Veronica Belmont Sums it Up Nicely: “Pink is the New STFU”

One of my soap boxes is how technology marketing (including video game marketing) thinks it can still reach women by slapping pink on a piece of gear and think it’s now “girl-friendly”.

Bullshit.

This is exactly the thing I talked about in my previous post: Marketing Video Games to Hardcore Girls: Ditch the Pink.

Veronica Belmont is one of my favorite tech-people.  Her analyses are generally spot on accurate, she’s got a keen insight in what tech works and what tech doesn’t.  She has deep roots in the tech community and I can almost always count on her analysis and encyclopedic knowledge of tech, including gaming, to give me good advice, which she does with style, clarity and an abundance of humor.

Her latest post, Pink is the new STFU, skewers NewEgg.com’s email for holiday gifts for women.  Here’s the screenshot:

She sums it up nicely:

You know what pisses me off? Getting a PR email from one of my favorite online retailers showcasing a buyers guide for “great gift ideas to pamper the women in your life,” including a pots and pans set, a hair dryer, and tons of gadgets in hot pink.

Thanks, Newegg. You sure know how to make women feel special!

Is this it?  Stuff for cooking and cleaning (oh and some tech) in Hot Pink?  Classy NewEgg.  Still, to be fair, I really enjoy NewEgg.com, they’re really one of the best online technology retailers and I have never had a bad experience with them.  However, it still seems that they’re in the same mindset that permeates most tech marketing that marketing for women = household gadgets and pink.

Not true.

Women in general tend to be value based shoppers, they look for the benefits of a purchase.  They look how their life will be easier, more productive, more fun and more enriched.  As a purchaser, they tend to take a more long term view of a purchase and weigh that against family, time, budget and perceived benefits.

According to a Harvard Business Study, 61% of technology purchases are unplanned by women who make up 82.5% of the shopping decision making.

When marketing technology to women consider the following:

• There needs to be an immediate recognition of VALUE.
• There needs to be a distinct visual identity differentiation.
• Focus on perceived value
• Provide features as it relates to value
• Avoid the “pink it and shrink it” look

So, thank you Veronica, what took me over 500 words to describe, you did it in 3 sentences.

Veronica Belmont Sums it Up Nicely: “Pink is the New STFU”