The Power of a Women's Purse
November 27, 2011
This quote, from Susan B. Anthony, the leader in women's suffragist movements, if you ask me, is important today for so many reasons:
"Woman must have a purse of her own & how can this be, so long as the wife is denied the right to her individual and joint earnings."
I relate more to the purse of her own part than the rest. Certainly, today, we do not usually worry about a woman (a wife) having personal access to her own money, and to the family account. It may happen in some places, mostly outside of the U.S. , but here, any woman who is being denied access to her own money and to the collective accounts of the households, needs to get some legal help.
Today, I'm reminded of the Susan B. Anthony quote as we move from Black Friday into Christmas holiday shopping mode.
Women, of course, will be doing the majority of the shopping. Women starting at the age of... maybe as young as 10. Girls get it early on. Either they learn it from their Moms, or they are indoctrinated by their friends. Regardless of how it comes to them, girls love shopping as much as their older siblings and the adult women in their lives.
While I am confident of a woman's power in the shopping arena, I don't expect readers to just accept my word for it. Studies show the reality. "Our research helps illustrate just how massive an opportunity exists for marketing to women and the advantage of developing technology and products that speak to their needs and improve their lives,” said Linda Abraham, comScore’s chief marketing officer, when the [comScore Global report of "Women on the Web" 2010] report was released.
The study goes on to show that women are avid users of twitter and Facebook, and we frequent social shopping sites, group buying sites, and more. We're eager to get the best deal and we think it's probably online.
If you're selling online, I've said for years that you need to be selling to women. It's more so now than ever before. Here are some specifics of selling online ... targeting women:
- Gender stereotypes: The Venus/Mars divide has blurred since early studies concluded that “women are on a mission” and “men won’t research.” Reports comScore: “Women are just as likely [as men] to manage their money online, and moms and grandmothers have emerged as online gamers along with high school- and college-aged boys.”
- Retail preferences: Women and men choose different kinds of retailers. Men gravitate toward pure-play retailers (Amazon.com, Netflix) while women are equally drawn to multichannel retailers (Best Buy, Target) as well as Web-only merchants.
I love the focus on women, by serious marketers. Truth is, even small businesses need to learn more about their women customers and understand her shopping habits online. Forrest, the online research company says, "Online combined with 'web-influenced sales' will be a staggering 53 percent of total retail sales by 2014." Which is right around the corner. I'm thinking we'll see a hint of how true that is in the coming weeks of holiday shopping.
Let's not forget Susan B. Anthony, either.
We can help support the Susan B. Anthony House by purchasing this new alligator purse - proceeds benefitting the historical museum in Rochester NY, where this great woman lived in days gone past.
"In 2010, the Susan B. Anthony House introduced 'Ms. Anthony: a Purse with a Purpose' designed by the Abigail Riggs Collection. This contemporary handbag has two purposes: to share the story of Susan B. Anthony, champion of woman's independence, and to generate income to sustain her llegacy through the Susan B. Anthony House."
Watch for "personalized, even geo-aware offers and recommendations [what are known as 'triggered' touch points], auto-replenishment programs - no more running out of shampoo or pet food - and better product information, ranging from video tutorials to consumer-generated opinions and reviews," the experts say.
I say, watch women take over the net... as if we haven't, already. So, am I right? Best answer wins $100. Answer must include the stats presented in the article linked here... from paragraph 4: percent of dollars spent. Good luck!
Lip-sticking is part of an online influencer network for Business on Main. I receive incentives to share my views on a monthly basis. All opinions are 100% mine.
You know, that does help. I am not sure I am totally persuaded, but I think I understand and can appreciate your position more thoroughly.
Posted by: Paulina | December 13, 2011 at 12:31 AM
@Paulina, Susan B was about a woman's independence and that involved having a Purse of Her Own. So, this is a perfect example of staying true to her teachings. It gives every woman a purse of her own. We use our purses to buy necessities as much as we use them to buy luxuries. In this day and age, those necessities are ever more important, I think. The purse is symbol and follows true to her statement that women need a purse of their own, which means money of their own. Does that help?
Posted by: Yvonne DiVita | December 06, 2011 at 09:19 AM
When you say "In 2010, the Susan B. Anthony House introduced 'Ms. Anthony: a Purse with a Purpose' designed by the Abigail Riggs Collection. This contemporary handbag has two purposes: to share the story of Susan B. Anthony, champion of woman's independence, and to generate income to sustain her llegacy through the Susan B. Anthony House." I am confused. It sounds like Susan B was talking about the right to a woman's own money, not the right to shop. I am confused about the legitimacy of this interpretation. Unless I am missing something (which I totally could be), Susan was not talking about a literal hotshot purse. It comes off kind of sexist in that it is perpetuating the stereotype of women and shopping and consumerism. I know plenty of women who hate shopping. I feel like I need more from this post.
Posted by: Paulina | December 06, 2011 at 12:31 AM
I think women are just expected to go out and purchase whatever is necessary for their family. To some men it has become atypical to see men shopping alone whether if it is in the mall or at your local target. In a way it has become a stereotype in our society. However, I believe marketers can market to women so much better than they do now. As with men, if you feature a good looking women on you ad they are tempted to purchase the product.
Posted by: Diana | December 03, 2011 at 09:26 PM
@Mary - I can always count on you to bring reality to the table. Can you explain (maybe write a post?) about how our purse power work when we choose NOT to buy as a first option? I'm intrigued.
@Zsa Zsa - what makes you buy? Tell us how marketers could serve you better in another comment.
Posted by: Yvonne DiVita | November 30, 2011 at 10:30 AM
If you're shopping for toys for boys, men rule. (computers, games, shoes) (Sorry guys, the tweets around Black Friday reinforce this statement.) If you're concerned about things that are purchased 52 weekends a year, then focus women.
That said, if Black Friday proved one thing it's that even if we have no money, we can still be sent on a guilt trip and buy "something" we could do without the day before.
We'll know when women own and use their purse power when we choose NOT to buy as the first option.
Posted by: Mary | November 29, 2011 at 12:41 PM
A woman's purchasing power is indeed amazing. Today, more than ever, it's more important for marketers to know how to effectively market to women!
Posted by: Zsa Zsa | November 28, 2011 at 04:22 AM