but shopping together for both their needs. They enjoy 'hanging out,' trying different products, and giving each other advice on what looks best."

Asking the one thing they would change about their daughters, the survey finds less than 2% of moms would "change the clothes she wears," her "appearance," or "her friends" and 21% of moms approve of their daughter getting a tattoo. At the same time, a third of teens say they "wouldn't change a thing" about mom. -- more --

GREAT MINDS THINK ALIKE(a)

Responding to what they like best about their mother/daughter both groups give the same top three answers: personality, love/care she gives, and sense of humor. Teens and moms are also in sync on everything from careers to role models. The top four careers teens select for themselves and moms choose for their daughters are teacher, doctor, lawyer and veterinarian and both groups pick Oprah Winfrey as the ideal role model for teens.

On the lighter side, both groups agree Claire Huxtable from "The Cosby Show" is their favorite TV mom, and say the two TV shows they are most likely to watch with their mom/daughter are the Evening News and "Sabrina the Teenage Witch." Moms and teens are also on target when it comes to dream dates according to the study, which asks what celebrity they would most like to go on a date with and who they want to set their mother/daughter up with. Teens pick Harrison Ford, Sean Connery, and Denzel Washington as the top three celebrity dates for their moms, and moms choose the same top three for themselves.

While daughters make better matchmakers, moms don't fair too badly in this department either, getting the right guys but in reverse order. Matt Damon has won the heart of teens as top celebrity date followed by Leonardo DiCaprio, and Prince William but moms, enchanted by the allure of royalty, choose Prince William, followed by Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon.

COMMUNICATION IS KEY

The survey also finds open lines of communication with moms averaging 18 hours a week and teens averaging 17 hours a week "spending time talking to their daughter/mother." Additionally, nearly half of teens and moms say they have talked about future goals and problems at school with their mother/daughter. Conversely, less than a third of moms say they discussed these areas with their own mother when they were younger.

THE FINAL FRONTIER

There is still a notable lack of communication about sex. Only 2% of teens(b) say they talk to their mother about sex and/or birth control vs. 48% of moms who say they discuss it with their daughters.

Additionally, the median "right age for daughter to get married" among both groups is 25. However, with regards to the right age to first have sex, the median among teens(a) is 18 vs. 22 among moms.

"This is the final barrier," says Clurman. "It is the one area that moms still have a problem being completely open with their daughters about and no matter how 'cool' they think their mom is, teens still feel uncomfortable discussing sex."

The "GENERATION CLINIQUE Study: Exploring the New Dynamic Between Mothers & Teen Daughters" was conducted for Clinique by Yankelovich Partners during the fall of this year among a nationally representative sample of 528 girls between the ages of 13 and 19 and 502 mothers of teenage daughters.

Clinique Laboratories, Inc. is a leading global skincare and cosmetic company known for its signature allergy-tested, 100% fragrance-free products. Trusted by women and recommended by dermatologists throughout the world, Clinique has enjoyed unprecedented success as one of the world's best-selling cosmetic brands. CLINIQUE is now available in 81 countries.

(a) When provided with an assortment of choices in a number of

categories, both groups often selected the same individuals.

(b) This question was asked only to teens ages 16 and older.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Clinique is currently conducting similar international studies of the mother/teen daughter relationship in the United Kingdom, Japan, Germany, France, Italy, Australia, The Netherlands, Belgium and Denmark. International results will be available during the first quarter of 1999.