Marketing to Women - Lifecycle Performance Pros

48 PART TWO / The GenderTrends Marketing Model
day, what men want to see on their tombstone is this: I left my mark on
the world.
The way women see it. Women look at the world from the perspective
of the group. Their core unit is “we” (even if it’s only two), and the
best feeling in the world is being with people with whom you have a
lot in common. They take pride in their caring, consideration, and loyalty,
and one way they demonstrate that is by looking out for the others
in their informal clan—family, neighbors, friends, and coworkers.
They offer frequent suggestions and help, and maintain a kind of
“peripheral awareness,” always conscious of things that might be relevant
to someone they know and care about. Whether the issue is her
husband’s health, a colleague’s upcoming trip, or a friend’s son’s college
choice, a woman is constantly in “scan” mode; her clan is always
with her, like voices in her head. Many women go so far as to build
other people’s happiness into their definition of success: “I’m happiest
when I can succeed at something that will also make other people
happy” garnered agreement from only 15 percent of men but 50 percent
of women. 3
One of women’s highest values is a feeling of closeness and connection
with another person. As far as women are concerned, when two
people are really close, they want to know everything about each other.
They want to know the other’s dreams, doubts, and disappointments;
their favorite food, shoe store, and vacation spot; their medications,
worrisome moles, manicurist, and macaroni recipes. They even want
to know about yesterday’s tantrum and tomorrow’s meeting with the
contractor—nothing is too mundane or too personal. (I can feel the
men recoiling, holding the book a little farther away in case it’s contagious!)
For women, though, that’s the point, you see: getting personal.
To women, that’s a good thing.
Women believe that other people are just as important as oneself,
and that “we” all deserve equal consideration. That means each of us
has a responsibility to other people as well as to ourselves, and the best
outcome is the greatest good for the greatest number. The way the
world works (and should work) is through cooperation and mutual
support: “All for one, and one for all.” Other people are a source of
strength, a shoulder to lean on; everyone needs a hand now and then,