Women’s Psychological Makeup Correlates With Their Tech Behavior

One-size-fits-all marketing towards women has never really worked, and now we’re learning why, thanks to Insights in Marketing, LLC, a research-based marketing consultancy based in the Chicago area. The company’s i-on-Women Research analyzes what motivates women to buy, and organizes that information to paint a complete picture of her for marketers. The goal: to help marketers communicate more effectively with women and to help them create emotional bonds with their brand.

In the U.S., women control more than $7 trillion in domestic spending and make 85 percent of purchase decisions across most major categories. “We know women hold the purse strings, and yet, our research shows that only 9 percent of women feel as though marketers are effectively marketing to them,” said Brian Fletcher, VP of Consulting Services. “That’s not only frustrating to the marketers, themselves, who spend millions on messaging, it’s frustrating to the women who feel as though they’re misunderstood. And they’re taking their hard-earned cash elsewhere because of it.”

The latest research from Insights in Marketing reveals eye-opening information about how a woman’s psychological makeup correlates with her approach to technology, the Internet and social media. The study uncovered 5 types of women, each with her own views and behavior toward technology:

Tech-Dependent Theresa (17 percent of Women):

• Motivated by achieving goals and being recognized for that success.
• They are more likely to be tethered to a smartphone and use technology earlier and more frequently than their peers.
• They leverage technology to manage life’s hectic pace.
• Because these women are constantly on the go, they use technology to stay connected to others and stay up-to-date on the world around them.
• For them, Facebook leads the way in the most use, followed by YouTube, Twitter and Instagram.

Simplify My Life Sally (23 percent of women):

• Identify as traditional, and are described as devoted, thoughtful, cautious and consistent.
• They use technology that simplifies their lives, and are more likely to use a smartphone than most women (62 percent), but use it to stay connected to the most important people in their lives rather than taking advantage of all the bells and whistles.
• Half of these women still maintain a landline and plan to always do so.
• They tend to hesitant adopters and really leverage technology once they understand its benefits and how it can be used to simplify their way of life.

Cautious Camille (20 percent of women):

• Driven by a sense of balance. They are disciplined and emotionally stable women who plan ahead.
• They’re not driven by new technology; rather, they’re more likely to adopt something that has been tested and validated.
• They’re more likely to be engaged in real-life interactions rather than spending time connecting online or participating in social media.

Hesitant Hannah (17 percent of women):

• Tend to be overwhelmed by things in their lives, and their motto is “take it one day at a time.”
• They’re rarely the first one to test a new technology, preferring the tried and true.
• They’re less comfortable in social situations and less likely than other women to own a smartphone (49 percent).
• They’re often on Facebook, but use it to control what is shared with others to maintain the image they want to portray to the outside world.

Early-Adopter Amanda (23 percent of women):

• Constantly driven to experience new and exciting things.
• They’re early adopters of new technology, and are proud to introduce others to their latest discovery.
• They like serving as go-to experts for their friends and families and also like to seek out information to consistently add to their knowledge base.
• The Internet is a major source of discovery, entertainment and connection for them, and they’re comfortable downloading music, streaming radio, seeking jobs, sharing opinions online and more.

According to Fletcher, insights such as these reveal details about women’s personalities and their communication preferences like we’ve never seen. “We’ve uncovered a trove of information about character traits, social interaction, goals, motivators and the list goes on,” added Fletcher. “When you read through the information, you’ll be saying to yourself, ‘Yep, I know her. Uh huh, I know who that is. Wait that’s me!’ The information is that spot-on, and it’s going to really shift the way marketers communicate with women.”

To learn more about this study and others, please visit http://www.insightsinmarketing.com.