Industry Insider: What a Girl Wants (Same as a Guy)

I’m a girl, right?

So why did I have so much trouble judging entries for “Technology is a Girl’s Best Friend,” a showcase sponsored by the Consumer Electronics Association?

I reviewed countless flat-panel televisions, digital media adapters, handheld media players, even a portable weather-emergency station. I had the darndest time determining which of these products was particularly appealing to female sensibilities.

That’s because, with the exception of the portable media player that came in pink, my husband would like any of these products just as much as I, if not more so. He’s the one that made me return the new DVD player because it was silver, and everything else in our rack is black. Didn’t bother me. He’s the one who cringes at our 20-inch-thick rear-projection TV. I can live with it. He’s the one who swears when he can’t work the remote. I calmly figure it out.

With all the talk about selling to women, we’ve forgotten that men want the same things we do: ease of use, striking aesthetics, and a pleasurable buying experience.

At the recent CEA Industry Forum, representatives from Best Buy discussed the retailer’s female-centric “Jill” stores (see related story). The pilot store in Southern California evidently has done very well because it has a play area for kids, wider aisles, soothing music, and respectful salespeople. Duh!

One poor guy in the audience asked where he could find a Jill store near him.

It is true, manufacturers and resellers have done a lousy job over the years marketing to women. But they’ve done a lousy job marketing to men, as well.

When a woman shops for a digital camera, said one of the Best Buy managers, she wants to know the features and benefits of one camera versus another. So what does a guy want? A comparison of pixel counts and metering options?

I’m not saying that female-centric marketing is condescending to women. It’s condescending to men! I’m not offended one bit when salespeople assume I know nothing about technology. But why do they assume my husband knows something about component vs. composite video?

One of Best Buy’s consultants for the “Jill” project is a company called Just Ask a Woman, as in, if you want to know what a woman wants, just ask a woman. I say, if you want to figure out what a man wants, just ask a woman.

That’s because, when it comes to consumer electronics, the only difference between men and women is that men won’t admit they want prettier loudspeakers, more intuitive remotes and kinder salespeople.

When we treat men like they know (or should know) something about technology, we’re doing a terrible disservice to the electronics industry. Worse, we’re doing a disservice to the wives who have to return the stuff their husbands buy.

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CE Pro editor-at-large Julie Jacobson (.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)) handles the technology needs for the home; her husband used to do the grocery shopping until he read this article.