Why do Best Buy stores offer a "Just for Kids" section catering to suburban moms? Why did a subsidiary of DeBeers Corporation enlist Halle Berry and Sarah Jessica Parker to promote a "right hand" diamond ring? Why has State Farm Insurance sponsored women’s basketball and professional golf tournaments?

In this snappy second edition of Marketing to Women, author Martha Barletta tells exactly how and why corporations are spending more to capture the multi-billion-dollar women’s market. Updated success stories, statistics about the "power of the purse," examples of the hottest trends in gender-based advertising, practical applications, strategies, and tactics continue to make this the most comprehensive resource to help professionals create and execute a complete marketing plan that targets women.

A new eye-opening section of Marketing to Women highlights the convergence of the two most significant consumer marketing trends in the U.S. today: the aging of America and the growing spending power of women. Marshalling statistics about inheritance patterns and longevity, the author demonstrates why the terms "mature" and "middle-aged woman" no longer apply. Instead, Barletta has coined the phrase "prime-time woman" and shows that yesterday’s "little old lady" will be tomorrow’s "Ms. Moneybags," a marketing target for myriad industries--banking, brokerage, insurance, health, real estate, travel. and self-improvement, just to name a few.

Marketing to Women demonstrates that companies must discard the outdated notion that men carry the cash; otherwise, they’ll find themselves bested by savvy firms eager to serve the mushrooming women’s market. A vital guide to gender marketing, this book may just be one of the most important that professionals read all year. Highlights In Marketing to Women, Barletta reveals:

•How and why women reach different brand purchase decisions than men

•How companies can avoid false assumptions—marketing myths?about women as consumers

•Why smart marketers will tap into the lucrative market of women of 50 years and older