Around the region, ads are popping up showing women in the driver's seat, handing over their own plastic, and hitting the pavement in designer sportswear.
The last few years have seen testosterone-powered categories from cars to finance wise up to the spending power of women, estimated by MasterCard to reach US$516 billion in Asia by 2014.
And beyond their clout as consumers is the weight of their influence on purchase decisions.
The Window on Women study by Bergent and Whybin\TBWA raised the stakes last year when it found that the female influence was 'more than most marketers traditionally believe'.
At least 85 per cent of the 1,200 female respondents had final decision-making autonomy — from it being entirely their choice to equally with another person — in categories including cars, home loans, credit cards and health insurance.
Conducted in Australia, the results of the study "have significance region-wide," says Bergent director of business development Wayne Wood. "The percentages may be different in each market, but Asian women have strong control over expenditure."
Despite vast amounts of research and hours spent analysing it, however, ads targeted at women have been more likely to irritate than attract. Leo Burnett Asia's MissUnderstood study sounded a rude wake-up call when it revealed that women found ads that targeted them patronising, boring and stereotypical.
"Marketers are very comfortable using category clichés," says Burnett regional president Michelle Kristula-Green. "That results in work that lacks freshness or is unexpected. It is quite dissimilar from what (women) experience in popular culture — in movies, TV shows and books."
Male-oriented categories have additional minefields to navigate when reaching out to women, from not alienating their male, and sometimes core, audience — a real danger in the macho beer category, for one — to
understanding that women may have different needs in a category than men do.
"It's hard to generalise," says Green. "In automobiles, women want factual information that is applicable to real-life situations. They also hate pushy dealers and do a lot of research online. And they want to get information but they don't want to be pressured."
21st century woman: Five ways to reach out to her
1. Can the clichés: A key challenge is crafting communications to women that are fresh and unexpected as opposed to predictable and clichéd, says Leo Burnett regional president Michelle Kristula-Green.
The agency's MissUnderstood study painted a gloomy picture for agencies and their clients when it found that women are dismissing ads directed at them as boring, patronising, old-fashioned and even degrading.
"Of course, there are marketers acting on the information, but a collection of ads from a typical commercial break or magazine will result in a lot of clichéd work," she says.
DeBeers' 'Raise your right hand' campaign and Nike's advertising for women are refreshing examples of ads that hit their mark, encompassing strong marketing ideas and insight as to how a woman thinks about her body.
2. Deliver on promises: Failure to deliver on ad claims have often cost brands their most loyal customers. "Once women have a bond with a brand, it's an incredible bond and it can last for years," notes Bergent director of business development Wayne Wood.
"Marketing people must be guardians — brands have to live up to claims and any promises they make in a campaign. Once you lose the trust, it won't be easy to get it back again."
The firm's Window on Women study shows that women view many well-known and respected brands as likely to 'cheat them to make money'. Financial, health insurance and telecommunications service deliverers, in particular, scored below average on the trust factor, while car companies scored better than average.
3. Unisex can work: Ads can often successfully straddle the gender line by relying on truths that apply equally to men and women. It's not always necessary to run a separate campaign or formulate a separate strategy to talk to women, says TBWA\Shanghai associate planning director Ellen Hou. Besides which, "sometimes women don't want to be different," she says.
Vodka brand Absolut hit a chord with both genders by linking each of its six flavours to a specific experience — Absolut Peach for a laidback beach-style lifestyle, Absolut Mandrin for glamorous partying, and so on.
The 'Volvo for Life' slogan also successfully connects without overtly feminine executions, conveying two messages especially important to women: safety and dependability.
4. Go beyond pink: Pastels, gentle tones and animated characters have their place, but may not always be the way to go. Marketers need to ride on the right insights, which sometimes can be tough, like the words in adidas' campaign, says TBWA's Hou.
The sports apparel company connected with Chinese women with taglines like 'We look our best when we're in sweat' and 'We can lift any burden at four counts to eight', even as Japanese motor insurer Sompo made its mark with a cute koala bear character.
5. Tap into insights: The Window on Women study notes that women see control over their lives as the most important issue for them, with control over their weight, body image and financial independence topping the list, and relevant across age groups.
"If your communication addresses these concerns, then you have a chance to effectively connect with them," Wood concludes.
