SURPRISE – WOMEN RULE THE HOUSING WORLD

There is an old expression that the male of the species have often confronted and suffered from - “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned!” This is obviously true in personal relationships but has become even more so in the marketing of housing.
Women may represent 50% of the consumer market but in fact reflect 80% of the buying decision. When all the bricks and sticks are essentially the same the new home purchase is primarily influenced by emotion not structural appeal.

Design and merchandising that is targeted to emotion will win every time. Capturing and defining a woman’s emotional hot button has been the challenge of the ages.

Relieve the Stress
Saturn has specifically aimed their advertising and car show rooms towards women. Their primary thrust has been improving customer service and the buying experience for a new automobile.

Make the buying experience painless by facilitating easy access to facts and information by becoming a service agent not a sales agent.

Give the consumer a truly memorable space to imagine relaxation by creating a yoga retreat or luxurious home spa instead of the typical exercise room! Ten years ago there were fewer than 1000 spa retreats in the U.S. market – today there are over 30,000.

Stress is the by-product of a busy chaotic world. Women tend to be the managers of stress, seeking a delicate balance in family relationships.

The disenchantment with traditional working environments is a clue to merchandisers to design soft sales offices that engage emotional appeal and make the experience fun.

Duplicate the feeling of the most emotional room in the house for the sales office. Depending on the market create a family room type focus or an elegant living room feel.

Have Some Fun
Emotional appeal will always stimulate a decision. In our hurried, stressful lives women will remember humour and the fun experience.

Orchard Ridge Homes opened a new project recently in Mississauga in a brutally competitive environment. The sales environment had the traditional marketing components but added a family room with full kitchen. The "trailer" was wired for sound inside and out. Local Girl Guides were engaged to supervise and entertain prospects children. The family room spilled outdoors to an active playground. The result was a fun and energetic sales environment filled with emotion. Their sales results were spectacular.

Design Appeal
Today, active workingwomen look for very specific design advantages. Orient the kitchen sink towards the family areas, the television niche, the fireplace, and not necessarily the rear yard. The objective is to make the kitchen sink the command centre with a better view of family activities. The floating island kitchen addresses this interactive need but incorporate a bank of upper cabinets or larger drawer for dish storage next to the dishwasher. Locate the refrigerator next to the breakfast area because it is the appliance that is used the most after the family is settled (particularly with children).

Master suites are the last refuge for the workingwoman. As part of this special area think about the new “work triangle” the activities leading up to getting ready for work and zoning the master bath for dual use.

Women are demanding his and her vanity spaces and closets. Flexible design will incorporate sitting area or defined retreats in the master suite. Further demands are for incorporated rooms off the master for an office or retreat. There is even demand for his and her offices.

The influence of women in the marketplace has been well documented. Their impact on new housing is enormous. Reach out and capture an emotional appeal to women in your merchandising and your product.

Surprise – thrill your customer and your sales will soar.

Keep Positive!
PMA Brethour Group
Andrew Brethour
Marketing & Sales Consultant to the New Home Industry
andrewb@pmabrethour.com