What does a woman want - online?

Editor’s note: Nima Srinivasan is vice president of Added Value, a Los Angeles research firm. Edwin Wong is director, B2B strategic research and insights, at Yahoo!, Burbank, Calif.

Much has been said and written about the complex, capricious nature of women. As Sigmund Freud famously said: “The great question that has never been answered, and which I have not yet been able to answer, despite my 30 years of research into the feminine soul, is ‘What does a woman want?’”

So should we care to understand why they do what they do? Can we succeed where Freud failed? Do women need anything beyond diamonds, flowers and babies?

The simple answer to all these questions is “Yes.” Over the next decade, women will control two-thirds of consumer wealth in the United States and they currently account for 85 percent of all consumer purchases (Source: She-conomy). The sub-groups within the broad segment of women (working women, moms, mom bloggers, Boomers, high net worth women) are all high-priority targets for marketers.

This article will examine findings from our Connectonomics study, which explores women’s fundamental needs, how they use online channels to meet those needs and where they are most receptive to marketing messages. The research highlights a new approach to online portfolio management that distinguishes online channels not by their functionality but by the needs they meet and their potential to engage women.

Knowing what women want, where they go online and how receptive they are to ads could result in a better return on marketing investment. Marketing effectiveness, we could say, is a function of target needs, online channels and openness or receptivity of the target. Connectonomics helps decode each of the three variables in this faux-equation:

Marketing Effectiveness = ƒ (Target Needs + Online Channels + Receptivity to Marketer Messages)

Penetrate this façade

Social commentary perpetuates many female stereotypes and this becomes the backdrop in which women have to operate. It’s one of the factors that shapes who women are and what they aspire to be. Our understanding of women had to penetrate this façade and unravel what lies beneath. It needed to identify what really made them feel happy or sad, empowered or vulnerable. We had to figure out what women really wanted.

The study was designed to be comprehensive and account for all perspectives - consumers, experts and marketers. We used a sequential, multiphase research approach (see sidebar) so that each stage could build on previous learning.

Eleven communication channels/content sites were studied: women’s lifestyle sites (Yahoo! Shine, iVillage, SheKnows, etc.), special interest sites (CafeMom, BabyCenter, etc.), social networking sites, Twitter, e-mail (for personal use), blogs, online community groups, message boards, instant messaging, review sites and local groups.

Evolving constantly

The role of women and what they do is evolving constantly. As detailed in Figure 1, today’s woman is aware of her challenges and does not seek to be a flawless superwoman as some of her predecessors aspired to be. The Internet now provides access to information, answers and a sisterhood that women did not have before. They use this as a tool to build identities and resolve insecurities.

Women are very conversant about the different online applications and sites they use - e-mail, message boards, Facebook, CafeMom, BabyCenter, etc. The reasons they use these outlets are just as diverse - to connect with “people like me,” to find out information, for fun, to escape, to talk to another adult.

The 30-minute interviews (see Step 2 in sidebar below) were used to dig beneath the obvious needs such as “to connect with friends” to unearth subconscious needs like belonging, validation and self-improvement. In the quantitative survey (Step 3) consumers evaluated simple statements heard in the interviews such as: be confident; be relaxed; be smarter; be exposed to other points of view; express frustrations; and be provocative. Respondents indicated the extent to which they identified with each statement. Their responses were factor-analyzed to yield need states shown in Figure 2.

Needs that drive women fall on a spectrum that has inner-directed personal growth at one end and outer-directed validation at the other. The other aspect that defines women is their willing reliance on others and finding strength by connecting with others rather than self-reliance alone.

Some needs are more prevalent than others and cluster in the top-right-hand corner of Figure 2 and quite accurately portray what women want:

  • Repair and Healing (a need to recover from feeling vulnerable);
  • Mutual Sharing (sharing and bonding over experiences, concerns, feelings);
  • Release and Escape (break from the usual, vent frustrations);
  • Improve Myself (educate self, grow professionally);
  • Affectionate Closeness (be close to people);
  • Care of Self (invest in personal interests and needs to become a better person);
  • Bargain Hunting (save money); and
  • Be Enabled (be efficient, productive).

The need to be fiercely independent without relying on others or be provocative is a less prevalent need for women.

More strongly than others

We know women have various need states, use many channels and all or most of them are consumers. This study helped illustrate how some channels deliver on certain need states more strongly than others.

Some of the current commentary on Facebook portrays it as an informal but popular forum that encourages narcissism, self-promotion and a need for validation. Is it really that shallow? Or is there more to it? And what about the other channels that are less widely discussed and profiled - the ones that don’t get their own Hollywood movie or a Time magazine nod? Are they any less important in the context of what they deliver to women?

We may have preconceived notions on which of these channels delivers what, but as we dissect this complex ecosystem, some of the actual dynamics deviate from what may be widely believed. Each of these online channels delivers on some of top need states for women.

Women’s lifestyle sites (Yahoo! Shine, iVillage, SheKnows, etc.) deliver strongly on almost all need states, which explains why certain women-centric magazines work so well for women. They may not always support a great deal of content creation, but they are about helping women be more satisfied human beings and consumers. Some of the needs satisfied: Care of Self, Bargain Hunting, Improve Myself, Be Enabled.

Special interest sites might be about a niche interest but are hugely relevant to consumers and deliver on most of the top need states. They facilitate sharing and a sense of release and escape (e.g., scrapbooking or DIY sites). Focusing on a specific interest also provides validation and a sense of being the best and in control. Sites like BabyCenter and CafeMom also offer Repair and Healing when one can talk about personal concerns, problems and failures.

Social networks clearly demonstrate an informal, communal, news and information sharing platform. This is where people go to hang out and broaden perspectives. Its relevance in a shopping context is weaker (low on Bargain Hunting). Needs satisfied: Care of Self, Affectionate Closeness, Mutual Sharing, Release and Escape, Broadening Horizons, Be In The Know.

Twitter works for a small group of women but for this minority it is a huge draw. It brings out the more competitive, provocative, alpha-dog streak in women, specifically bloggers. A strong need to be acknowledged also pops, which is heightened among bloggers. Needs satisfied: Care of Self, Affectionate Closeness, Mutual Sharing, Release and Escape, Broadening Horizons, Validation, Be In The Know, Being The Best, Social Currency, Pushing The Limits, Up The Ante.

E-mail use is prevalent, hugely relied upon and helps women feel close to what matters and in control. Needs satisfied: Care of Self, Be Enabled, Affectionate Closeness, Mutual Sharing, Release and Escape, In Control.

Instant messaging, not surprisingly, is very weak on most need states and delivers primarily on Mutual Sharing alone.

Blogs allow for introspection, improving self and sharing. They also help followers/bloggers to be in the know and push limits - driven by the ability to question and discuss societal norms. Needs satisfied: Care of Self, Improve Self, Mutual Sharing, Be In The Know, Pushing The Limits.

Online communities can foster a close-knit and engaged group and within this forum there is potential to satisfy all the need states. If you are not part of an online community group, you may feel nothing for it. But for women who are a part of a group - like a mommy group, car lovers or Harley-Davidson Owners Group (H.O.G) - this channel very effectively taps into helping them identify with who they are, what they want and what they love to do.

Message boards help users focus on themselves - the burning questions, problems or concerns they have. As with blogs, the less-prevalent but somewhat wilder, possibly anti-establishment need states are addressed as well. This is evident in the tone of some of the more contentious, provocative comment threads seen in this forum. Needs satisfied: Care of Self, Improve Self, Mutual Sharing, Release and Escape, Broadening Horizons, Repair and Healing, Be In The Know, Social Currency, Pushing The Limits, Up The Ante.

Online review sites are very effective in delivering not just the top need states but also deliver on Control - helping consumers feel like they know what they are doing and what’s going on. This can be very critical in a cluttered, overwhelming world of brand and product options. This is one of the few channels that facilitate Bargain Hunting - a top need state.

Local groups like online community groups draw in an engaged crowd who get a lot from this channel, but this refers more to the local level - nearby school or church groups. It taps into the need to build a better community, which provides meaning and purpose.

Enable social connections

Most articles on social media best practices tend to talk about Facebook, Twitter or some obscure emerging technology. Interestingly, women see social media as all online channels that enable social connections or sharing, not just the much-hyped duo of Facebook and Twitter. E-mail and social networks are used most widely and frequently. But as seen from the needs+channels equation it’s clear that these aren’t the only two ways of reaching out to women.

Women in the groups (Step 4 of the research) drew a map of their online journeys. These indicated not just the paths they take but also how they pull information from one source and share it somewhere else or build on it or comment on it. A function of “Sharing” was defined to reflect creation of content, sharing opinions, sites and videos and “Receiving” to represent consumption of content.

All online channels facilitate both Sharing and Receiving (Figure 3) - some more proficiently than others. Social networking, e-mail and IM facilitate more sharing, while the rest either promote more receiving or are equally matched. This dynamic provides an idea of how each channel is being used and what it does: facilitates creation, provides information, helps decision-making, etc. Receiving is what informs many important decisions. The role of content becomes clear since that’s what draws the target in, engages them and keeps them coming back for more. Social networking enables a lot of sharing but is used less for receiving.

Women’s lifestyle and special interest sites are critical when looking for more sensitive information that might require the user to maintain their anonymity - something that allows them to be vulnerable. Facebook or social networking is about projecting their ideal self - the best photos, achievements, etc. To air out and resolve their problems, they preferred the shroud of anonymity offered by content sites.

The conversation in digital marketing is often about one channel becoming obsolete and the emergence of the next big trend. What’s clear from the range of channels used and how women said they use them in the research is that it’s not so much about replacement as much as about portfolio management from the consumer’s point of view.

Channels like Twitter and Facebook are seen as sources of casual connections that are more public and transient. They are great for trading information, getting news and updates. But these channels do not deliver on all the need states that are important to women. Mutual Sharing, Release and Escape, Improve Self, Care of Self - these are all about personal improvement and overcoming challenges. Something more personal that reveals vulnerability - concern about whether a spouse is cheating, a child that’s acting out, body image or health concerns - is generally not for public sharing. This is where women seek out a forum or channel that’s more private, even anonymous, where they can seek empathy, assurance and solutions. For this they turn to special interest, women’s sites or blogs - there is a deeper emotional investment here.

The anonymity becomes important when they are that vulnerable because it is a safe haven where they cannot be judged and yet find others who face the same issues and possibly solutions for how they overcame these problems (Figure 4).

While women are more ready today to embrace their flaws, they still want to focus on self-improvement. There is a need to come across and be acknowledged as being in control (for the most part) especially in forums like Facebook. Sharing instances or photos of personal success - involving their kids, a recent vacation, a great new recipe - is a public celebration coupled with some need for validation. But when it’s a time to heal or resolve issues that bring them down, they turn to a more private sisterhood. In the research, even women who have healthy relationships with their mothers, sisters or girlfriends did not always want to discuss their personal insecurities with them. Frustration over staying at home and not being able to work, for instance, is something that’s better resolved by talking to other stay-at-home moms in online forums rather than those known to her, who may judge her more critically or offer unsolicited/unwanted advice.

Anonymity and personal relevance are of tremendous importance to women and speak directly to key need states. A lot of the conversation on digital and social media marketing is about how to get consumers’ attention on Facebook or Twitter. In the research, women said they are least-receptive to ads on Facebook - because they liken it to a bar or a social space which is about fun and a brand encroaching in that space feels disingenuous.

Content-centric sites like women’s lifestyle, special interest and online review sites garner higher levels of engagement. The audience is there because they find interesting, relevant content. This is where they are more likely to find information on new products or anecdotes that helped them make purchase decisions (Figure 5). Ads or promotions tied into that content feel more organic than forced. Not surprisingly, they are more receptive to ads on content sites. Content-centric sites have far more impact through the course of the purchase funnel and opportunities to use the social media component of these sites should be harnessed.

While social networking sites may be used to spread news, info and personal updates, it’s women’s lifestyle sites, special interest sites and online review sites that are relevant and impactful marketing channels from the female target’s perspective.

No silver bullet

It’s no surprise that there is no online silver bullet. Many of the online channels can be used successfully in a marketing context. Connectonomics provides some clues on how to optimize messages and placement. It helps illustrate the needs that matter to women, how different channels deliver on them and how receptive women are on each channel. Accounting for these three aspects could help amplify results and return on investment.

The study helps decode the complex interplay of need states, receptivity, receiving and sharing that plays out on each of the 11 channels. To close, here are some of the main takeaways.

Needs

Key findings 

  • A comparison of the need states of women revealed that age, life stage, occupation and the presence of kids do not result in radical differences in need states. At this basic, deeper level, they are more similar than different.
  • Understanding need states is key to knowing women’s motivations, drivers and what they really care about.

Action items

  • Think in context of need states to ensure messaging hits the right notes to yield brand and product promises that truly resonate with the target.

Channels

Key findings

  • Think about who and what she is connecting with, what she is sharing and how often she uses it.
  • Different channels deliver on different need states and women use a mix of channels and sites to fulfill these need states.
  • Content sites have deep appeal for women and deliver strongly on many need states. The shroud of anonymity enables deeper, more delicate conversations.
  • Social networks facilitate a lot of sharing and staying in touch but they are not seen as the most ideal space for advertising and marketing messages.
  • E-mail continues to be one of the stronger channels in terms of usage and a great channel for content-sharing.
  • Online review sites have significant impact in shaping consumer decisions as well.

Action items

  • Understand how each of the online channels work to ensure more effective advertising placement, content sponsorships and different kinds of consumer sharing.

Receptivity

Key findings

  • If the consumers are more receptive to marketers on a channel, ads there are bound to be more effective.

Action items

  • Currently, review sites and content sites appear to be some of the strongest channels in helping consumers through the purchase journey.
  • It’s important to note that the implication is not that effective ads can never be made on Facebook but knowing the audience, their mind-set and receptivity there can only help create more effective ads and promotional messages. This is a great forum for ads targeted at loyalists or enabling an ongoing dialogue with the brand if the brand has a steady stream of “new” news.

The research behind Connectonomics

The techniques and thinking that drove each stage of the Connectonomics research were designed to produce a fresh, deep, accurate and relevant picture of women’s online connections.

Step 1 - Knowledge assessment: current research recap

Review of 20 women-centric studies and articles in the past year, to understand current thinking on women’s attitudes, motivations, behaviors and online media usage.

Step 2 - Needs-harvesting: Insight collection from multiple angles through one-on-one exploration

The process yielded a wide range of “needs” statements in simple consumer language.

Consumer perspective: Twenty 30-minute interviews (dipsticks) among women of various demographic backgrounds gave researchers a window into what online channels they use and why they use them. The majority of these interviews were conducted over the phone to give the women the security of not being judged and to get at core needs, aspirations and complexes.

Contrast perspective: Five 30-minute interviews were conducted among men to isolate insights that stemmed from gender differences, rather than other demographic variables like age, occupation, life stage, etc.

Expert perspective: Five 30-minute interviews were conducted with bloggers, industry insiders and online content experts to add more dimension to the story.

Step 3 - Quantitative validation: Understanding needs, channels and receptivity across a broad sample of 3,000 respondents

Needs-cluster generation: Needs responses were factor-analyzed and scored at the respondent level with scale-effect removed to yield highly correlated need states that accurately reflect motivational drivers for women today. An augment of mommy-bloggers was included to study this high-priority subgroup.

Contrast perspective: An audit of 500 men was included to attribute findings to gender.

Step 4 - Contextual exploration: Mini-groups in Denver and New York City to get group dynamic (since the sisterhood equation or relying on others is critical to women)

Needs exploration: Specific need states were explored further to get motivational, behavioral and reaction audits.

Connections exploration: The connections or bridges between need states, channels and receptivity were established using qualitative tools like metaphor cueing, online trawling and projective techniques.