Rugnews.com Guest Editorial:
THE NINE FACTORS THAT
CONNECT WOMEN AND BRANDS

By Janie Curtis

Marketers interested in connecting with female consumers know that a lot has changed on the home front in the 50 years between the 1960s and the early 21st Century. Today 5% of families  have a stay-at-home Dad, for example, with 74% of men reporting that they are doing more at home in terms of household chores. Indeed, the amount of childcare performed by men has tripled over the past five decades.

Women, meanwhile, are more active than ever in the workforce. A little more than half of all women who work are in management or professional occupations, and some 25%  of women make more money than their partners. Additionally, more than 10 million firms in the U.S. are owned by women. These women-owned companies currently employ more than 13 million people and generate sales of 1.9 trillion.

Yet, while men’s and women’s home lives have been converging, “our mindsets have not,” said Janie Curtis, chief strategic officer at Winston-Salem, NC-based agency Wildfire, and Factor 9, a new marketing-to-women group. “Our brains are wired differently. A woman’s brain is programmed to connect functional or rational messages with emotional information, while a man’s brain keeps them separate.”

According to Curtis, the way men and women see the world is different as well. Women tend to think about and notice many different things at the same time, while men are more focused in their vision. “Women tend to be attuned to everything around them, and this effects how we experience the retail environment,” said Curtis. “We are much more influenced by context.”

Women are also more natural “multi-taskers,” comfortable doing many things at the same time, whereas men tend to prioritize the thing that is at the top of their list. And, generally speaking, men compete while women compare. “Men understand the language of superiority and betterment, whereas women prefer the language of collaboration and mutual benefit,” Curtis added.

And, as we all know, women shop differently. “Women have different purchasing criteria than men. Men are looking for ‘good,’ while women are looking for ‘perfect.’ Women tend to be far more engaged in the shopping experience than men, so they will take the time to find the perfect solution. Men are looking to make a transaction. They expect a sales associate to take their money and complete the sale. Women, on the other hand, want to make a connection with the store and the sales associate.”

In fact, Curtis said that women actually consider nine different factors when embarking on a relationship with a brand, a category or a retailer, while men consider only three. According to the executive, the nine factors  important to women are:

1. The Context: “Women really absorb every detail of the environment that surrounds a brand or product she is considering buying. Is the display enticing? The packaging exciting? The store clean and attractive? All of these contextual factors will affect what she buys and whether she buys it again.

2. The Fit: This isn’t just about finding that pair of jeans that fit like a glove. It’s about finding brands that reflect how she sees herself and what she believes in. She wants to buy brands that make her say “that’s me.”

3. The Value: We’re not talking here about the age-old price x quality equation. It’s about finding the third ingredient that meets her new definition of value. It might be the ability to save her time or lift her spirits, but she is definitely looking for more than she has in the past.

4. The Find: Women nowadays have overflowing closets, so frequently it isn’t about getting more stuff or meeting her needs. It is about her ability to find something that is unique and perfect for her. She wants to express her individuality and for that she is looking for something special.

5. The Design: Great design is all around us, and women no longer see it as being something only available at the top end of the market. They want it in the everyday purchases they make. Even products like household cleaners, soap dishes and hand vacuums need to live up to her sense of style and aesthetics.

6. The Small Things: So easy to forget and yet so important. It really is true with women that you don’t want to forget the details. The balloon for a child, a thank-you card, the service that goes above and beyond, women notice it all. Get it right and she will be loyal for life. 

7. The Service: Everyone talks service these days and yet so few companies really deliver it. Women don’t want service that is about pointing her in the right direction, she wants service that helps her decide what to buy and always listens to her if she has a problem. Always.

8. The Cause: Women want to do more than buy a brand. They want to like it, not just because of what it does, but because of what it stands for. So stand for something that is important to her, whether it is the environment, her health or the people she loves.

9. The Inspiration: Women want to be inspired by you. Make her feel that she can do more, be better, fulfill her dreams and she will buy every time. However, be careful. You have to make sure that she feels that she is okay the way she is already, so it is a balancing act of validation and aspiration.
 

03.11.09