Marketing is largely thought of as printed or digital materials used to influence a target audience, and while this is true, there are some simple differences in gender shopping habits and desires that should be considered by anyone looking to attract both men and women or target either.
Males
- When it comes to shopping, men focus on the practical things.
- A majority of the time, they enter a store knowing exactly what they are looking for.
- Practical issues such as parking accessibility and store inventory are as important as quality of product.
- If decisions need to be made, they automatically eliminate any options that don’t have the specific attributes they’re seeking.
Females
To get technical, female brains have stronger connections between their right and left hemispheres. This means their memory and language are very in touch with their emotions. Since they are better at remembering details, incorporating emotional cues and details into marketing strategies is effective.
- While men like concrete information and straight-to-the-point advertising, women prefer comprehensive data and emotional connections.
- Background information is important to women.
- The more emotional context incorporated in an advertisement, the more relevant it will be to women.
- Women, on the other hand, consider all options and look at the overall picture.
- Women base their shopping experiences on interactions they have with sales associates – were they helpful, knowledgeable and genuine?
- Women have the tendency to browse, so the advertiser’s job is not over once the customer has entered the store.