Technology lets us personalise everything – so let’s stop selling to women as if we’re all the same

Once upon a time, choices for women were limited. You could only use a few face creams if you had oily skin. If you had dry hair that broke when you brushed it, you simply couldn't use most of the shampoos on the market. If you had wider calves, you couldn't wear long boots. And so on.

Over the years, this has changed, and today, the wants and needs of different women are catered to far more successfully. In part, this is down to the democratisation of e-commerce. Platforms like Shopify have made it easier for women with their own experiences and stories to develop and sell products that they know will suit women who share similar needs.

The product range is now available, and yet, too often, our marketing messages remain broad and un-personalised, so we don't see the right products for us. With so much technology available, it's time to do better at selling to women differently. There is no one-size-fits-all product, so there should be no one-size-fits-all approach to the marketing messages we receive. 

Fortunately, some women are making waves in this area, successfully collecting zero-party data and using it to provide a selling experience that matches the high quality of their products. Here are a few of my favourite examples of female founders using technology to sell women correctly. 

The Inkey List  

The Inkey List was founded in 2018 and was born from a belief that better knowledge powers better decisions. Founders Colette Laxton and Mark Curry knew that skincare could be confusing, so they wanted to help customers understand more and choose products that worked better. So, they crunched the data and found a way to do this. And so in a way that allows customers to

What's fantastic about the Inkey List's approach is that customers can be rewarded for sharing the information they need to make better decisions. Members of the Insider loyalty program can earn points for taking a skin quiz, a hair quiz, or doing a breakout analysis. By taking those quizzes, they earn loyalty points they can redeem for rewards. Still, they also get personalised product recommendations designed uniquely for them. Clever technology allows this through algorithms and data analysis for highly customised messaging.

Lace Laboratory 

Underwear brand Lace Laboratory was established in 2019 by co-founders Faye and Felicia, who were tired of comfortable, high-quality lingerie being a luxury. Today, they sell underwear that 'reminds you that you call the shots and are the mistress of your destiny." What a sentiment.

What I believe is different about the Lace Laboratory's approach is that they empower their female customers to be a part of their product development - it's not just a tech team role or marketing. Members of the top tier of their loyalty program are invited to give feedback and join product development sessions to deliver the products they really want.  This is something I would love to see more of!

Skinrocks 
 
The third female founder who is rocking the world of personalised product experiences is Caroline Hirons, founder of Skin Rocks. Caroline is committed to 'revolutionising and demystifying' the world of skincare, ensuring that customers get the scientific information they require to make the right purchasing decisions in an easy-to-digest way. 

The Skin Rocks site features a 'Skin Rocks Routine Builder' that ends with a bespoke skincare routine based on your unique skin profile. It sounds simple, but the tech behind this is anything but.  But more than that, top-tier loyalty program members can access free skincare consultations and invitations to founder masterclasses with Caroline herself. Bringing the digital participation to life. An experience that, quite frankly, rocks. 

Keeping it unique -- Final thoughts

What each of these female-led brands have in common is an understanding that no two customers are the same. And they're using technology to act on that. Not only are they making sure they provide unique experiences and advice for unique women, but they are also using any information and data they collect to advise, assist, and put the right products in front of the right people. They go beyond simple demographics and use technology to make every woman feel seen, yet at scale.  It's great to see more and more variety in the products available to women, but now, let's keep our fingers crossed for more variety in the sales and marketing messages we receive.