As per the research conducted by Yankelovich Monitor and Greenfield Online, about 91% of women believe advertisers don’t understand them.
To market effectively to women, it is vital to understand the demographics correctly, break the stereotype and create differentiation. Forbes has compiled a few facts that could be an eye-opener:
- 40% of US businesses are owned and run by women,
- 53% of financial services workers, 19% of software developers, and 40% of physicians and surgeons are women
- Women drive 70–80% of purchase decisions
- 85% of women remain loyal to the brand they like
- 94% of women between the age of 15 to 35- years shop online for over an hour each day
- 18% of homebuyers are single women, while single men are at 9%
These figures clearly show how important it is to design marketing strategies in accordance with the expectations of women.
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According to Statistica, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest have the highest female internet users in the US. So, businesses must focus on digital marketing strategies targeting women on these social media channels. But, these facts will never be enough to understand female audiences fully.
Campaign Asia-Pacific asked agency leaders and senior brand marketers about what they as women wanted to change in the marketing and advertising scenario today. Answers ranged between – being portrayed as less intelligent than men, from lack of representation from women over 50 using technology, less airtime, and dialogue, to lack diversity in sizes and shapes of women, and so on. Though the gender gap has been reduced over the years, there is still a growing need among women to see more inclusion.
The leading women of the industry came up to speak about the stereotypes of women in ads and what are the urgent changes that need to be adopted by marketers:
Aim to inspire and motivate – The best example of this was Apple’s Women Day Ad, which highlights how women are leading the change across industries. Modern women prefer brands that focus on sharing inspirational stories of women rather than the ads that highlight the sacrifices women make or portraying them as victims.
Adopt a fresh approach – The best example of how marketers could shift focus and look for new media platforms to grab the attention of women is – Pinterest. The much-neglected social media platform has recently gathered a lot of attention as the third largest social network in the US. According to SproutSocial’s report:
- 71% of global Pinners are female
- Pinterest in the US has 83% of women aged 25–54 years who are business owners and decision-makers
- 58% of women agreed using Pinterest to make a significant investment or purchasing decisions.
Though B2B marketers have not yet looked at Pinterest as a possible marketing platform, they should not neglect it for longer. Women always seek something new to grab their attention, and firms should focus on exploring and experimenting in order to sell to women.
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Use facts to make an impact – Using hard-hitting facts while marketing to women creates the maximum effect and all the difference. While planning the marketing strategy, find the facts that would resonate with women, and push them to change their behavior and thoughts. Only change or innovation can drive buying decisions among women.
Marketing has proved to create a real impact on society time and again. With marketing become more inclusive and women-centric will create a massive impact on society. To market well to women, remember to be inclusive, build trust and loyalty, shatter stereotypes, inspire, and motivate.
