Understanding women vital to marketer's business strategy, experts warn

Women today represent one of the most challenging, complex yet potentially rewarding consumer groups in the Middle East.

According to the New Arab Women Forum held in Dubai recently, Gulf women represent 35% of the national workforce; 45,000 are working in businesses while 70% of the 2006-2007 graduates were female. And, this does not take into account the myriad of expatriate women who occupy key roles within the socio-economic framework of the GCC.

Many marketers in the Gulf, however, are failing to keep up with the rapidly evolving status of women across the region and this is having an adverse effect on their advertising and marketing campaigns.

This key issue underpins the second annual Marketing to Women conference to be held in Dubai this month.

Called Redefining strategies for the new Eve-olution, the one day event sees a panel of regional and international marketing experts gather to share their learnings and debate the issues surrounding marketing to women.

"Women wield incredible buying power throughout the world. In fact, The Economist has called them 'the single most powerful force in the global economy'. So why are so many smart companies failing to connect with her through their marketing," says Mary Dean, president and chief creative officer, of US-based, marketing-to-women company Kickskirt, Inc and key note speaker at the event.

"Often it's because the marketer's message is getting lost in translation. Women have a language all their own, and the companies who learn it will reap the rewards," she added.

Other experts lined up for this major event on the region's marketing calendar include: Jane Kinninmont, editor/economist, Economist Intelligence Unit, Shamsa Noor Ali Rashid, CEO Forsa, Dr Tarek Mady from the American University of Dubai's department of Marketing and Marketing Communications plus KSA-based marketing consultant, Celia Hamadeh.

The event is organised by GBC Events and Gulf Marketing Review and takes place 20 November, Knowledge Village Conference Centre, Dubai. It is sponsored by Forsa, Etihad Airways, Q&A Advertising and Creanovus Limited.