GlobalBX

“Those of you lucky enough to have your lives, take them with you. However, leave the limbs you’ve lost. They belong to me now.” – The Bride, Kill Bill: Vol. 1 – Miramax (2003)

If computer and consumer electronics technology is so entrenched in a man’s world, why do we have to get clearance before we make a PC/CE purchase for home?  Yes we can buy the device without asking or discussing our decision but we do like our limbs and associated parts.  Don’t jerk us around…we aren’t alone!!!

According to a Pew Research study 43 percent of the women in the U.S. call the shots.  A male/female study by Synovate turned up the fact that 60 percent of women in 12 countries felt they were more financially responsible.  Only 40 percent of the men agreed but then they haven’t answered any other surveys.  Some executives have long understood the importance of the woman in the buying decision.  After all most men are “a little slow,” not stupid!  In our household she repeated O-Ren Ishii’s statement right after she took Tanaka out, “So you all will know the seriousness of my warning, I shall say this in English.”

Multitasker
So…we know she is the:

• CFO
• Community volunteer
• Friend
• Caregiver
• Chairperson
• Sister/daughter
• Sex goddess (she’s looking over our shoulder right now so…)
• Communicator
• Gamer
• Chief memory office (we’ll explore this area later)

According to research conducted by Ask Patty! (popular female website/blog) and Maria Bailey (head of BSM Media and author of Mom 3.0) women account for 85% of all consumer purchases. They spend about $5 trillion annually – over half the U.S. GDP. They purchase:

• 91% of new homes
• 55% of PCs
• 92% of vacations
• 80% of healthcare
• 65% of new cards
• 89% of bank accounts
• 93% of food
• 93% of pharmaceuticals

Marketing guys really aren’t slow in this industry.  While Apple has perhaps turned appealing to female prospects into a science, the rest of us got the message.  When marketing execs were asked about their most important demographics, women were way up the list for us.  As we learned from Sofia Fatale, guessing wasn’t necessary because, “She informed me. She said that I could keep my wicked life for two reasons. The first is information.”

Around the globe females have surpassed men in their online activities.  They have made efficient and effective use of the iNet and Web 2.0 tools. They:

• blog more than men
• keep blogs more current than men
• use Twitter more
• work with Facebook, YouTube, Snapfish, LinkedIn, Flickr
• conduct/listen to podcasts

Those heavily involved with social media take advantage of every capability/service they can find…and more.  How involved?

• more than half never unplug their digital devices
• view rewards, loyalty cards, cellphones, computerized coupons, VOD, opt-in emails, wireless devices and necessities
• email was their most important tool (85%)

What would they give up before their online activities?

• 55% alcohol
• 50% PDAs
• 42% iPods
• 43% newspapers/magazines
• 20% chocolate

No they didn’t ask!!!!
But as Copperhead said, “That’s being more rational than Bill led me to believe you were capable of.”

Of course when the household is completed with children, women are “a little” less rationale.

They are much more active in using their iNet and Web 2.0 tools.

The CMO Leaders
The moment they assume the role of CMO (chief memory officer) they become scrapbook/photobook creators, get involved in video production/posting and really enjoy/need sharing their content.  The great thing is about women and their online activities is that many review, grade and post information on products, websites, services and other subjects.  But according to eMarketer’s senior analyst jumping into the women areas – blogs, sites, tweets, podcasts, etc – can be dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing.  Belly flop in without being properly prepared and you can only hope the mob will be as kind as The Bride when she stated, “You can relax for now. I’m not going to murder you in front of your child.”

It really isn’t that difficult to reach out and work with them but we’ve seen/heard horror stories of even females not doing things properly.  All you need to do is:

• anticipate their needs
• provide factual information
• recognize/encourage their interest in sharing information/ideas/opportunities with others
• understand that their devices as extensions of themselves
• make it easy for them to pass along interesting finds (new products, new applications, coupons, hints, etc.)
• they have an insatiable appetite to create/share content (more than 2X their male counterparts of all ages)

Since late 2007 females have increasingly become the online/offline photo/video content producers.  Today there are thousands of online opportunities to interact, share and learn from the increasingly powerful and vocal CMO.

Listen, Observe
Most people blow it because they talk instead of listen. People who stub their toes know what she is looking for. Listen to what is going on in her life. Guys love to talk about specs, features (even when we don’t understand them). Women want to zero in on the facts…how the product/service will benefit them and their family. All of this really isn’t necessary of course. After all women only have the final say in 43% of the households. Forty-five percent of the households make a “joint” decision…yeah sure!!

The other 12%? They probably look at her and repeat Copperhead’s words, “So I suppose it’s a little late for an apology, huh?”

Right! But the guys in that group are probably too busy worrying about Pai Mei’s five point palm-exploding heart technique. They certainly aren’t shooting photos/videos; producing/sharing photo scrapbooks/videos; editing/post producing content and archiving it. In the U.S. there are only about 69 million online, hyper-active women and globally six times that number. Oh in case we forgot… Moms really are the future of content creation – photos and video! Approach them wrong and it is as Hanzo-san said, “Revenge is never a straight line. It’s a forest, And like a forest it’s easy to lose your way… To get lost… To forget where you came in.”