Whether it’s print or digital marketing, social media or public relations, a remarkable number of studies that have been conducted in recent years indicate women marketers outperform men. As one male marketing executive who teaches brand management to MBA students says, “To put it bluntly, women have a massive genetic advantage when it comes to marketing: their brains are better designed for it.” In fact, he says, women’s brains are built for these things and more:
• Empathy: This includes communication and emotional understanding, which can be important skills in marketing, because you need to get inside the head of the market and base your strategies on the real needs of consumers.
• Better market research: The secret to great market research has always been to start with qualitative research and then add inductive insight. Women are better able to integrate their thinking between understanding what is important to the consumer and measuring how important the variables are.
• Branding: One of the biggest challenges in branding is ensuring you understand the unique issues associated with each brand. You cannot take strategies and approaches that have worked for one, apply them to another and expect success. Women are much more likely to delve into the intricacies and specific details of a problem. Men, in contrast, are more likely to rely on global rules and generalized principles.
• Self talk: Another advantage for women when it comes to marketing is they tend to talk less about themselves in public settings and therefore, leave it to the pros. Think about a male leader like Jack Welch or Steve Jobs—men who liked to take center stage and speak for the brand. In reality, the chief executive is rarely the best person to represent the brand in front of the media or consumers. Female marketers are more likely to allow the right spokesperson to represent the brand.
The theme of this issue of NAWBO ONE is “Time to Shine” and includes the ever-timely topic of marketing. In it, you’ll read great tips to help your business—no matter the size or industry—shine. In our National Board member Q&A, you’ll read why and how a law firm owner embraced “women-owned” as part of her marketing strategy. Our Member Spotlight features a NAWBO member whose business provides beautifully created video content to help businesses shine.
Lastly, I hope you’ll consider all the amazing opportunities that await you next month at the National Women’s Business Conference on September 23-25, 2018 in Spokane, Washington. It’s such a great opportunity to market your business within the women business owner community that embraces the opportunity to support their own. We also have some exciting content lined up for you—from boosting your business with Facebook to using other digital marketing tools to grow. There’s still time to register! I hope to see you there.
—Molly Gimmel, 2018-2019 National Chair
