Decoding Consumer Minds: The intersection of neuromarketing and gender-specific advertising responses

Many studies seek to understand whether men and women react in the same way to stimuli, and the answers have often been very interesting.

In the research "Neurophysiological Tools to Investigate Consumer’s Gender Differences during the Observation of TV Commercials" from 2014, for example, it was understood how different commercials captured the attention of men and women in diverse ways.

In 1991 Diane Halpern, PhD, past president of the American Psychological Association, began writing the first edition of her acclaimed academic text, "Sex Differences in Cognitive Abilities". She found that the animal-research literature had been steadily accumulating reports of sex-associated neuroanatomical and behavioral differences, but those studies were mainly left unattended in university libraries. Social psychologists and sociologists dismissed the idea of any fundamental cognitive differences between male and female humans, notes Halpern, a professor emerita of psychology at Claremont McKenna College.

Halpern and others have cataloged plenty of human behavioral differences. "These findings have all been replicated," she says. Women excel in several measures of verbal ability — almost all of them, except for verbal analogies. Women's reading comprehension and writing ability consistently outperform men, on average. They excel in tests of fine-motor coordination and perceptual speed. They're more adept at retrieving information from long-term memory.

Men, on average, can more easily juggle items in working memory. They have superior visuospatial skills: They're better at visualizing what happens when a complicated two - or three - dimensional shape is rotated in space, at correctly determining angles from the horizontal, at tracking moving objects, and at aiming projectiles.

Navigation studies in both humans and rats show that females of both species tend to rely on landmarks, while males more typically use "dead reckoning": calculating one's position by estimating the direction and distance traveled rather than using landmarks.

Why Our Brains Differ

But why are the brains of men and women different? One of the main reasons is that, for much of their lives, women and men have different additives in their fuel tanks: the sex steroid hormones.

In female mammals, the primary additives are some members of the set of molecules called estrogens, along with another molecule called progesterone; and in men, testosterone and some of its relatives are collectively considered androgens. It is important to emphasize that normally developing males in the womb are hit by a significant surge of testosterone mid - gestation, permanently shaping not only the parts and proportions of their body but also their brain. (Genetic defects that disrupt the influence of testosterone on the cells of a developing human male induce a shift towards a female body pattern, our “default” condition.)

In general, the brain regions that differ in size between men and women (such as the amygdala and hippocampus) tend to contain particularly high concentrations of receptors for sex hormones.

Our Research

Drawing from these studies, I was able to measure a real difference in approach to advertising material in research conducted by my laboratory: the flyer of large distribution chains.

The study emerged from a project I am part of, #nicetomeetyou, a local media strategy initiative that evolves the very concept of local media marketing. The project was born from several companies combining their know-how: Neways, which handles the certified distribution of advertising flyers using exclusive demographic, behavioral, and geographic data; Geomath, which transforms flyers into gateways for new experiences of engagement, information, and purchase through technologies like augmented reality; Cashmere, which deals with creative and design aspects; and my company, Marco Baldocchi Group, which is responsible for the scientific validation of the flyer, and its user experience.

At the Retail Forum 2023 in Milan, in front of an audience of prominent companies in the field of large distribution, we conducted a test on a flyer to demonstrate the functionality of the tools my company uses, particularly visual attention, engagement level, and emotions generated during the viewing of the flyer.

Analyzing the results of the 20 participants (10 women and 10 men - from 23 to 56 years old) who took the test, which involved viewing 2 flyers, we found an interesting difference in the viewing of the same.

In the first flyer, the graphic was characterized by a significant message of Fear of Missing Out, that is, a message that illustrated the limited timing of the promotion.

In this case, women, in the first 7 seconds, the time necessary for our brain to get an idea of what is in front of us, picked up the message much more, as shown by some data.

Average time for the first fixation: Fixations are the most common eye movement and can be used to make inferences about cognitive processes and attention. During a fixation, eyes stop scanning the scene and hold the foveal area of our field of vision in one place. This allows the visual system to take in detailed information on what is being looked at. In reality, even though our eyes seem to be stationary during a fixation, there are always minute eye movements.

Women 0.99 seconds

Men 2.22 seconds

Total fixations in 7 seconds:

Women 26

Men 17

How many participants had at least 1 fixation:

Women 73%

Men 57%

On the same flyer, we analyzed the prices of the products to understand if there was a difference in perception between the two genders (in the first 7 seconds), some numbers:

Total fixations in 7 seconds:

Women 14

Men 9

How many times the prices were revisited:

Women 0.55 times

Men 0.29 times

In the second flyer, the heatmap of visual attention is very different between men and women, and here again, I report some data; we analyzed the texts that indicated the duration of the promotions.

Time required for the first fixation:

Women 3.13 seconds

Men – had no fixations on this part of the flyer

Total fixations in 7 seconds:

Women 15

Men 0

How many participants had at least 1 fixation:

Women 45%

Men 0%

And finally, on this second flyer, we analyzed the icon that the brand used as a visual anchor for the concept of Made in Italy, here are the data:

Time required for the first fixation:

Women 2.89 seconds

Men – 1.62 seconds

Total fixations in 7 seconds:

Women 8

Men 3

How many participants had at least 1 fixation:

Women 36%

Men 29%

Conclusions

The visual attention pathways in both flyers demonstrate that women had a much more attentive approach to the information. Specifically, in the case of the first flyer, women showed a +16% increase in visual attention (measured by having at least one fixation) and nearly double the number of revisits to the prices.

In the second flyer, where the FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) action was not present, and the details of the timing of the promotions were more complicated to visualize, the data was even more striking.

No man exhibited high levels of visual attention to this information; on the contrary, 45% of women had at least one fixation on this area.

The analysis of the average level of attention was very interesting for both flyers. In the case of the first flyer, women had an average attention level 33% higher than that of men

while in the second flyer, which was much more image-oriented, the average level of attention of men was over three times that of women (320%).

From the provided analysis, we can draw several conclusions regarding gender differences in processing advertising material:

1. Women tend to have a more detailed-oriented approach when it comes to information processing, as indicated by their 33% higher average attention level to the first flyer. This suggests that women may be more attentive to textual content and possibly more influenced by messages that require processing of detailed information.

2. Men demonstrate a significantly higher level of attention to more visually oriented material, with their attention levels being over three times that of women (320%) on the second flyer. This could indicate a preference for or a more effective processing of visual stimuli over textual details among men.

3. The stark contrast in attention levels between men and women across two different types of flyers—one text-heavy and the other image-heavy—highlights the importance of tailoring marketing strategies to the cognitive preferences of the target gender demographic. For mixed-gender audiences, a balanced approach incorporating both detailed information and visual elements might be more effective.

4. These findings could have practical implications for the design of advertising materials. For instance, when the goal is to engage a female audience, marketers might consider providing comprehensive information and clear messaging. Conversely, for a predominantly male audience, a focus on striking visuals and less textual density might yield better engagement.

5. Lastly, it is essential to consider these observations within the context of the study's sample and methods. The conclusions drawn are specific to the population studied and the particular stimuli (flyers) used. Further research might explore whether these trends hold true across different contexts and with varied advertising mediums.

The implications of these research findings are pivotal for crafting visual advertising content that resonates optimally with the consumer's brain. Understanding gender-specific cognitive preferences is crucial in developing marketing strategies that not only capture attention but also engage the audience effectively. Advertisers who leverage such insights can create tailored content that aligns with the intrinsic processing styles of their target demographics, thereby enhancing the impact and recall of their campaigns. This approach ensures that the visual stimuli in advertisements are not just seen but are psychologically resonant, leading to higher conversion rates and fostering a stronger connection between the consumer and the brand. In an era where consumers are inundated with information, the ability to cut through the noise with precision-targeted advertising can make the difference between a successful campaign and one that is lost in the shuffle. Hence, the importance of such research cannot be overstated—it is the compass that guides advertisers to the minds and hearts of their audience.