Marketing To Women: Strategies & Insights

‘’I do no know why but women want any of the things men have when one of things that women have is men.’’  Coco Channel

Women are often overlooked in how they add to society. Historically the greatest thinkers of    middle ages have had very interesting views on women. The views on procreation, for example Aristotle was considering an active, ensouling masculine element bringing life to an passive female element. Confucianism is introducing men to begin their day with thanksgiving and appreciation to Almighty Gods for the fact that they have not created them a woman. In Christian traditions a woman was considered as a ‘’vessel of sin’’: namely a woman (Eva) according to Bible was guilty of the exile of the first people from the Heaven.

The main virtues of women have been considered obedience, humility and modesty for a long time. The role of women in a “man’s world’’ was to bear  children, parenting and housekeeping. In this attitude women didn’t have any legitimate (and approved by the society) ways to make a living and were economically dependent on men, which only reinforced gender inequality.

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries  as soon as the society reconsidered its approach to ‘’women’s question’’, the systematic inning of women’s rights come around (the first wave). By the late 1980s, the campaign for gender equality entered the ‘third wave’ and the first thing women begun to do was prove their equality by imitating men.

Nowadays women not just have reached the same heights as men, but also dominating them in some spheres. And here comes the most interesting thing   Women imitating men, and following the rules of a ‘’man’s world’’, have reached the ‘’men heights’’. But it appeared that women are not men! Historical inequality between men and women is based on the fact, that even a human naked eye can indicate- women and men are different.

Below is a little excerpt from Tom Peter’s “Re-imagine!’’ book, which is focusing on how the business climate has changed, exploring radical ways of overcoming outdated, traditional company values and psychological differences between men and women.

Men	Women
Get away from authority and family	Connect
Self-oriented	Other-oriented
Rights-oriented	Responsibility-oriented
Stay detached	Get personal
Proud of personal power	Proud of joint achievements
See  general	Notice  details
Low sensitivity to odors	High sensitivity to odors
Screen out quiet sounds, are comfort with load	Hear quiet sounds, are uncomfortable with loud
Poor developed sense of touch	Well developed sense of touch
At three-day age slowly establish eye contact	At three-day age twice  intense establish eye contact than boys

And yes, women are different but it only could come to man’s mind that if different- they are worse.

How does it apply to marketing?
Very simply. While the pursuit of women to reach to equality was only getting stronger, they were aspiring to be look like men in everything. Women were earning money, they were engaging in politics, learning to deal with technology and electronics, consuming men products and consuming it in a ‘’male way’’. Accordingly, the marketing communication could be homogeneous, and the products sold to both men and women could have equal success.

But here is the point!

It has become clear to women now that the male lifestyle and consuming ways doesn’t apply to them.  Women nowadays are becoming more and more self-determined (or they have been always so). Men’s communication is getting worse for them day by day.

And little  more about psychological differences between men and women. (T. Piters)

Men	Women
Talk about their ‘’favorites’’	Love to talk
Think silently	Think out loud
Direct	Prevaricative
Want to hear facts (only)	Want interesting stories
Go to store for a particular thing	Purchase on the way

What does it mean in terms of marketing?
When men are purchasing a product, they just purchase it, nothing more. (Men see the general things. Remember?). Service from the point of view of men is unnecessary and is detail. For women instead, it’s important the service and ‘’packaging’’. Sometimes service is more important than the product. The personality of the merchant, additional services, comfort at the place of the purchase are contributing women in shopping, rather than men. Women are ready to pay more for additional service!!

Men just buy a product, women are joining to the brand!
It is very important also to consider the point of ‘’purchasing on the way’’! An example is a bank. To go to outside specially  for  paying the bill is a male thing! To pay the bill after shopping at the mini-office bank located at the same shop is feminine! Do all companies catch this fact up? Apparently, no!

To conclude,  as a business, never discount women’s roles as strong brand influencers.  Develop a way to combine all their preferences and you will have created a promising marketing strategy indeed.

Lastly check this video of Nike ‘’voices’’! It is a great example how this company is boosting women self-esteem, therefore increasing its brand loyalty trough this positive marketing ad.

[1] http://www.4p.ru/main/theory/133443/
[2] http://www.tompeters.com/reimagine/
[3] http://www.trendsight.com