dispatches from the new world of work

On Whose Authority?

We'd like to point you to this piece that Cool Friend Andrea Learned posted over at LearnedOnWomen.com. She reports that separately two male researchers, Michael Silverstein (with coauthors) and Paco Underhill (both Cool Friends, by the way), are about to publish books on seizing the opportunity of the women's market. She says that maybe people will pay attention, as they seem not to have listened to Marti Barletta and other females (such as Faith Popcorn). Inadvertently, Andrea is echoing what Tom posted last week, on finding the article "The Female Economy" by Michael Silverstein and Kate Sayre in Harvard Business Review. Its subtitle puts the message across: "As a market, women represent a bigger opportunity than China and India combined; so why are companies doing such a poor job of serving them?"

Cathy Mosca posted this on 09/14/09.

Comments

From the linked to article.

"Companies continue to offer them poorly conceived products and services and outdated marketing narratives that promote female stereotypes. Look at the automotive industry. Cars are designed for speed—not utility, which is what really matters to women. "

How is it not a stereotype that women don't want a car designed for speed?
There are female NASCAR drivers for example.
BTW, do males and females attend Tom's seminars in equal numbers when they are paying the price of admission (as opposed to the ticket being footed by the employer)?

Posted by zorro at September 14, 2009 6:53 PM

I am struggling with the HBR article.

A woman can't buy pants without feeling patronised? I am sorry but the vast majority of clothing stores are exactly geared up for women. It's men who struggle with illogical layouts etc.

Buying Healthful meals (whoever came up with "Healthful" needs shooting. The, perfectly good, word is Healthy) Why is this only complicated for a women? - I struggle to understand some packaging.

Maybe it's different in the US but where does it say that women must buy an SUV? The huge ammount of choice in the car world is amazing, Sports cars, Estates, small hatches,large hatches, people carriers, SUVs, Pickups, Vans, Exec barge etc etc If she doesn't want an SUV buy something else.

The last time I bought a family car no mention was made of top speed! (and this was 9 years ago)My wife and I talked to the sales person about space, safety, child car seats, fuel economy etc. The only mention of performance was when we test drove and tried the acceleration - but anyone would do that.

The only thing I would say is that car sales people still default to talking to the man. This is a problem.

I am not saying that there is not a problem (and an opportunity) far from it but this article is patronising and detrimental to the cause. It provides no clear insight

Posted by PaulH at September 15, 2009 2:17 AM

Me too Paul. For something based on substantial research it came across as unfocussed and lightweight. And subjective; I get increasingly uncomfortable with the advertising stereotype of males as gormless half-wits unable to cope with anything as complex as a pack of washing powder. So the story about the woman competently coping with a spill is (I'm afraid) just as patronising to men as to women.

This subject seems to break out into Recognition (that women are the market, workforce asset, etc), Decision (to target women) and Application (what gets done as a result). The problem in this article is that a company like Dell, which got the first two right, gets panned for screwing up the third alongside companies who haven't even achieved first base, Recognition. Throwing it all together unsynthesised as this article does is if anything adding to the problem/ missed opportunity.

A bit less Life's Tough All Round and a bit more focus on successfully implemented strategies for marketing to women, please. And a lot less stereotyping, generalising and patronising in both directions will be helpful too.

Posted by RobCH at September 15, 2009 3:25 AM

Ok I am going to stick my neck out here.

I get the potential of the market and I buy that but I am starting to think this idea is a poor one. The world is moving to a place where people want an individual service, bespoke to them.

Surely viewing one sex as a market is contrary to this and going the wrong way? The only way you will successfully sell to women is by not selling to women but by selling to individuals (many of whom may exhbit some female characteristics)

When I see something clearly aimed at men I feel patronised. What companies have to get better at is selling to me not men.

Rant
I particulaly dislike the fact my local DIY shed is now a "family friendly home maker improvement experience" - It has a coffee shop for goodness sakes. What it doesn't do is stock the tools/materials I want - There is something wrong in a world where a toolshop sells coffee rather than tools. Men are loosing out as consumers.

No wonder our economy is in a mess, it's all gloss and marketing not the goods and services people want (this is the real reason it's not sustainable underneath the current financial crises)

End Rant

Posted by PaulH at September 15, 2009 4:19 AM

Based on my (not inconsiderable) life experience as a female, I can state with conviction: I do NOT want a "female-specific" shopping experience (unless I'm shopping for something exclusively female -- say, bras). What I want is to be treated as a CUSTOMER, with the same level of intelligence and experience as any other customer. When I walk onto a car dealership or a hardware store, I don't want the sales force making assumptions about me because I'm female; I want them to listen to what I'm looking for and help me find the item that will meet those needs.

Marketing to women is NOT taking some stereotypical concept of "what women want" and focusing your marketing strategy on that. It's all about paying attention to the CUSTOMER.

Posted by Paula at September 28, 2009 5:46 PM