The Gender Agenda

Market segmentation is a norm in marketing, but the biggest segmentation of all is only being realised and acted upon.

Leo Burnett, David Ogilvy and Bill Bernbach were men off vision. They all started advertising agencies in the 1930's and 40's based on their understanding of how well - crafted message made consumers desire products and services they didn't know they needed. Mostly these men did it on instinct. Market research and thousands of consumer studies then followed.

Today's advertising industry is a lot more sophisticated. It still draws on creative gut-feel (these days it's called expertise), but makes use of hard statistics, data mining, sales forecasting, consumer psychological studies and market research, plus a good dose of sound strategic planning and business management.

However, one thing hasn't changed since James Walter Thompson's purchased as space broker Carlton Smith in 1878 and expanded its reach beyond nineteenth century religious journals to place the first ads in women's magazines. Men and women's brains still biologically distinct. They are built differently and thus react to advertising messages in different ways. The fact has not escaped the new breed of gender marketing specialist. "Me and women are very different from a neurological perspective. This affects the way we process marketing messages and engage with communications," says Amanda Stevens, Managing Director of Splash Group.

The communications agency specialises in 'shemarketing', a term used to describe the science of marketing to women. Stevens says her approach is not about gender politics, the equality debate of affirmative action. Nor is it based on a "mystical theory". Instead it is common sense combined with fact and science. Stevens has a fascination with the human brain. She is not a scientist but is known in the industry for paying to have brains dissected so that Splash's research can be constantly updated.

"it all has a scientific basis. It's not dipstick research with five women or what we think looks good on page," she says.

According to Stevens, women have traditionally been absent from dedicated marketing strategies because they have been absent from boardrooms and from making substantial purchase decisions. Today's women are more powerful. "The female consumer profile is very different now. They are marring later, having children later, their salary gap is shortening and they are investing a greater proportion of their wealth in property," says Stevens.

The SheMarketing Report lists studies that prove the female brain is less compartmentalized and more web-like than the male brain which is more organised with neatly defined areas controlling different functions. The female brain also contains around 30% more connections between the right and left sides.

Emotions versus data This determines how women can multitask and how they process information giving consideration to emotions. Thus important factors to consider when communicating with women include emotional cues, especially those based on love and humor. Raw fact and data engage only men. Stevens cites the Sydney Cricket Ground as a good example of a traditionally male brand now targeting women effectively. "They saw the opportunity to acquire more female members and are marketing to women not at the exclusion of men. "Traditional agencies are not recognizing the neurological differences. It runs much deeper than changing ad colours to pink," Stevens says.

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