Why She Buys: The New Strategy for Reaching the World's Most Powerful Consumers

by Bridget Brennan

If the consumer economy had a sex, it would be female.
If the business world had a sex, it would be male.

And therein lies the pickle.

Women are the engine of the global economy, driving 80 percent of consumer spending in the United States alone. They hold the purse strings, and when they’ve got a tight grip on them as they do now, companies must be shrewder than ever to win them over. Just when executives have mastered becoming technology literate, they find there’s another skill they becoming female literate.

This isn’t always easy. Gender is the most powerful determinant of how a person views the world and everything in it. It’s stronger than age, income, or race. While there are mountains of research done every year segmenting consumers and analyzing why they buy, more often than not it doesn’t factor in the one piece of information that trumps them the sex of the buyer. It’s stunning how many companies overlook the psychology of gender when we all know that men and women look at the world so differently.

Bridget Brennan’s Why She Buys shows decision makers how to bridge this divide and capture the business of the world’s most powerful consumers just when they need it most.

• No Matter Where You Live, Women Are a Foreign You’ll discover the value in studying women with the same intensity that you would a foreign market. Women grow up within a culture of their own gender, which is often invisible to men. Brennan dissects this female culture and explains the important brain differences
between men and women that may cause your female customers to notice things about your products, marketing campaigns, or sales environment that you might have overlooked.

• The High There are five major trends driving the global female population that are key to determining their wants and needs. These global shifts are just beginning to be tapped by businesses, and learning about them can provide you with an invaluable blueprint for long-range planning.

• The Good, the Bad, and the Find out how the best and brightest companies have cracked the female code, and hear horror stories about those that haven’t. Through instructive case studies and interviews, Why She Buys provides practical, field-proven techniques that you can apply to your business immediately, from giants like Procter & Gamble and Toyota to upstarts like Method home-care products and lululemon athletica apparel.

At a time when every company is looking for a competitive advantage, Bridget Brennan offers a new and effective lens for capturing market share.

Genres: Business, Nonfiction, Psychology, Economics, Womens, Buisness

336 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[John Yelverton · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was just a sexist pile of drivel with no practical insights for the common salesman. This book is directed solely toward marketers, campaigners, and CEO's, and basically tells them to ignore men and focus solely on women. It is not worth your time at all.

[Gabriela · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a must read for marketers targeting women,


In this book, Bridget Brennan brilliantly reveals how many businesses may have overlooked the role of the female buyer in the customer economy, how she makes her purchasing decisions and why she influences other consumers' decisions. In her book Why She Buys, she shows how consumer decisions are influenced by gender; she makes the point that up to 80% of consumers are female and businesses should structure their marketing campaigns to focus on the needs of this influential consumer.

This book exceeds the mundane arguments of gender culture and perceptions. It delves deeper into how the female buyer purchases and why she makes these decisions. Women and men have different ways of looking at the world and they shop differently too. I like the point introduced here that businesses should be keen to understand the needs of the female consumer before marketing anything to her. The book is virtually what the female consumer wants to tell businesses but has not had the opportunity to.

If you are looking to stand out from the crowd of thousands of products targeting women, this book can help you to greatly differentiate your product at the shelves. It is a must read for marketers, brand managers, advertisers, men and women.

[Mardel Fehrenbach · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book; it was interesting, fast and enjoyable. But there was nothing groundbreaking here, although I suspect there is still quite a need for a book like this. Most of the points seemed obvious to me; but then, I am a woman. I worked in a company's marketing department 20 years ago and most of this information would have been news to the greater majority of our staff; it seems sad if it hasn't changed that much, and frankly I would not be surprised if it hasn't.

Entertaining and of the moment.

[Sruthy Pisharady · Rating 3 out of 5]

The blurb of this book was exciting since I am aware of how women as a consumer segment are not given importance by many organizations and industries. The author tries to tell us how female consumers think differently as opposed to male consumers with the help of many examples of successes and failures of various products. It also tries to make us understand how this can be used as a competitive advantage for firms. The book also brought to spotlight the pressing issue of lack of gender perspective in consumer insights and was able to garner public interest in this matter. What I really enjoyed were the examples from various brands and how the insights were simple yet powerful. However, what I did not enjoy was the repetition throughout the book. The book could have been cut short by many pages. A lot of ideas were over-explained that I felt like I had read this before. Moreover, I read this book more than 5 years after it was published, so I felt that many of these have now been implemented, so it was not as relevant as when it was published. Overall, it is a great page-turner, and the tone is very engaging. If you are looking to start reading business books, this book is a great one to start with before you move to more complex ones.

[Libby H.C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a female I found the book to be very illuminating – the whys of some of the innovations in customer service: the proliferation of customer feed-back surveys I receive, the ones I respond to and the ones I ignore, all cycle back into design of, or integration of changes to service levels. As an agent of customer service and a representative of a brand, it is an informative message of where the customer is actually directing their attention during down-times in service (line-ups, “on hold times”) or in instances of service interruptions when we don’t have the product and make counter-proposals, or offers to meet their needs, how satisfied are they with the outcome? How can we improve that?

Ms. Brennan addressed this in her book which was published in 2009, and re-issued in 2011. I wonder what she would change: of the suggested organizational changes to corporate structure to include more females in key stakeholder positions and in the design and planning processes to integrate more female-friendly or sensitive processes would she suggest we go further? Within home-building companies many changes have been made in the larger companies to include plans and footprints that take into account the needs of a working woman/mother trying to multi-task while cooking and supervising children. I can't speak to how responsive the automotive industry is as I have only been car-shopping in the presence of my husband and we have been respectfully addressed as a couple shopping but it may be different were I on my own. I think the industry is slowly evolving.

Within my own industry and store - a retail book unit -- males and females shop equally, with woman tipping the balance a bit in favour for their own or family-oriented shopping more often than males but the service model is very responsive to them because they ask for direction or assistance more often and welcome or ask for reading suggestions more readily.

I had conversations with my husband and son over dinner about the frequency they are sent customer feedback surveys electronically. While I receive at least two per week, they report receiving less than 1 per month typically. This would support the author's conclusions about women being more astute shoppers, more observant and more likely to report customer satisfaction results, and thus their views are sought more frequently than men's. These surveys proliferate and have doubtless increased in the last ten years as businesses seek a competitive edge and don't want to lose any customers to anything so easily preventable or remediable as customer service lapses.

While these are just a few of the eye-openers in the book, I would recommend it to anyone who is involved in customer service or interested in the field.

[Sergio Caredda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un libro che e’ un classico ormai. Per chi non lavora nel mondo aziendale, gran parte degli esempi citati potrebbero sembrare veramente banali. Ma e’ vero che troppo spesso le aziende non sanno considerare le donne come una vera parte della forza cliente. Come fare? Il libro non prova a dare ricette specifiche, se non qualche suggerimento abbastanza di alto livello. Comunque interessante per il livello di awareness che crea.

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is fascinating, not just from a business perspective but also a cultural one. I highly recommend it.

[Jill Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anyone in sales, marketing or retail needs to read this book. This is perhaps one of the most important books written in this field in years -- amazing and definitive.

[Melissa Potter · Rating 1 out of 5]

Overtly uber feminist. Buckets all women as fashion savvy, stylish and ultra feminine. I disagree with almost the entire sermon of a book.

[Damilola · Rating 3 out of 5]

Summary: Companies and corporations should focus more on strategies to woo women wince women have so much buying power as people who spend so much in the economy especially in light of changing demographics in America.

Context: For so long, corporate america has trained mostly male employees how to reach consumers the wrong way. Since so many men do not know the psychology of women and so many of those man are in middle level positions in corporate america, many corporations are missing out on wooing the their most profitable people group - women. While many strategies have been thought to get the female spender to spend (the color pink in women products, etc), the key to getting women to spend is actually very simple and corporations could benefit from having more women as their employees because women get women. One example of this explanation is that women like to see advertisements of how things do something as opposed to how things work.

Evaluation: I like this book but felt the thesis was not that compelling. It is something I could have read in a Consumer Report. That being said, it trained me to pick up on the antics that companies use to get me (as a woman) to spend. I hope to orient my budget and thought process in a way that is aware of these schemes. For example, Brennan noted that many marketing schemes rely on the understanding that consumers desire a product because they believe it will fulfill a long awaited fantasy. With this in mind, I hope to ask myself questions before buying products. "Based on my worldview, do I really believe that this thing will fulfill my fantasy? Are my fantasies even true to reality and what I believe about the world generally? If I believe that a makeup product (or any product) is meant to fulfill the fantasy I have of being "beautiful" for example, I would make sure to follow up with these questions.

[Stevie Deal · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book has some insightful information and really just emphasizes the need to know your target audience/ ideal customer and how they like things.

However it places a heavy emphasis on two genders (which again depends on your ideal customer but is alienating a growing part of the consumer market).

It also uses several stereotypes about women that aren't necessarily true. At several points why reading this what women likes or how they reacted or what they did were discussed and in those no way applied to me or the women that I know.

At one point The author mentions that one of the reasons a company has the policies that does is probably because it's CEO likes to dress in drag. That is not only completely irrelevant to the story they were trying to tell but is also unkind and not worth mentioning.

In conclusion I can save you the trouble of having to read this book by just telling you to look at your ideal customer, where and how they shop, What and why they buy and get to know them

[Andrea]

This book might be a life-changer for me as I have been contemplating starting a business run by women. Full of interesting statistics about the differences between men and women in terms of consumerism, so far I've learned that drowning victims are overwhelmingly male, that females are the biggest consumers and that by 2050, for the first time in global history, the global elderly will outnumber children. However, since the book was last published in 2011 before the global pandemic, I wondered if this statistic will change.

[Cornelia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book clues marketers into everything from gender differences to a typical day in the life of a woman to the top ten rules about female consumers. I love the chapter —Pink Is Not A Strategy. I love the way she did her Notes (bibliography page in the back) much simpler and less distracting than the usual way but all the pertinent info is there. If you market to women, I'm sure you'll find something helpful in this book.

[Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

I might be a little prejudiced, as I know the author! But I have to say, Bridget has a great style of writing. Her book is packed full of information and she lays out details of good marketing strategy. I know there is a difference in male and female psychological makeup, but Bridget does an incredible job of explaining how this impacts marketing decisions.

[Nollie · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 Stars. I think I was the wrong audience for this book. The first chapter was really redundant and a lot of it is just common sense stuff that women already know about themselves. I think it would maybe be more enlightening for men because of gender differences and understanding how women think and what makes them purchase things.

[Dennis Cuffel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was extremely helpful in understanding how 80% + of all purchases are executed or influenced by women. The purchasing framework for women and men are completely different. This book clearly describes the thought processes for men and women using both humor and real life examples.

[Sunna Coleman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant read, taught me so much about marketing and business and shined a light on how important women are as a consumer. Would recommend even as a general read as the insights into men and women and how they view the world are really interesting.

[Estela · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book made some interesting points. I appreciate that though she was making general statements regarding how and what women buy, she acknowledged that this did not speak for all female consumers.

[Carole Skees · Rating 3 out of 5]

For brands overlooking the shemale marketplace, this is a must; for others, it comes off obvious and outdated.

[Samantha Shawhan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This a great book for everyone to read. Men and women both!

[Budd Margolis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Outdated but still useful.

[Emily · Rating 1 out of 5]

Full of sexist overgeneralizations, lacking in substance.

[Yvonne Sening · Rating 2 out of 5]

Totally get the premise, and some good stuff within the pages, but felt as if the writer could have written the book in half of the content, and her target audience IMHO is a male audience.

[Debra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an interesting read for anyone who wants to market to women.

[Noah Sachs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Positives

When dealing with a hot topic like gender, I think it's important to approach it from a point of facts and science. And Brennan delivers on that front. Throughout the book, the discussion is fact-based and data-driven. Brennan uses data and scientific research to explain how women function during the purchasing process.

I also like that she goes over specific gender differences and explains why they exist and then shows us what the business implications of these differences are. She takes you through step-by-step and answers three important questions. What differences exist? Why do they exist? How do they impact business?

Negatives

The only negative is that I would have preferred a global perspective on the female consumer market. There are two great sections that focus on India and China and the history and transformation of women and business, however both sections are very brief. I think Brennan could have explained the global impact of women in business instead of solely speaking from an American perspective.

Who should read this?

If you're developing a brand/product, this book will teach you how to effectively market towards women, even if the product you are offering is gender neutral. I think men working in teams (that hopefully include women) would benefit from this book, as it would shed light on a variety of issues women face in business and give you a new perspective on how to market products. I always find it difficult to identify who a book is intended for, because I think that there are lessons in almost any book that can apply to different people. Although this book focuses on women and business, there are parts of it that apply to a daily life. The ability to empathize and understand other people's needs and perspectives is a skill that will bode well both at home and in the office.

Full book review on my blog

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

It seems pretty obvious that companies need to pay attention to women, who make many of the household purchases and influence scors of others. Yet some companies just don't seem to get it. Using a lively, entertaining writing style, Bridget Brennan shows us examples of companies that do - from Procter & Gamble, which actually has employees follow women around in their daily lives to gain an understanding of how its products could be improved, to lululemon, which brings in yoga enthusiasts as local ambassadors even before opening its doors in a market. It also drives home the point that so many companies today need to learn - the importance of standout customer service. You know, things like making sure consumers calling your company can actually reach a living, breathing human being. A good read for men - and women too - who want to understand a little more just how to reach the gender that's so influential in the marketplace.

[Joe Robles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another of the books I've been reading to become better at my job. "Why She Buys" gives great insight into the female consumer. The ideas in this book should be able to give any business new life and increased sales. Heck this book has a billion dollar idea hidden in it. Remake the car industry so shopping is pleasurable and more people will buy. It's such a simple fact, but true. No one, but women especially don't, enjoys shopping for a car. And in this day and age women STILL take a man with them to car dealerships out of fear they'll be cheated if they're alone! Auto industry, to quote a mechanic, "that's your problem right there."

[Christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had to skim sections in this book because it had to be returned to the library, but the premise and evidence is fascinating (and well, obvious to me as a woman). Advertising executives either sell well to the female gender or they disregard them at their own peril and well, the results are laughable. The author gives great examples of companies who "get it": Apple, Lexus, Vera Bradley, P&G, and the list goes on. The author gives tons of practical advice, which makes this book a "must read" for any man or woman (who might be discounting her female intuition in her business decisions) in the advertising and PR biz.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book. This is a MUST READ for any executive that is responsible for a budget, and using resources to reach this very powerful base - Women! Ignore them at your own peril. No matter your sector, business (small, medium, corporate, global or micro), politics, or community based organizations (profit or not), please read this book. One company (employer) I just completed a project with lost $200,000 in business and cost one of our partners $2,000,000 sales because key factors in this book were ignored. Please don't make this mistake. Read the book, savor the knowledge, then APPLY IT! IMMEDIATELY!

[Jim Geovedi · Rating 4 out of 5]

While there are mountains of research done every year segmenting consumers and analysing why they buy, more often than not it doesn't factor in the one piece of information that trumps them all: the sex of the buyer. In her crusade to teach marketers to become female-literate, Brennan offers very practical advice, urging readers to think twice before using overtly masculine competitive messages, to avoid violent images and language, and to realise that women, focused on practicality rather than cool bells and whistles, require fairly sophisticated marketing: pink is not a strategy, she reminds us tartly.