Learned On | gender, consumer behavior and sustainability

Learned On...

Who Cares About “Green” Home Building?

What do oversize homes, energy efficiency and women all have in common?  Sustainability implications.  That’s why the following three things all came together so pointedly for me: a conversation I had with Suzanne Shelton of Shelton Group Inc., a Wall Street Journal article about how the television show, … Read on >

Best Practices In Marketing Show A Woman’s Influence

These days there are many great sources for studying up on the best practices in marketing – and two of my favorites are published via The New York Times: Rob Walker’s Consumed column in the magazine and Stuart Elliott’s Campaign Spotlight. Neither of these guys writes a “marketing to women” … Read on >

Are Traditional Industries Marketing to Women or Men (or Both)?

There’s a fear that often comes up within traditional industries when they begin to consider delving into marketing to women: how will our male customers, who we greatly value, respond?  It’s a valid hesitation, but one a lot more companies need to get over.  Take jewelry site, Blue Nile, … Read on >

Car As Mobile Device? Will Younger Gen Buy It?

I was interviewed by Joan Voight for a recent OMMA article about the Nissan Cube.  Nissan’s idea with the cute, curved vehicle was to appeal to the much-sought younger generation by using Facebook, iPhone apps, and college students for marketing ideas along the way.  Voight’s piece covers a lot … Read on >

Feminine Sensibilities In App Design

Something is very different in designing and marketing gadgets and “apps” in today’s world.  Performance, while important, is no longer king, and consumers demand that the darned things fit into or ease their lifestyles.  Interestingly to me, that often means … Read on >

Logo Genderfication?

Is your logo “female” or “male?” If it’s got a little starburst-style element to it, and seems lighter and “happier,” feminine brain traits may have been involved.  And, right now, that could be an especially good thing.

A recent articleRead on >

Dan Pink, the Right Brain, and Marketing in the 21st Century

Since it published in 2005, I’ve made it my mission to highly recommend the Daniel Pink book, A Whole New Mind, to pretty much everyone I come into contact with (and perhaps especially to reporters writing about gender in marketing).  I’d like to, but, alas, I can’t buy 4500 … Read on >

Speaking a Woman’s Language in Design for Environment

When you focus on sustainable product development, your methods are naturally attuned to the way women think and will buy.  And, because of that, Joseph Fiksel’s book, Design For Environment, looks to be a great mind-expander on how to reach the more feminine brain traits in every consumer these … Read on >

NYT Blog & MP Daily Fix: Marketing to Women, Della Style

I’m quoted in Jenna Wortham’s New York Times blog post, on the Dell/Della brand’s marketing to women efforts.  A snippet of my take:

Finding the right approach for gender-specific marketing can be really tricky.  Some brands go too far with the girlie stuff, and that’s when they start … Read on >

Laptop Gender Wars

What does your laptop say about you?  Mine is a black MacBook.  Does it mean something if it isn’t pink or red, or stored in a very stylish case when I travel?

Josh Fruhlinger called me a few weeks back to talk about just that.  He’d noticed an oddly and overly … Read on >