Good Looks vs. Bottomline: What Women Want In Men and Brands
This may not be a huge surprise: As women gain financial independence, they also gain more of an interest in finding a good-looking guy.
According to a short article in New Scientist (reg. required), a U.K. study (which will soon publish in Evolution and Human Behavior) found:
Women who had low levels of control over their cash rated the financial status of a man over his looks. Those with a decent source of income rated physical attractiveness more highly.
Brands might want to pay attention to this as well. As women gain in economic influence - their buying minds may be a lot like their mate-finding minds. Knowing that they are financially secure, they can think less "linearly" and more "it all matters." They’ve got room to buy the product or service that is most attractive to them for whatever reason (looks included), which may have nothing to do with lowest price or highest ratings.
More and more these days, women have the opportunity and independence to sort out the product, as well as the man, that is uniquely suited to their particular desires.
So… as traditional measurements (like price or status of a product or brand) become just one of many buying considerations for the financially empowered woman, the immeasurable attributes of your goods or services (like friendly customer service people, incredible word-of-mouth or well-designed packaging) will demand a lot more attention.
So - what makes your brand attractive to women now?
January 3rd, 2007 at 3:41 pm
I enjoyed your post and prospective. Do you feel this marketing segment has been ignored over the past 20 years or is this a new approach in consumer research?
January 3rd, 2007 at 3:52 pm
Yes - I think the fact that women have more economic power means they can look at the much broader perspective in terms of the men they date and the products they buy. And, men are starting to embrace their more feminine traits, as well - and I bet that becomes evident in their buying habits. A great book to read about the changes in men/society is The Future of Men by Marian Salzman, et al (it’s in the book list I have here on the blog). Thanks for your comment!