Gender Swapping: When the Rules Don’t Apply

Posted: July 19th, 2011 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , | No Comments »

For two decades, marketing to women experts have preached about why and how to focus on women consumers – whether to sell computers, cars or chocolate. The message has sunk in with some brands, not so much with others. One thing is for sure:  Nothing is for sure.

Case in point:

I recently spoke at the LOHAS Forum annual conference on a panel called “The Rise of the SHEconomy”. It was an enlightened crowd that was easily tracking with the panelists and actively engaged in asking questions. One gentleman from the flooring industry asked what we thought of his recent consumer research which debunked common knowledge that women are the home front fashionistas and their husbands/significant others are home décor dolts. His question essentially was “How am I supposed to market to women when my market seems to be men?” Before I could answer, a woman jumped in to describe her husband during their home remodel. He had to be involved in every minute aesthetic decision, she bemoaned. She also admitted that he has far better taste and she loves everything he did! Hmmm…what’s up with that?

Another case in point:

In the June issue of MarieClaire magazine, an article titled The Rise of Groomzillas describes a new trend re-shaping the stereotype of young husbands-to-be. “Meet Groomzilla,” the article opens. “He’s seizing wedding planning, obsessing about details that were once strictly bridal turf. What turns otherwise sane men into fire-breathing divas in tuxes? It’s due in part to age, says Katherine Jellison, Ph.D., of Ohio University and author of It’s Our Day. Data released by the Pew Research Center found that men are marrying at an older age than ever before. ‘Because they’re waiting so long to settle down, these grooms have developed tastes, so they’re more opinionated and stubborn than younger men,’ says Jellison.”

So what’s going on here? What’s the answer?

I think the big answer is this — pay attention to the trends not the “rules.” If your data is showing something counter-intuitive – great! Go with it. You may be onto something new that will give you a unique competitive advantage. Clearly there are some smart wedding planners who are making a run to the bank after helping their new crop of grooms get to the alter.

That’s why, at Red Kite, we shifted our approach to gender marketing. In other words, rather than applying some set of “rules”, we allow the insights about a client’s customers and potential new customers to drive the strategies. The differences between men and women consumers are significant, noteworthy and potentially very lucrative for the brands willing to see them. You just have to be open to seeing the what, why and how of those differences and acting on them ahead of the competition.

Want to learn more? Tune into the podcast  recorded live at the LOHAS Forum with Red Kite principal Margaret McAllister and interviewer Carolyn Parrs.

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