Masso Group

Consumer electronics manufacturers and retailers will miss out on £600m this year because they are failing to connect with women, according to Lady Geek, a report out today from Saatchi & Saatchi. If marketers and retailers thought harder about how they approach women, as well as offering more guidance in stores and on websites, then 35% of female internet users polled said they would increase their spending on consumer electronics

One in two women said they walk out of shops and leave websites without buying anything because they are unable to find what they want, representing a huge opportunity for brand owners and retailers who are prepared to rethink their approach.

One-third of women do not feel confident enough to ask questions in store, with one respondent describing electronics retailers as reeking of a "strong scent of man".

The report also revealed that almost one in three women do not consider technology advertising relevant to them, and the majority of women feel disillusioned that brand owners and retailers do not understand what they care about and don't view them as a relevant group of customers.

Only 9% said they thought it was important that gadgets look feminine. This is supported by feedback from opinion leaders and consumers who feel "patronised" and even "offended" by the abundance of girly pink products available at the expense of the sleek and beautifully designed and packaged products they want to see.

Belinda Parmar, planning director at Saatchi & Saatchi and author of the report, said: "There's a real opportunity here for brands and retailers in the consumer electronics sector to target women.

"This group of women told us loud and clear that they do not want diamanté-encrusted phones and baby pink DAB radios. Our aim is to get clients to think differently about how they develop, distribute and market products to women."

 

(Source: Media)