Tech girls!

My scanner still isn't working! But I found a cool story about Best Buy and other companies finally realizing that women are into technology!


Gadget firms start to notice the gals
By Ellen Lee
CONTRA COSTA TIMES

Gina Hughes is a girl's girl used to living in a man's world. One of three women from her small Texas community to enroll in the U.S. Marines, the 100-pound recruit was the only one to survive boot camp. She went on to study computer science and land a job as a Web designer in Silicon Valley.

Recently, she has also become a techie diva. Actually, she became the Techie Diva, with a Web site (techiediva.blogs.com) about gadgets for women, one of a small but growing ring of Web sites focusing on technology from a female perspective.

"I saw papers saying women ... just don't feel comfortable with (computers and gadgets)," she said. "Starting this blog was sort of rebelling against that mindset."

It's just one of many signs of how women are flexing their power in a realm long considered a man's world. Women influence 89 percent of all consumer electronics purchase decisions, according to the Consumer Electronics Association, and account for the majority of the more than $100 billion spent on electronics each year.

Now, retailers and technology manufacturers have begun to pay attention to the buying power of their female customers. Like their male counterparts, women use technology to help them navigate their busy lives, from their cell phones to their laptops to their handheld organizers.

The shift is happening on all fronts. Retailers are becoming more and more aware of how they're selling consumer electronics, including making an effort not to talk down to their female customers. Manufacturers have begun to take a closer look at how they design and market their products, from playing up the features that will catch a woman's eye to running advertisements in women's magazines. And women themselves have taken an increasingly active role, such as designing fashionable accessories for the gadgets they can't live without.

Cindy Allen and Lois Fox of Atlanta founded CarryCell a year ago after they became frustrated with their cell phones. They couldn't clip them to their belts, as men do, and couldn't easily find them in their purses. So they fashioned "clothes" for their cell phones, small cell phone purses made as miniature boots, prom dresses, business suits, even poodle skirts, that they could use to carry their cell phones.

"I still feel like most of (the gadget accessories) are for men," said Fox, who as a real estate agent depends on her cell phone for her livelihood. "I'll go into any of those cell phone stores and all you see are little black (belt) clips when you buy a phone."

Debbie Anne Jaffe of Novato started knitting cases for iPods after she bought one a year ago. Though she didn't set out to make them for women, the colorful, furry covers -- including one collection that resembles the Addams Family's Cousin Itt character -- have largely attracted a female audience, especially those who want something that stands out from the silicone cases found in most electronics stores. She now sells them on Hotromz.com and in select shops in Europe and the East Coast.

"Stuff in computers has always been geared to men, but why not (make it more feminine)?" she said. "It's a big market out there."

The fashion industry's biggest names have also made technology couture. Baby Phat fashion director Kimora Lee Simmons designed a gold case encrusted with diamonds for the debut of the PlayStation Portable earlier this year. Her line also includes a pink, diamond-studded Motorola cell phone and a line of cell phone cases that can only be described as bling-bling. Betsey Johnson, Anna Sui and Escada also have their own line of cell phones. And Coach, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Christian Dior and Valentino have all created fashionista-worthy iPod cases.

Aneta Genova, a former designer for Ralph Lauren, remembers looking around a few years ago and seeing mostly black, boring gadget accessories. She has since created a line dedicated to fashion for technology, from digital camera cases to laptop bags. A less expensive line of iPod cases will also be sold at Target in July.

"They're my two passions, computers and electronics and fashion," said Genova, who earned a college degree in computer science before going on to fashion school. "I wanted to do something new, fresher. (It's) much more about the concept of fashion for technology instead of fashion for people."

The tipping point comes as gadgets become more mainstream, cheaper and easier to use, attracting consumers across all demographics.

An entire generation of women have also grown up chatting with their friends via instant messaging, text messaging on their cell phones and keeping a diary online. Sahar Rezaie, a 23-year-old corporate sales recruiter in Walnut Creek, knew exactly what she wanted when she bought a new cell phone: the ability to text message, play cool ring tones and look stylish. She went into the store armed with information she had gathered online about carriers, prices and phone models. "I usually do research so I don't get talked down," she said.

The neon sign of the shift can be seen in the bubble-gum pink that has invaded technology's traditional black, white and silver, from iPods to laptops.

But turning the gadget pink is only a superficial attempt to attract female customers, one that could potentially backfire, said Paul Rand, partner and director of Ketchum Global Technology Practice, which has helped clients such as Kodak and Best Buy better market to women.

"The companies (targeting women) earnestly are still few and far between," he said. "There are still a majority of companies doing it on a rather feeble approach. (Throwing on a pink cover) only goes so far."

Kelly Faber, a 25-year-old from Walnut Creek, has refused to purchase anything in pink. "Pink to me is a very young color," she said. "It reminds me of being in high school. ... Would you buy a pink suit and be taken seriously?"

The smart retailers and manufacturers are focusing on how products can help or fit into their lives, Rand said. It's no longer about megapixels, gigabits, speeds and feeds, but about how the digital camera can capture their child's first birthday or a handheld organizer can help a busy woman track her diet and fitness schedule.

PalmOne created the Zire handheld line armed with research on the demands of its female customers. It included making the handheld lightweight, stylish and easy to set up, and creating a display that shows the day's tasks when turned on. Introduced in October 2002, more than 1 million were sold in the first seven months, and more than 50 percent of them were snatched up by women.

Many of the features could be appreciated by customers male or female, but the added features came from feedback "we heard loud and clear from our female customers," said Rose Rodd, director of marketing communications at palmOne. Later models also included photo and video playback, which have also appealed to women.

To reach female customers, palmOne advertised in magazines such as O: The Oprah Magazine, Real Simple, Vogue, Working Mother and Redbook. It also focused on how the organizers could help them: for "marathon moms," a means to stay on top of their family's schedule and their work schedule; for students and young professionals, a gadget to help them get ahead; for the businesswoman, to stay on top of their job and act like a personal assistant.

When it comes to shopping, retailers are also recognizing that it's not about pushing the gadget's latest features, but showing its practical uses. They've also found that women tend to do more research, don't buy on a whim and demand to know more about the product's benefits before they take the plunge.

"Women want to know, how does this help me solve a problem?" said Dennis Syracuse, senior vice president of Sony retail stores. It's not dumbing down, he said, but more of a challenge to justify "what these things are and if it's worth it."

Sony began designing its retail stores about two years ago to attract more female customers. It created wide aisles to accommodate families toting children and strollers. It included a concierge at the center of the store to help busy shoppers. It reduced the number of products to cut down on clutter and confusion. The stores, such as the ones in San Jose's Valley Fair and Palo Alto's Stanford Shopping Center, are located in shopping malls, positioned near high-end fashion retailers such as Tiffany's and Coach.

Big box retailer Best Buy took another approach. In its Dublin store, one of 18 in California and Nevada geared to its target demographic of upscale suburban mothers, it turned down the loud, blaring music and displayed banners featuring women and children happily using the latest gadgets. Its center aisle is wide and filled with technology-themed toys, from a Hello Kitty alarm clock to a SpongeBob SquarePants television set. A tot-sized table is ready with paper and crayons and it's right next to the store's personal shopping service center.

Modeled after retailers like Nordstrom's and Macy's, the personal shoppers help customers shop: customers can make an appointment, let the store know what they're looking for, such as a Father's Day gift. When they show up, the assistant will have already set aside several suggested items. The personal shoppers also wander the store, assisting customers, and ringing up their purchases so that the customer does not have to wait in line.

"This is a multibillion-dollar opportunity," said Bart Reed, consumer marketing director at Best Buy. "We do value women customers. We do realize there are things we can do better to serve them. ... We don't have our share of the female market."

Tanya Swedelson used Best Buy's personal shopping service when she bought a Sirius satellite radio for her sister. She returned this week to look into buying an MP3 player and pick up a Father's Day gift.

"Before you had to search for them," she said. This time, "they came right up to me so I quizzed them."