This book has been one of my favourite reads so for – it’s insightful and actionable.

An Ernst and Young Study reports that by 2028 women will control close to 75% of discretionary spend worldwide. Women are the fastest growing global consumer economy, and to ignore them is bad business.

Addressing gender differences when it comes to business can lead to big bucks, representing a win-win for everyone involved.

To take advantage of the opportunity that is presenting itself, and to get it right, businesses must have a clear understanding of the role of gender in their market. In other words, it’s time to use a gender lens on business; traditionally the male lens has been used; now it’s time to also take a look through the female lens. This book shows you how to do that. It looks at:

• how we arrived at our present state in business and the lessons we need to learn to adapt to a future, forward-thinking market
• What brands have it right and what brands have it all wrong
• Why having a female workforce is a great start, but not the only thing you have to do
• how to better see and engage with female consumers
• how to communicate your business and brand to boost your bottom line and benefit everyone, male and female

Among the resources provided in this book you’ll find:

• All businesses exist somewhere on a continuum of acceptance around how gender intelligence can unlock a growth strategy for their business from Reject to Results, in the book you’ll learn about the 5 phases on the Gender Lens Aperture
  • Reject
  • Radar
  • React
  • Resolve
  • Results

• A list of questions to help you identify your blind spots
• Case studies of well-known companies that show how they have successfully, or un-successfully used a gender lens to target female consumers
• An in-depth analysis of the differences between the male and female brains and how that impacts gender, “Individualizing needs according to gender is not being sexist; it’s being smart” RJ Brideson
• Who the Modern Woman is including, a checklist of questions to ask yourself about whether you’re a modern brand, the many roles that she has,  and s a female brand-love relationship  value model  that tells when she’s:
  • Ignoring your brand
  • Tolerating your brand
  • Flirting with your brand
  • Dating your brand
  • Marrying your brand
• What you can expect when you get it right
• The Myth’s that business fall prey to
• • I have an all-female team – I get it
  • We’re equal opportunity – tick
  • We’ve got a person to tackle this
  • My budget isn’t big enough
  • We’ve done femvertising. Job done.
• What brands can do to attract women
• the 4 step process to number crunch and find out what’s in your way right now when it comes to attracting the female audience:

1. What’s the size of the prize?
2. What’s in the way?
3. What’s in your heart?
4. What lens are you using?

• What to change, and when – short- term, mid-term, and long-term
• The three stages to adopting a “female-lensed” transformation to boost your bottom line

1. Conduct Market Research
2. Re-imagine your business culture – Internal and External
3. Develop the blueprint

I’ve provided a very summarized version of all the resources in the book, the author goes into a lot of details in each of these areas  and I highly recommend you read this book from beginning to end.

If you’d like to learn more about RJ. Brideson, read her FinanciElle “Statements” interview.