The 80% Minority: Reaching the Real World of Women Consumers

Janet Arnett is the former campus manager of adult education at Ontario’s Georgian College. She is the author of Antiques and Collectibles: Starting Small, The Grange at Knock, and 673 Ways to Save Money.

Women either make or influence 80 percent of all consumer purchasing
decisions. Yet they are largely invisible to manufacturers and
marketers.

Every woman reading this insightful report will have tales to tell of
personal experiences similar to Yaccato’s accounts of how women are
ignored in the marketplace. Tales such as asking a salesperson a
question, only to have the response directed to a male companion. Tales
of paying more than men do for the same service. Or of applying for
services and being asked for a husband’s signature.

This book is about how women are portrayed in advertising; how they are
treated by manufacturers, financial institutions, and retailers; and how
corporate Canada “just doesn’t get it,” but continues to think
that marketing to women means making sure their product comes in pink.

Yaccato defines “gender intelligence” and examines its component
parts, providing a road map to success for companies interested in
reaching—or at least not offending—the largest part of the consumer
market. She also uses lots of real-world examples, both positive and
negative, that draw in the reader and keep the pages turning. While her
style is smooth and easy to read, her message should be taken very
seriously by any company interested in increasing sales and
profitability.