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Admap Magazine
March 2007, Issue 481
www.warc.com
Marketing to women
Jane Cunningham and Philippa Roberts
Women are the most important target audience on earth. Figures published recently by The Economist suggest that women in the West are
responsible for almost 80% of purchase decisions. In sectors as traditionally masculine as automotive or consumer electronics, women are
becoming the dominant purchase makers. And, in many developed categories, the most substantial areas of growth are driven by
increasingly affluent female consumers.
Yet despite these figures – and the huge opportunity they represent – the female audience remains under-catered-for by the marketing
and communications communities. In a YouGov survey at the end of 2006, over two-thirds of women said they could not identify with
women featured in advertising; one in two said they felt people try to sell them things by making them feel bad about themselves; and
over 70% said they think marketers believe they are interested only in household and beauty products.
So why – despite the importance of women as an audience and the long-established presence of women in the work place – does the
female audience remain the short suit of marketing More importantly and constructively, what can be done to better understand female
motivation and purchase decision-making
The roots of the problem are straightforward, but complicated and camouflaged by well-intended concerns about political correctness. The
simple fact is that marketing, like most of business, was constructed, and remains dominated, by men. Even in the most enlightened
organisations, much of the thinking and most products are produced by men. The most recent audit of the advertising industry (a survey
conducted by the IPA in 2006) revealed that 85% of art directors and 79% of copy-writers were men. Less unexpectedly – but as
influentially – 85% of agency top management was male. Given this bias, it is hardly surprising that (despite good intentions to the
contrary) much of the thinking and work that agencies produce is constructed along masculine lines. And even less surprising that – as a
result – women feel so under whelmed by most communication designed to appeal to them.
So far, so well documented. Business is masculine, ergo masculine thinking seeps into the approaches it employs to appeal to women. Not
difficult. The really difficult – and long unanswered – question is what to do about it.
Fortunately, two significant developments over the last decade mean we are now in a better position to come up with an answer.
First, scientific understanding of the differences between men and women has been improving at a huge rate. Knowledge and
understanding of sex and gender differences – particularly genetic and neurological differences – is better developed and documented than
ever. Male and female mental preferences, stress responses, biological instincts, and strategies for surviving and flourishing are now well
researched, mapped out and substantiated.
At the same time, a post-feminist political climate has emerged that questions the tenet that equality must mean 'sameness'. Whereas,
until recently, any recognition of differences between sexes was deemed sexist, we are now fortunate enough to be living in a region and a
climate where things are less inflamed and defensive. Most people acknowledge that men and women are not the same: in fact, they are
profoundly, uniquely, interestingly and helpfully different.
Together, these scientific and political developments mean that it is possible, for the first time, to acknowledge and tackle the problem of
marketing to women: we have more knowledge than ever, and an emerging climate that allows that knowledge to be expressed and
explored properly.
So, what can science teach us about the differences between men and women and how they approach the world, and what do those
differences mean for marketing
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN
Masculine is Analytical, Linear, Focused. Feminine is Whole-brained
Developments in MRI and PET brain scanning mean that the brain – previously pretty much a mystery revealed only through trial and error
and abhorrent illness – is beginning to be well understood. While the science is still emerging (and still controversial) it seems there are
hard-wired differences between the way male and female brains are constructed.
A primary difference lies with the part of the brain that connects the two lobes of the neo-cortex: the most sophisticated part of the brain,

where thoughts are processed and understanding computed. Evidence suggests that women have a greater ability to connect the two parts
of the neo-cortex; the left hemisphere, where centres of logical, linear and analytical thinking reside, and the right, where emotional and
intuitive thinking takes place. This may mean that women can better access different parts of the brain and different 'thinking styles' when
it comes to problem-solving or assessing a situation. Where male thinking is likely to be focused in the logical left cortex, females may use
more emotional and intuitive parts of the brain in combination with more reasoned approaches.
Masculine is Action. Feminine is Feeling
A further difference emerges in the less thinking and more primitive inner parts of the brain – the subconscious areas where automatic,
instinctive responses take place. From scanning studies examining levels of activity in these areas, it appears that male and female brains
may have different centres of gravity. When the male brain is at rest, most activity takes place in the most primitive area, that deals with
survival instincts and fight-or-flight responses; when the female brain is at rest, most activity takes place in the limbic system – where
'feeling' is centred.
Further, MRI and PET show that, when processing emotions, far more areas of the brain are activated in women than men. Many more
neural pathways, connecting different parts of the brain, appear to be activated; in fact, the female brain has 15% more blood flow than
the male brain when processing emotion.
Masculine: Fight or Flight. Feminine: Tend and Befriend
Beyond brain structures and processing patterns, the other major influence on behaviour and response is hormonal – the messaging
system that catalyses and regulates the body's behaviour.
Here again men and women have very different make-ups. A well-documented example is testosterone. Testosterone, of course, drives
dominating, action-based, physical behaviour, and men have 20 times more in their bodies than women. Less well known, but equally
impactful, is oxytocin, which encourages bonding, nurturing and affiliation in mammals. Women have significantly higher levels of oxytocin
than men – in fact, male hormones appear to override and cancel out the effects of oxytocin.
Under stress, differences in hormonal effects between the sexes become particularly pronounced. Whereas male response to stress is the
release of a cascade of hormones (testosterone, adrenalin, and so on) that encourage the flight-or-fight response, in women stress
responses induce production of oxytocin.
This catalyses a response that the scientists who discovered it dubbed the 'tend and befriend' response; where testosterone drives men to
physical action, oxytocin induces an almost opposing response in women, and encourages behaviour that is nurturing, calming and
conciliatory.
Masculine: Interest in Things. Feminine: Interest in People
These hard-wired, biological differences between sexes appear to determine many differences in primary focus and interest between men
and women.
Chief among these is the tendency for women to be interested in people and for men to be interested in things. A number of different
studies – mainly among babies and children who have not yet been influenced by social stereotyping – have highlighted this. Female babies
respond with more interest to a picture of a face; female toddlers are less likely to engage in mechanical play and more likely to initiate
social interaction for fun; little boys are more interested in mobile and mechanical objects than in natural or people-based playthings; little
girls are much more likely to draw pictures containing people and natural motifs, whereas little boys draw pictures without people but
containing cars, buildings and other mechanical objects.
Masculine: Self-interest, Hierarchy, Power and Competition. Feminine: Relationships, Empathy and Connections
Further evidence that these tendencies run beyond stereotyping comes from anthropological studies into the primitive survival strategies
employed by men and women.
To ensure the survival of their genes, male primates need to create mating opportunities. This means that they need to be seen as an
attractive prospect within the pack. This leads them to focus on the hierarchy and their position within it; their behaviour is about asserting
dominance, and gaining power and control through competition.
By contrast, to ensure the survival of their genes, females focus on the survival of their offspring. To do this they employ three different
strategies: first, they choose a mate very carefully to make sure they are getting good genes and that the male can protect them and their
offspring; second, they nurture their offspring intensively; finally, they develop relationships with other people to provide further protection
from external threats.
This means that women are motivated to achieve a peaceful, safe and harmonious environment, and employ strategies that deliver that –
building bonds of shared interest and support, working for the greater, mutual good, seeking out order and avoiding risk. By contrast, men
are motivated by much more self-interested strategies, about asserting dominance and competing successfully in the hierarchy.
Masculine: Systematising Feminine: Empathising
Finally – and to an extent cumulatively – all this results in men and women having fundamentally different mental preferences in viewing
and understanding the world. At an essential, hard-wired level, it seems men and women are programmed to approach the world in
fundamentally different ways. To quote Simon Baron Cohen, the Cambridge scientist who has done most work in this field, 'the female
brain is predominantly hard-wired for empathy. The male brain is predominantly hardwired for understanding and building systems.'

In other words, men understand the world by breaking things down into their component parts and establishing principles that explain the
underlying behaviour; women understand the world by putting themselves in other people's shoes and feeling the emotional atmosphere
between people.
To summarise, then, we can now understand and map male and female differences under six key areas (see Table 1).
THE IMPLICATIONS FOR MARKETING TO WOMEN
When looked at in this bald and comparative way, the problem and the opportunity for marketing quickly becomes clear. Men and women
are wired differently and therefore need to be approached differently. The differences are so profound, in fact, that feminine thinking must
infect all stages of development from the very beginning – the way the organisation thinks and behaves – to the very end – the way the
brand executes its ideas, products and services.
Clearly, we do not have space in this article to discuss at length all these stages of development and the impact that an understanding of
gender difference makes to them. However, it is possible to summarise the four key areas that we believe determine the success of a
brand when it comes to targeting the female audience. By combining the study of sex and gender difference with the study of those brands
that have successfully appealed to the female consumer, we have arrived at Four Feminine Codes: the four areas of influence and activity
that appeal to what we now know about female motivation and operation.
The Altruism Code
How and why women respond to altruistic motives and behaviour in brands.
This code reflects the female tendency to focus on the group and the well-being of others rather than on their own individual success or
achievement. It is born out of the female ability to empathise – the ability to put oneself in another's shoes.
Fairtrade and Red are strong, powerful examples of brands built on overt altruistic positionings. But there are others that are less overt but
equally consonant with the positive, altruistic sentiment to which women respond.
Among telecoms networks, Orange stands out as the most developed and powerful brand. It has an inspiring brand positioning,
encapsulated in the endline 'The Future's Bright, the Future's Orange'. This thought resonates positively with the Altruism Code, because in
the world of telecoms brands that feel technical, grey, drab and unwelcoming, there is a brand to choose not because you are afraid of
being left behind but because you are excited about what is to come.
The Aesthetic Code
Why appearance matters to women and what that means for marketing.
The Aesthetic Code reflects the female desire to make the world a more attractive place. It is born out of a belief that a more attractive
environment is a safer, more harmonious and more pleasant place to be for everyone. The creators of iMac understood the Aesthetic Code
and responded wholeheartedly.
Until the 1990s, computers were more or less all the same: cumbersome grey boxes, designed entirely for function, enlivened only by a
cheery (i.e. exceptionally annoying) mouse mat or screen saver. PCs represented the archetype of function over form.
Apple, Jonathan Ive and iMac changed all that. There was an appreciation that the aesthetics of a computer were important: at a macro
level, because it was something that you would live and work with all the time, and at a micro level because the way things looked and felt
could help generate a sense of friendliness and approachability (and so encourage experimentation). The look and feel of the iMac
suddenly, and literally, changed the face of computers.
The Ordering Code
The importance of enhanced order and elimination of risk to women.
This unglamorous code reflects the female belief that order offsets risk, and creates harmony. The tendency to take on responsibilities like
the running of the home and family matters, and the meticulous and detailed planning of events evidence the Ordering Code.
The way women have embraced the internet is a reflection of 'ordering behaviour'. Women now outnumber men online, and spend more
money than men online. The internet allows women to execute their many responsibilities and duties (most of which are self-appointed)
with ease, and it provides information to give women confidence in their decision-making.
Where once women had to trudge around car showrooms being ignored or patronised, they can now get online, get the information they
need and execute the task of buying a car quickly and relatively painlessly.
The Connecting Code
How and why communities are important to women.
The Connecting Code is concerned with the female need to build relationships and communities, the need to draw people together and find
common ground between them. Businesses that recognise the power of female communities in building or destroying brands, and that use
female networks to help provide momentum for the growth of their brands will benefit from 'free' marketing and develop deeper, more
commercially, rewarding relationships with the female audience.

NOTES & EXHIBITS
Jane
Cunningham
co-runs the
marketing
consultancy
PrettyLittleHead.
Previously Jane
worked for DDB
and then Ogilvy,
where she was
planning director.
Jane Cunningham
jane.cunningham@prettylittlehead.co.uk
Philippa
Roberts co-runs
the marketing
consultancy
PrettyLittleHead.
Previously
Philippa worked
for DDB and then
Ogilvy, where
she was client
service director.
Philippa Roberts
philippa.roberts@prettylittlehead.co.uk
TABLE 1: DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MALES AND FEMALES

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