Do Women Have “Social” Advantage?
As stereotypes and many scientific interpretations of brain gender would have it, there are all sorts of reasons why women are just better at being “social.” We could leave it at that, or… consider other angles. And, because it has some pretty significant implications for today’s business world, I thought a recent article covering new research along those lines was worth a look.
Most of you reading this are aware of just how often “social media” or “socially responsible business” is discussed online these days. So if we assume that women are better at “all things social,” where does that leave men? Should they all just punch out and watch TV until social media and socially responsible business are no longer such hot topics? I don’t think so.
In the Varsity.ca article about new research on the (get ready for brain lingo) straight gyrus (SG) subdivision of the ventral frontal cortex (VFC), writer Erene Stergiopoulis, concludes:
It appears that brain structure isn’t just a matter of being a man or a woman, since psychological gender—the possession of masculine or feminine traits—appears to be correlated with SG size. So are feminine people simply more social? Do they have more friends on Facebook? And can they attribute it all to the sizeable SG sitting in their foreheads?
While the details of the VCF and SG research are interesting and deserve a full article read, the point Stergiopoulis made with just that above quote serves my purpose here. That is: Using brain structure rather than psychological gender as your guide may actually ruin a good marketing effort. In many cases, it is short-sighted to assume that your product serves solely “women” rather than a broader market of humans who happen to be using their more feminine brain traits.
Now, I prefer to discuss those different traits using the term “right brain” or “left brain” as opposed to feminine or masculine. To me, taking gendered words altogether out of the study of consumer decision-making and behaviors is a helpful first step. If we aren’t talking about “women” then it won’t seem like “women’s issues,” and perhaps more men will chime in, for one. But, I digress…
If women tend to have a social advantage, it may be due to their more right brain guided ways of making decisions (see Dan Pink’s A Whole New Mind for more). However, I suspect that most men have a fair number of right brain traits as well, but marketers just don’t focus on or think to leverage them. Stereotypes persist. and to me, that limits many a brand’s ability to reach a lot more consumers.
On the “social media” side in particular: men may well be feeling a lot more free to express/use their right brain traits online, where they can be a bit more anonymous and so may also feel more comfortable connecting with others (men and women) in more meaningful ways. As far as “socially responsible business,” there is much to learn from what has been called “women’s ways” of buying. Today’s values-based consumer of either gender has perhaps been more nurtured to employ a right brain guided decision-making approach. Male or female, that consumer takes a more holistic view of brands, and the corporations behind them, that goes much beyond the linear, left brain guided considerations of price, features and quality.
So, we can assign women a social advantage and call it good, focusing only on them. Or, we can dig deeper into what makes any person social, or how that social behavior is inspired or expressed, and broaden the reach of our messages accordingly. Do that, and your brand will be the one with the real advantage.
