Gender marketing as a new holistic marketing approach has been intensely discussed over the last couple of years. At the first glance it can surely appear discriminating to differentiate customers by gender, but the genuine intention of gender marketing is to accept and appreciate both genders as they are and develop products according to their gender specific needs. Therefore, it is important to understand that by talking about gender it does not imply talking about fixed roles of males and females in society. Those roles have changed significantly over the last decades and are expected to continue changing over upcoming years. It rather means taking gender specific needs, wishes and characteristics in consideration while developing products and company strategies in order to achieve long-term success and customer loyalty.
But why is this even relevant? Women have been buying products anyway, right? Certainly, women have been buying products without a gender specific approach already. However, the truth is that our markets are saturated and the flood of information customers are confronted with everyday exceeds their cognitive ability. This itself shows the importance of tailoring products as well as communication strategies to customers’ needs. Additionally, as mentioned above, social statuses of men and women have been changing continuously. As a result of women’s access to higher education, better careers and with that higher incomes independence of women has enhanced over time.
Even if women already have a strong purchasing power, it has not reached its full potential, yet. What also comes along with being independent and earning own money, is making ones own decisions. Women and men differ in their general decision making process and buying behavior. Thinking of women already buying products, which do not perfectly fit their needs, in an environment (either offline or online) they do not feel completely comfortable in, it can lead to an enormous competitive advantage to adjust product and selling strategies to your customers’ needs.Transferring this to e-commerce and buying behavior online, there are significant differences between male and female throughout the decision making process that draw companies‘ attention in order to optimize communication strategies and product development.
Table of Contents
1 INTRODUCTION
2 GENDER MARKETING
2.1 DEFINITION OF GENDER MARKETING
2.2 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND AND PAST DEVELOPMENT
3 RISE OF E-COMMERCE
3.1 DEFINITIONS, PAST DEVELOPMENT AND TRENDS
3.2 DEFINITION AND DIFFICULTIES OF ONLINE MARKETING
3.3 DEMOGRAPHIC INTERNET USER DATA
3.4 ONLINE MARKETING TOOLS
3.4.1 SEO
3.4.2 SEARCH ENGINE ADVERTISING
3.4.3 DISPLAY ADVERTISING
3.4.4 TRACKING & AFFILIATES
3.4.5 ECRM
3.4.6 SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING & INFLUENCER
3.4.7 MOBILE MARKETING
3.4.8 ONLINE PRICING-STRATEGIES
4 CONSUMER INSIGHTS/ PREPARATION FOR THE SURVEY
4.1 CONSUMER BEHAVIOR MODEL
4.2 PAY-WHAT-YOU-WANT PRICING MODEL
4.3 ARISING HYPOTHESIS’S BY CONSUMER INSIGHTS
5 STUDY
5.1 SURVEY DESIGN
5.2 DESCRIPTIVES
5.3 METHODS, MODELS
6 RESULTS
7 CONCLUSION, CRITICISM AND OUTLOOK
Research Objectives and Core Topics
This thesis examines the intersection of gender marketing and e-commerce to identify how business strategies can be optimized by understanding gender-specific consumer behavior and preferences. The central research question explores whether tailoring online marketing communication and pricing models—specifically the Pay-What-You-Want (PWYW) approach—to gender-specific needs leads to higher customer satisfaction, loyalty, and willingness to pay.
- Analysis of gender-specific differences in online search and purchasing behavior.
- Evaluation of the Pay-What-You-Want pricing model in the context of digital services.
- Comparison of male and female responses to various digital marketing tools and communication strategies.
- Investigation into the influence of trust, security perceptions, and relationship-orientation on online buying decisions.
- Development of empirical insights into willingness-to-pay factors and the effectiveness of gender-targeted marketing interventions.
Excerpt from the Book
2.1 Definition of Gender Marketing
To understand the full scope of gender marketing, a few terms have to be defined and differentiated. One of the most confusing terms is the word gender itself. Gender is not only the differentiation between male and female as the biological sex. Instead, it incorporates the social status of both sexes, which is influenced inter alia by education, age, family status, income situation as well as career aspects. Changes have been considerably for both sexes during the last decades, resulting in a change of roles, especially for women. Since this is an ongoing process, change is expected to continue.
Before the women’s movement, talking about the different sexes stood for talking about fixed roles, characteristics and images the society had in mind and both sexes had to adapt. Breaking up this way of thinking in fixed roles and the enhanced social status of women, gives the possibility to understand the similarities and differences of both genders. (Kreienkamp, 2009, pp. 12-15) Due to these differences there has to be a distinction between male and female, but it is important to understand that in this context this does not mean to reflect those two in social stereotype or how the society sees them. It rather involves an understanding of gender specific needs and requirements, which might change again in course of time. (Kreienkamp, 2009, p. 16)
Hence, gender marketing is seen as a holistic marketing approach that focuses on customer needs, whether they are male or female. The differing customer needs between male and female arise from biological, hormonal and social differences that need varying concepts in order to achieve long-term success. Even if there are campaigns focusing on short-term results, the main focus of gender marketing is to understand the customer with all their needs as well as dissatisfaction and to find solutions targeting for customer satisfaction and loyalty. (Jaffé & Riedel, 2011, pp. 26-27) Gender marketing therefore can be implemented in every area of the four P’s of marketing, namely product, price, promotion and placement (Opresnik & Rennhak, 2016, p. 27). Beginning with the product, research found out, that women pay more attention to aesthetics or any other emotional criteria, while men focus on objective performance measures. (Barletta, 2006, p. 161 et seqq.) In addition to that, there
Chapter Summaries
1 INTRODUCTION: This chapter introduces the shift towards gender-oriented marketing strategies in the competitive German market and outlines the focus on combining these strategies with e-commerce and innovative pricing models.
2 GENDER MARKETING: Defines gender marketing as a holistic approach, discusses social changes influencing gender roles, and explores the implementation of diversity management alongside gender-specific strategies.
3 RISE OF E-COMMERCE: Provides an overview of e-commerce developments, trends, and specific online marketing tools (such as SEO, SEA, and Social Media) with a critical look at how these can be adapted for gender-specific targeting.
4 CONSUMER INSIGHTS/ PREPARATION FOR THE SURVEY: Examines models of consumer behavior and the Pay-What-You-Want pricing model, ultimately deriving hypotheses regarding how gender affects the willingness to pay and perception of security online.
5 STUDY: Details the empirical survey design, the methodology used to classify participants, and the models applied to analyze gender-specific sentiments and behavior in various purchase scenarios.
6 RESULTS: Presents the findings of the survey, highlighting key differences in payment method preferences, relevance of purchase criteria, and the impact of different scenarios on willingness to pay.
7 CONCLUSION, CRITICISM AND OUTLOOK: Summarizes the findings, provides critical reflection on the study's limitations, and offers strategic recommendations for incorporating gender-specific insights into modern marketing practices.
Keywords
Gender Marketing, E-Commerce, Pay-What-You-Want, Consumer Behavior, Online Marketing, Target Group Segmentation, Willingness to Pay, Digital Strategy, Market Research, Diversity Management, Customer Loyalty, Search Engine Optimization, Payment Methods, Social Media Marketing, Gender Studies
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this bachelor thesis?
The thesis explores the integration of gender marketing strategies into the e-commerce sector, analyzing how businesses can adapt their online tools and pricing models to address the distinct needs and behaviors of male and female consumers.
What are the central themes discussed in the work?
Key themes include the evolution of gender roles in marketing, current trends in e-commerce, specific digital marketing tools like SEO and social media, and the behavioral economics of the Pay-What-You-Want pricing model.
What is the primary research goal?
The primary goal is to determine if tailoring marketing communication and pricing models to gender-specific preferences results in improved competitive advantages, higher customer satisfaction, and increased willingness to pay.
Which scientific methods were applied?
The work utilizes a mixed-methods approach, combining a comprehensive review of existing marketing literature with an empirical survey of 161 participants, followed by statistical regression analysis to evaluate hypotheses regarding gender-specific purchasing behavior.
What topics are covered in the main section?
The main sections cover the definition and history of gender marketing, an analysis of e-commerce tools like SEA and social media, and a deep dive into the psychological and economic drivers behind the Pay-What-You-Want model.
Which keywords best characterize the research?
Essential keywords include Gender Marketing, E-Commerce, Pay-What-You-Want, Consumer Behavior, Online Marketing, Target Group Segmentation, and Willingness to Pay.
How do men and women differ in their online payment preferences?
The study found that men generally prioritize speed and prefer credit cards or PayPal, while women show a heightened sensitivity to security and safety, often preferring methods they perceive as more reliable to mitigate risk.
Does the study confirm that women are less willing to pay nothing for a service?
The study results lead to the conclusion that H1, which suggested women would be less willing to pay nothing due to higher perceived social pressure, was disproved, as both genders showed similar tendencies in the survey.
What role does a "friend's recommendation" play in online purchasing?
Contrary to initial expectations, the study found that relating to a friend during the app-programming scenario had a neutral or even slightly negative effect on the willingness to pay for both genders.
- Citation du texte
- Viviane Dorp (Auteur), 2017, Gender Commerce. Past development and new technologies in online marketing to influence customers' buying behavior, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/364669
