Comments

So...

I think I'll open a business of some kind with an emphasis on listening to women and meeting and exceeding THEIR needs.

I'll appoint my wife CEEO (Chief Excellent Experience Officer.) Then, I'll see to it she gets a big, fat bonus and ask her to go out and be one of the 92% shopping for us a... well, refer back to Tom's post and figure it out ;-)

Posted by Dan Gunter at May 13, 2009 11:53 AM

We got a question from somebody asking what does the "So???????" mean. I'm sure most people reading here know that Tom means "So, what are you going to do about this?" or "So, have you been paying attention to me all these years, or not?"

Posted by cathy mosca at May 14, 2009 9:14 AM

These stats bring to mind the phrase, "there are lies, damn lies and statistics". I have no evidence to refute, but seriously, women "purchase" 89% of bank accounts, 92% of vacations? What does "purchase" really mean in this case?

Posted by Jack Hayhow at May 14, 2009 3:20 PM

So... as marketers we need to engage women as "co-brand-managers" along with us and put our brands in their hands before they are too busy to shop for us.

Posted by Kelley Skoloda at May 14, 2009 3:34 PM

Jack,

Keep in mind that EVEN IF a woman is not the "purchaser" (i.e., the one writing the check, flashing the credit card, or signing the loan papers) she does still end up being a (the?) major decision maker -- recognized or not.

Ask any experienced car salesman. He'll tell you. It's VERY common for a husband who's shopping for HIS truck or car (and justified on a moral level to make HIS OWN decision himself because he works for a living, too) to look for the nod of approval from his wife. The old saying "If mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy" actually carries a great deal of merit. To me, it's not a sign of a weak man, rather it's a sign of a strong relationship when the husband actually takes his wife's opinions, impressions, and feelings into consideration.

After all, a truck is a truck. It'll wear out. Get traded. Rust. Get totaled-out in an accident. Something. Whatever the case, one would hope that the marriage will outlast that vehicle. This doesn't just go for automobiles. It's about partnerships.

Throw these very real factors in on top of the fact that women ARE more affluent, more educated, more informed, and more connected than ever, and it's no surprise that they either MAKE the purchase or INFLUENCE it veeeeerrrrryyyyy strongly.

My Wife-to-be is shaking her head in agreement as I'm typing these words, so now I can click on the little button that says "Post" and...

Posted by Dan Gunter at May 16, 2009 2:40 PM

A blending of listening mode with actions required by the customer will work.

Posted by Andres Agostini (Andy) at May 23, 2009 10:42 PM