Understanding Female Consumers

Is marketing gender specific? Research has shown that on a global scale, women make 70-80 percent of household purchasing decisions. And they carry a more significant influence on family and friends through sharing experiences and knowledge. Appealing to women should be a part of your marketing strategy, especially in today's current trend of inclusivity and non-gender roles. So let's look at some of the key strategies for female consumers.

Emotion Is Key
Trust is a crucial factor when marketing to women. They select a specific product because they know the brand can be trusted and it's good enough for the people they're shopping for. That positive connection will create the power of loyalty through emotional communication between the brand and female shoppers.

The trust factor is particularly true in mothers who look for love and safety in a brand. Often moms tend to be influenced emotionally when another mother is recommending a product, primarily because moms trust other moms. Identifying with her own role in another mom supports the association.

Women are usually very intuitive consumers that respond well to interactions and tactile experiences. When possible, create opportunities for them to engage in a dialog through meet and greets or sale events. Utilize the senses, allowing them to feel, smell, or see how the product works.

Using Humor
When used in advertising, humor can help grab people's attention and make your message memorable. Subaru's ads with their golden retrievers are excellent examples of how humor and warmth sell safety, performance, and fun. People watch these ads on purpose just to see them again because it’s a “feel good” experience! Their ad success is from consumers connecting with the dogs and identifying with parking problems. (Who doesn't love a golden retriever family?)

Humor can also help to make products appealing, even those that may make people uneasy. For example, if you were advertising male enhancements, humor, and sensitivity can help alleviate any negative feelings in a woman. It also serves as a morale booster because she’ll recognize that other couples share similar situations.

Connecting With Women
Some women are driven, optimistic, and active, while others may be more nurturing or conservative. Similarly, while some women engage socially and are outgoing, many are loners, uncertain, or constantly stressed. So how would you address a mixed audience?

Storytelling is popular these days, and while an average man will respond to facts, the average woman will respond well to emotions. Assuming all prospective customers are the same will lead you to make poor choices in your branding and marketing strategies, so shoot for the middle, but be as inclusive as possible. 

Refrain from the old narratives that objectify women with sexist-toned advertising. After all, current marketing trends are less about gender and more about being human and prioritizing people, both of which connect to the emotions of compassion, value, and acceptance.

Spending Power
Did you know that whether it's a male-focused product or not, a woman will likely have an opinion and probably be the one purchasing the service or item? You will likely lose if you do not include women in your advertising. As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, most of the buying power comes from females. So even if you're selling men's toiletries, your sale will likely be with a woman.

You can do this!

Matthew

*Let us know about your successes and challenges in marketing or branding a product.  Who knows, we might just select yours as our next blog topic!