Technology brands fail women

Consumer electronics brands and retailers will miss out on £600m this year because they are failing to connect with women, according to research from Saatchi & Saatchi.

A new report, entitled “Lady Geek”, reveals that 35% of female internet users surveyed said they would increase their spending on consumer electronics if marketers and retailers thought harder about how they approach them and offered more guidance in stores and on websites.

One in two women questioned said they walk out of shops and leave websites without buying anything because they are unable to find what they want, while one third do not feel confident enough to ask questions in stores. One respondent described electronics retailers as reeking of a “strong scent of man”.

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 do not view them as a relevant group of consumers.

Close to half the women surveyed said they go shopping for consumer electronics without a specific brand or product in mind, representing a significant opportunity for brand owners and retailers. Respondents also said they feel “patronised” and “offended” by the abundance of pink products aimed at women.

Saatchi & Saatchi planning director Belinda Parmar says: “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 diamante-encrusted mobile 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.”