Why brands want to sell to women

Women are often targeted by advertising and marketing brands. This is not only because most love to shop, but because they are particular about the specific needs in their households. And it is not just about fashion and beauty products, even those that are meant for men tend to woo the ladies in their campaigns, according to Red Evolution, a digital marketing agency.

A recent report by BSD Group, an advertising agency, and Ipsos, a market research firm made a list dubbed Top 100 Most Loved Brands by Women in Kenya was released on March 21, following research being conducted between January and March 2023.

"At least 97 per cent (of women) play a critical role in the purchase of products or services used in their households, while 78 per cent of their income goes to household purchases," said Chris Githaiga, Ipsos Managing Director.

The list had Safaricom in the lead, followed by M-Pesa, Airtel, Equity Bank, Naivas, Samsung, Nice and Lovely body lotion, Softcare sanitary products, GoTV and NHIF. Ladies also love Co-operative Bank, KCB Bank, Amara, Ramptons, Fanta, Menengai soap, Coca-cola, Always, Arimis and Toyota. Beauty brands featured on the list included Nice and Lovely, Zoe, Arimis and Nivea.

With women doing most of the shopping in the home, as well as actively participating in every other purchase, appealing to them using the right advertising and marketing strategies is increasingly important for brands. A report by Brand Strategy Insider, a brand consultancy firm, suggests that men tend to fixate on the present while women think long-term.

"Evolutionarily speaking, the male must bring home the bacon. No Dilly-Dallying. No excuses. The male is in the now and, above all else, is a pragmatist," Brand Strategy Insider reports.

It adds: "The female is oriented to the conceptual, to underlying dynamics, to the relationship between things, and stability over the long-term. The female understands and sees patterns over time."

The report issues principles that make a brand more appealing to women. These include authenticity rather than immediate appearance, quality- not just quantity and connectedness.

"Recognise that markets are numbers and that markets can be counted and the goodies duly noted. But numbers are not people. Women are people and people have personal feelings and social intentions," the report notes on its principle to consider their audiences as a society, and not just a market.

Forbes reports that to appeal to the millennial woman, brands should seek to inspire her, think visually and build 'age elasticity'. CNN reports that brands targeting women prosper when they work to challenge gender norms and empower women and girls.

"Fifty-two per cent of the more than 600 women surveyed online nationally said they have bought a product because they liked how the ad for it portrayed women, and 71 per cent of those surveyed said they believe brands should be held responsible for using their ads to promote positive messages to women and girls," CNN reported in its piece, Femvertising: Ads targeting women do plenty for brands.