What women want

-By Virginia Scully
It’s been a truly interesting and insightful experience giving birth to a girl only sixteen months after the birth of my first child, a baby boy. I am frequently amazed by the innate differences between the sexes. Born from the same parents, living in the same environment and very close in age and yet they are just sooo different and have been since day one. More relevant to the subject of this post is the way in which my baby girl has been able to manipulate situations to get what exactly what she wants… and NOW!  She is a little bit cunning and VERY determined. Which got me to thinking…
Women have always known how to get what they want, and I’m pretty sure it’s the same with mums and technology. A game of Grand Theft Auto 5 is probably not high on the agenda but we can wrangle facebook conversations, Instagram posts, pinterest pins, emails, banking, online shopping, location sourcing, catch-up TV and children like complete pros.
Unlike our mums’ era, today we have access to a global digital network that is ready and able to support us whenever we need it. And god knows we need it! So it’s no surprise then that a whopping 95% of women with children (3 million Australians) are accessing the internet on a daily basis (with 80% accessing it three times or more!).
We know mums are heavy digital consumers. More interesting though are the drivers or insights as to how they are using technology to get what they want.

1. 90% of mums have purchased something online in the past month. I believe the main reason for this is because it can be done at any time of the day or night and be delivered to your door. For a mum, convenience is generally more important than getting the best price.
2. As advertising evolves so do women’s preferences. Native advertising is now recognised as an acceptable form of advertising as it brings information and some credibility if they trust the writer. That’s right I am easily influenced and I admit it!
3. On average mums have 3.4 social media accounts. From asking questions about health, nutrition and behaviours to venting about crazy tiredness and dumb husbands, mums need to stay connected and social media enables this.
4. Inspiration and ideas. I am not proud of it but I serve practically the same ten meals on rotation. I have selected these meals based on 3 criteria: 1. Likelihood of being consumed. 2. Quick to prepare. 3. Simple ingredients that can be sourced easily. It’s unlikely to happen but I love the idea of a week full of new recipe ideas. That would be like a holiday for my tastebuds. The day I decide to take on this challenge I will inevitably look to the internet and particularly pinterest for inspiration.
5. Cut to the chase. We have short and limited windows and can be off air again within minutes. So we need the facts quickly and easily. Efficiency is VERY important and messaging and sites that are difficult to navigate get closed off and forgotten very quickly.
6. Professional mums vs homemakers. These are two very distinct segments with different opinions and consumption habits. Don’t lump all mums into one group. It’s offensive.
7. Mums collaborate on buying decisions. I myself like to share positive experiences as much as I do negative ones as I feel like I am helping in some way. Brands need to steer away from providing reasons for mums to share negative stories as this will spread REALLY quickly and it’s powerful.

 
These insights are based on my experience – using “how to market to me” as the context. 

Write a comment