Women account for 85 percent of all consumer purchases, according to Ogilvy & Mather, an international advertising and marketing agency based in New York City -- and that includes health care.
"Today, women are very savvy health care consumers," says Felecia Blanton, marketing manager at Saint Francis Medical Center. "They aggressively seek the information needed to make smart decisions and expect a lot from health care providers." In fact, women make 60 percent of all visits to the doctor and spend two out of three health care dollars, says Blanton, citing a report by the Society of Healthcare Strategy and Marketing Development. Two-thirds of women say they make the health care decisions for their households.
And that's why it's crucial for health care providers to consider gender when it comes to their marketing strategies -- and to make those strategies as unique as the health care needs of men and women.