Here's another one to file under "duh": Women like technology, they just don't need it to be pink, reports Wired. 91% would prefer something sleek and sophisticated to something "feminine." Says Belinda Parmar, planning director at Saatchi, "Most women feel cheated when they walk into stores or see ads with baby-pink, diamante-encrusted products." "Empowered women" — 37% — own an average of six devices, including a digital camera, desktop or laptop, multimedia mobile phone, MP3 player, and digital TV. In the UK, women own only slightly fewer tech items than men. And yet, reports BBC News, women are "put off" by gadget shops.
More often than not, tech stores assume females are uninformed and oblivious to technology, Blow says. The result? Women buy less tech. The survey says "daunted" women spend 35 percent less.
Here's where I tell you that I visited the Apple store last week, in desperate need of a USB hub, and was talked out of buying one by the salesman. That's right: A salesman convinced me not to buy something. "You don't need one," he said. (Please be assured that I do and I am getting a really nice one online, where I don't have to explain myself.) Anyway, in addition, instead of pink, women would like technology that works. Says Dr. Genevieve Bell, resident anthropologist at Intel, "If you wanted to design technology that would appeal to women, it needs to work flawlessly the first time out of the box and every time thereafter. They don't have time to faff around."
What Do Women Want? Less Pink, More Tech [Wired]
Women 'Put Off' By Gadget Shops [BBC News]