One new research say there is lot difference between the
men and women brains. So, the thinking and behaviour of the women was totally
different from the men. Researching and talking about biological gender
differences in regards to marketing has often been labelled as politically
incorrect in the past. The fact is, however, that although a lot of things
can't be explained purely by gender, there are many significant differences
that simply can't be ignored.
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Over the last couple of years, brain research has found
more than 200 differences between the male and the female brain in terms of
structure and neurotransmitter mix. Women think, feel and buy differently than
men do. They also handle more than 70% of the disposable income in most
cultures. Any brand which seeks success with both genders needs to throw away
their unisex approach, accept and embrace the differences.
When we look closer at the differences in the brain, we
find that (for example) hormones that are responsible for care and bonding but
also softness (namely oxytocins and oestrogens) play a much more prominent role
in the female brain than the male brain.
So
how does this impact on their purchase behaviour?
These bonding and caring hormones typically make women
more interested in building a nest and, accordingly, social topics like family
and wellbeing are of higher importance when compared to their male
counterparts. In retail terms this means women are the ones making purchases
that directly relate to their homes and family. They are also usually the main
grocery buyers in the household and 85% of all presents are bought by women.
So why do many young women give their first cars a name?
Because they don't define their car as a cold, technical product, but as a
partner they want to be able to rely on.
Conversely, men typically have a higher concentration of
testosterone in their brains. Although this hormone, and its impact on
behaviours, has caused many controversies in the scientific and political
discourse, its effect can be illustrated with some simple facts: 95% of all
prisoners are men, 95% of Nobel Laureates are men and 90% of Porsche buyers are
also men.
Testosterone causes an optimistic drive, euphoria and
risk-taking attitude, and also more one-dimensional, straightforward,
structured thinking. Men are more likely to be "step-thinkers",
taking one piece at a time, and women are more likely to be
"web-thinkers", tending to think of more things at once, in a
networked fashion.
To
continue the example of car purchase decisions:
If the salesman announces to the male customer with
shining eyes, "Due to the 250PS motor, the car accelerates from 0 to 100
in six seconds", it takes only some tenths of a second until the male
sexual and aggression centre and the pleasure centre (nucleus accumbens) in the
limbic system light up. On the contrary, the female brain stays cool and bored.
If the salesperson modifies his pitch, e.g. by saying, "Due to the 250PS
motor, the car accelerates from 0 to 100 in six seconds, which ensures that you
and your family can accelerate and merge safely in traffic", the female
brain cheers up.
How
to win over women's hearts and minds
In many industries and organisations, the marketing
function is still a largely male-dominated space, and marketing is often still
addressed to the male target markets. There is a need to catch up with
understanding and targeting women more specifically, especially in a business
scenario.
The American hotel chain Wyndham, for example, multiplied
its ratio of female business travellers by introducing more female-friendly
services. Instead of having to deal with the occasional awkward situation in
hotel bars of being approached by an admirer, women are offered to take their
after work cocktail or coffee in the hotel library. There, they also find the
books and magazines they are really interested in.
Implications
for retail and marketing
The above differences have many implications for retail
and marketing. One certainly is that the product communication needs to adapt
to the different emotional and motivational cores of potential customers.
As so often in life, there are already plenty of brand
champions who long ago have developed strategies that cater to these
differences, while others just start thinking about them. But certainly for
many there is a lot of potential tapping into the differences and drivers of
the female market in a far more explicit way.
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Image Source: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1196143
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