Men spend on average 24% more per gift voucher purchased than women, according to the latest research from SK Chase, specialist in luxury hotels and resorts gift voucher solutions, with a male average selling price of £96.89 and female average selling price at £77.86. A whopping £19.03 more per gift voucher purchased!
This is a man’s world
With men only accounting for around 34% of gift vouchers purchased and with a number of luxury venues selling in excess of 11,000 gift vouchers per year, the opportunity is there to sell more effectively to men and grow this percentage.
Here are our top tips on giving gift voucher marketing campaigns a more ‘masculine’ slant in order to appeal to this profitable segment.
A caveat to begin! Every customer is unique – we’re talking stereotypical differences between males and females that research and data have revealed and our tips to use these differences to target a male audience.
The right message, at the right time, to the right person
Men tend to make more ‘last minute’ purchases than women (see our graph below looking at the male / female buying split in the days before Christmas 2017), so email campaigns and social media promotions that countdown to a key gift buying event and that highlight that it’s now the final day to place an order online to receive a gift voucher delivered by post are key. As are promotions that highlight that vouchers can still be sent via email 24/7 (even on Christmas Day) or collected from a venue in person.
Detail vs. simplicity
NeuroFocus, a company that specialises in determining differences in brain-stimulus responses of men and women, say there are some basic differences in male and female brains. In a nutshell, this translates that women are very much in touch with their emotions and better able to recall detailed information, whereas men have superior spatial ability and problem-solving processes. When marketing to men keep the design simple, with a strong clean visual, a clear message and call to action, with very little extra detail. You need to tell them why they should buy your vouchers – get to the point quickly and use active statements that demonstrate value.
Use personalisation to encourage their next move
One of the best ways to increase gift voucher revenue is to sell more to existing customers. Utilising our reporting function, clients can segment their buyers’ and target male customers in marketing campaigns. For example, create a ‘Men only’ email campaign that enhances loyalty and encourages your male customers to come back and buy again! Personalisation helps show your customers that you know who they are and that you care.
Men on a mission, women on a journey
Men tend to be mission and task oriented shoppers, while women are more likely to be discovery-oriented shoppers who readily adjust their initial goals if this would result in a more satisfying outcome.
Make things very easy for male buyers when they visit your online gift voucher site, so that they can find what they are looking for instantly, with minimum searching around. Create a ‘tight funnel’ and focus them on getting exactly what they want and getting out. For example, create a ‘Gifts for Her’ and a ‘Gifts for Him’ highlight box on your homepage, filled with your top 5-10 gifts. Ensure that your ‘bestsellers’ section is up to date with your most popular gift vouchers, again pointing your male buyers in the right direction, giving them a quick and effortless shopping process.
In conclusion
• Give your ‘last minute’ campaigns a more ‘masculine’ feel
• Use clean, strong visuals, keeping it simple, with clear signposting
• Create a ‘tight funnel’ on your gift voucher site for easy navigation
• Use more male terminology and images such as ‘Sports Massage’ and ‘Male Tonic’
• Avoid any extra detail – say less
People are unique, but by understanding gender-specific tendencies in gift voucher buying, you can give your customers an experience that’s tailored to them. It’s all about being authentic and creating and nurturing lasting relationships with all your customers by letting them know that you care and that they matter.
So to sign off with a bit of James Brown, ‘This is a man’s world’ – but only on some days.
