Watch out, folks, a new book on the women’s consumer culture, In Women We Trust: A cultural shift to the softer side of business, by Mary Clare Hunt, is being published by WME Books. This book is going to change the way you see the softer side of business, especially if you’re a woman.
Author Mary Clare Hunt is a marketer, as well as part of the “target market” today’s companies are trying to reach. In her life as a partner in Interpret-her she works with companies to help them understand how all departments in business affect the female consumer, not just the marketing department.
As a consumer, she’s purchased 11 cars, furnished 7 homes, and bought groceries for over 24,000 meals. During that time she’s listened to kudos and complaints from women at all levels. When she says the women’s consumer culture is shifting – she’s speaking from professional experience and from inside the female community.
Hunt’s influential new book, In Women We Trust, and its accompanying blog, reveal the secrets of the “women’s consumer culture” in an effort to give everyone an equal opportunity to meet the needs of this powerful group of spenders.
Ms. Hunt says, “One day, I realized that all of my professional dealings were with – women. I hadn’t consciously chosen to work only with women, it happened over time. They were providing more value than men…and I liked working with them. In a way I had switched from brand XY to brand XX,” she kidded. A quick survey of her friends revealed that they felt the same way – they, too, were electing to work with women, choosing to do business within their own “culture” primarily because of the service.
Smart business professionals know that in today’s marketplace women are controlling more and more purchasing decisions. Hunt’s book delves well beyond the usual marketing tools of fancy advertisements and catchy slogans. “Women are interested in building connections and relationships with those whose values and communication skills match their own. It speeds up the trust building and makes business more fun,” says Ms. Hunt, “The challenge for companies is identifying the characteristics of ‘trust’ from a women’s perspective and then incorporating them throughout a company. Fortunately, the feminine culture is just that, a culture – learning to work within it is just part of a learning curve. In today’s world, that’s business as usual.”
In Women We Trust: A cultural shift to the softer side of business is for marketers and business professionals who may be aware of this cultural shift but aren’t quite sure how to instill change. And, it’s for their employees who, in most instances, are in a position to influence customers to a greater extent than expensive advertising and marketing promotions. It’s also for female consumers who take their purchasing power seriously.
In a world of social computing and word-of-mouth sales, In Women We Trust identifies an important new purchasing trend guaranteed to change the way you do businesses today.
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