Carrie Bradshaw knows shoes. And according to experts, had she moved to the suburbs from New York City, she might actually know shingles as well. Ironically, (and as unlikely as it may seem), these two things — shoes and shingles — actually go together.
To explain, there is a shift going on when it comes to marketing to women. In fact, females make more than 80 percent of purchasing decisions, but it's only recently that companies have begun embracing women consumers in ways that show they actually understand the societal changes taking place.
For example, Cadillac just released a commercial depicting a woman (ostensibly a CEO) behind the wheel of one of its luxury vehicles, while American Express is out with a new no-fee rewards card targeted to "busy moms." Even the NFL is getting in on the action by coming out with a line of sleek, fitted team jerseys that the Seattle Seahawks' Marshawn "Beast Mode" Lynch couldn't even get over his neck.
"Women in the fall are thinking about football as much as the guys are," one executive told Adweek magazine.
Which brings us back to shoes — and what may be one of the most eye-opening nods to women's decision-making power ever.
Females, according to She-Conomy, now make "the majority of home renovation decisions." (Relax, gentlemen. They're still even less likely than you to undertake DIY projects.)
And so, GAF, North America's largest roofing manufacturer — yes, roofs — now features a "Style Guide" on its website (www.gaf.com) that couldn't be more female-friendly if Eve had designed it herself while Adam napped.
"Women are extremely important decision-makers, and therefore we're focusing on providing them solutions that not only perform, but also provide the sophistication and style to match their personal taste," says Emily Videtto, vice president of shingles and new product development at GAF, which has won the Women's Choice Award for America's Best Roofing Brand for the past three years based on input from general contractors and female customers.
HGTV's design expert, Carter Oosterhouse, takes a mostly straightforward approach to walking users through the process of picking the right shingles for the desired effect. But GAF realizes that women love their shoes.
And so users get to have some fun by matching their favorite shoe style to the corresponding shingle type. Wouldn't be caught dead without your high heels? "Explore Monaco Shingles," they're told. More the "head-to-the-gym and sneaker" kind of girl? "Explore Timber-line Lifetime Shingles."
Carrie would. In a New York minute.
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