What Women Want Most

By Katie Cincotta

They want to be better understood in the marketplace.

Splash CEO Amanda Stevens and Research Director Jessica Lai have conducted a nine-month study of how women are treated by industry and marketers.

CAREERS and delays in childbearing have given women unprecedented spending power, but most still feel ignored by industry and marketers. That's the finding of the latest research by female marketing group Splash. Its nine-month research study, titled Through Her Eyes, covers the health, travel, property, retirement, finance and IT industries, and paints a picture of a tech-savvy modern woman who is increasingly making buying decisions in sectors traditionally targeted at men.

''Women represent a new wave of confidence in consuming and are no longer just controlling the supermarket shopping budget. They are buying houses, insurances, expensive cars, holidays and electrical items that were once a male-dominated purchase. Yet they still feel misunderstood by marketers,'' Splash CEO Amanda Stevens says.

Splash's findings show most women have a mobile phone, spend two to three hours a day online, are in control of their own finances and are most concerned about housing affordability and the future of the environment.

They're also using the web to research, catch up with friends and shop, with accommodation, air fares, books and auction goods the most popular online purchases.

But despite their rising influence, which now extends to 80 per cent of purchase decisions, women feel key industries aren't meeting their needs, with many of them not in tune with the female psyche.

''Many organisations are still in the dark ages when it comes to marketing to women.

And even those that do appreciate the growing influence of females as consumers unfortunately execute in a way that alienates, condescends or insults women,'' Ms Stevens says.

In Splash's survey, the travel industry got top billing for its advertising, while the finance sector fared the worst, with only 10 per cent of women happy with the banks.

Splash's research director, Jessica Lai, says that what women want most is to be understood, with marketing that's true to their priorities and experience. Above all, they rate relationships with friends and family as most important, with ''experiencing life'' in second place, above ''work and career''.

Property is also on their radar, with 27.6 the average age for females to purchase their first home. Many do so without the support of a partner, with 38 per cent of single women now credited as home owners. ''For the property industry, women are leading the way, but we still hear horror stories from women when they go to purchase a property or apply for a mortgage,'' Ms Stevens says.

Splash's report acknowledges mortgage lenders such as Wizard, which has been progressive with female marketing initiatives such as the Wizard Women online community.

While Ms Stevens admits gender marketing is complex, the rewards for a company's bottom line and brand reputation are worth the effort. ''Marketing to women is not simple, it's not a matter of sticking pictures of good looking women in advertising or making your brochure pink. It takes an in-depth understanding of women and what makes them tick and then a multi-layered approach that engages, rewards and recognises women.''

Which is why Splash's research has also identified women's changing motivations through the life cycle -- dubbed the Butterfly Effect -- from young ''socialites'' keen to study and travel, to big-spending ''independent princesses'', ''family-first'' mothers coping with superwoman stress and ''young-at-heart empty-nesters'' rejecting old lady stereotypes. Splash's CEO says what is common across the ages is women's reliance on their inner circle -- the fellow females they turn to for advice and recommendations. Amplified by web and mobile technology, she says, word-of-mouth marketing is more powerful than ever.

''For brands that get it right, the upside is infinite, as they develop a loyal following of women who become walking advocates for their brand.''

While many marketers are still overcoming the ''misconception'' that gender marketing is risky, Ms Stevens argues marketing to women does not alienate men.

''It's not an either/or proposition. Often, if you meet the expectations of women, you exceed the expectations of men.''

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