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http://www.johnsoncontrols.com/publ...trols.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=113&item=1656

The Female Perspective on Cars: Johnson Controls Conducts International Study Investigating 'What Women Want' in Vehicle Interior Design

Results to inspire and drive women-focused design and product development
PLYMOUTH, Mich., Aug. 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- When choosing a vehicle, women want design options that offer flexibility, allow them to connect to the outside world and offer more storage space. These are some of the key findings from a study conducted by Johnson Controls (NYSE: JCI) in the United States and Europe, in response to the recent women-focused trends and market indicators highlighting the increasing buying power of women. The company will utilize the data to inspire and drive industrial design and new product development that meets the evolving needs of women

"Today's women are more autonomous than ever before. As their lives evolve, it's clear that their vehicles need to transform with them," said Bill Fluharty, vice president, Global Research and Discovery. "The information gained from this study will help provide the insight that is critical for Johnson Controls to continue creating ingenious automotive interiors that meet the changing needs of female consumers."

The results from both the United States and Europe were mostly similar. Some research result highlights include:

-- Women are in transition -- whether a recent college graduate or a retiree, transition resonated throughout the interviews. Women's life stages, mind sets and responsibilities are evolving and their vehicles need to transition to address these changes. From the working woman with her mobile office to "mom's taxi service," vehicles need to be customized to offer features and products that meet their expanding roles.

-- Women are connected -- women of all ages are incredibly connected to technology and depend on the most recent technological advances to feel more connected to their family and friends. For women, technology is more than simply gadgetry and electronics -- it offers them the safety, security and convenience they desire.

-- Women need more storage space -- women are creating their own storage areas because their vehicles (across most segments) fail to provide them with adequate space. In addition they would prefer to have reconfigurable storage compartments that truly optimize available space.

-- Women need style -- the study revealed that women long for greater style in their vehicles and miss the excitement of driving more "fun, non-mom" vehicles.

-- Women are environmentally conscious -- women are looking for ways to be environmentally friendly that are convenient to their lifestyle and sensitive to their budget.

-- Women feel good in their car -- the vehicle provides a feeling of safety and security, especially when they are alone in their vehicle. They use their commute as a way to take a break and relax. Women have a lot of personal items in their cars, which provide a feeling of being at home, and they wish to have more possibilities to create their interior to get more of the feeling of being at home.

To explore women's current values, motivations and concerns and to better understand how the female perspective influences interior vehicle needs, Johnson Controls conducted a qualitative research study. A multi-method research approach of individual interviews, duo in-home interviews and focus groups were conducted throughout Chicago, Boston, Germany and the Czech Republic in the fall of 2007.

In addition to interior design insight, the information generated by this study also helped identify and prioritize some of the key criteria that women consider when purchasing a vehicle, including function, safety, style, gas mileage and price.

Johnson Controls' Consumer Research Group utilizes advanced research methods -- such as trend, target group, brand, product interior and concept research -- to gain insight into consumer mindsets. The group then translates the gathered market and consumer intelligence for designers and engineers to create product developments that are targeted to the needs of the industry.
 

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They wasted their time...here is the woman's perspective on cars (according to every woman I've ever talked to about cars)

"I like pretty cars, that come in pretty colours and I don't have to fill up too much."
 

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They wasted their time...here is the woman's perspective on cars (according to every woman I've ever talked to about cars)

"I like pretty cars, that come in pretty colours and I don't have to fill up too much."

Not to pick on ya but this very condescending impression is one of the key reasons why the Big 3 have failed. This is a male-dominated site so impressions like this probably aren't too far off the mainstream thought-line.

The fact is that from a business perspective there is only one single sales criteria...units moved. This generates cash which result in profits. That is the sole purpose of being in business. If this means directing the advertising and the vehicles toward a woman's interest and that moves more metal it's a smart business move.

Here is a hint: Honda and Toyota estimate that 75+% of the final decisions to buy a vehicle - or not - are made directly by a woman alone or as partner, wife, Mom, advisor. Ignore the woman and watch sales decline.
 

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Not to pick on ya but this very condescending impression is one of the key reasons why the Big 3 have failed. This is a male-dominated site so impressions like this probably aren't too far off the mainstream thought-line.

The fact is that from a business perspective there is only one single sales criteria...units moved. This generates cash which result in profits. That is the sole purpose of being in business. If this means directing the advertising and the vehicles toward a woman's interest and that moves more metal it's a smart business move.

Here is a hint: Honda and Toyota estimate that 75+% of the final decisions to buy a vehicle - or not - are made directly by a woman alone or as partner, wife, Mom, advisor. Ignore the woman and watch sales decline.
Agree with this statement. Most on this site will talk big and then go ask wifey for $5 so they can buy lunch tomorrow. ;)
 

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Here is a hint: Honda and Toyota estimate that 75+% of the final decisions to buy a vehicle - or not - are made directly by a woman alone or as partner, wife, Mom, advisor. Ignore the woman and watch sales decline.
In the mid 90's Automotive News had an article that estimated Women made 86% of the buying decision.
 

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How women influence car purchases:


Women buy cars they think are cool.

Men buy cars that women think are cool.

Married women buy cars that they think are safe.

Married men buy cars that their wife thinks is safe.


Do you think all those guys are driving Priuses because they actually want a stupid car or because they wanted to **** a liberal? What about the guy who bought the V6 Mustang? You know and I know that the V6 Mustang is a pretty lame car. Chicks dig the Mustang.

Duspinnist has a Vette because he wants to go fast, but also because he wants to impress girls.
T-Rex has a BMW because he, at one point, wanted to impress a girl with it.
Hitman drives a Buick because his wife thinks it's a good car (otherwise, he'd be in something else).
I got a truck with bench seats for obvious reasons.



We can't help it. Us guys are hasty about making decisions, but our motivation is pretty obvious.
 

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This study is so flawed, I won't even mention it again.

Women really want:

A console with a built in rotating shoe rack. Touch the shoe on the screen and the correct pair comes to the door of the console.

An automatic purse scanner. Hold the purse up to the dash and it will scan for your phone, keys or lipstick, in those overloaded purses.

Duplex-Bluetooth. A twin blootooth headset so that they could have two conversations at one time.

A dashboard nail salon. Put your hand (one at a time) into the convenient dash opening, after selecting the color and style on the touch screen. When the first hand is completed (about 5 miles) remove and insert the second hand.

The Big Finger. Push a button and the appropriate finger rises from the left front or rear fender, to signal your feelings about the male driver you just cut off while talking on your Duplex-Bluetooth.

I could go on forever, by if my wife gets home and see's this I get the optional ride in the trunk.
 

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How women influence car purchases:


Women buy cars they think are cool.

Men buy cars that women think are cool.

Married women buy cars that they think are safe.

Married men buy cars that their wife thinks is safe.

We can't help it. Us guys are hasty about making decisions, but our motivation is pretty obvious.
Only the last line is wrong here...married men buy cars their wife TELL them to buy.

no joke as a salesman, if a guy comes on the lot by himself, first thing I ask is where is the boss.....if he says home I ask if he brought a permission slip, if not no sense talking, whatever you tell him you will go over again later for her.
 

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Not to pick on ya but this very condescending impression is one of the key reasons why the Big 3 have failed. This is a male-dominated site so impressions like this probably aren't too far off the mainstream thought-line.

The fact is that from a business perspective there is only one single sales criteria...units moved. This generates cash which result in profits. That is the sole purpose of being in business. If this means directing the advertising and the vehicles toward a woman's interest and that moves more metal it's a smart business move.

Here is a hint: Honda and Toyota estimate that 75+% of the final decisions to buy a vehicle - or not - are made directly by a woman alone or as partner, wife, Mom, advisor. Ignore the woman and watch sales decline.
So the Big 3 should not make attractive cars with a variety of colours that get good mileage? Read my post again, it's in there. Women don't care about horsepower and torque numbers as long as the car can move when they need it to. Their car buying habits, I believe are more simplistic than that. I'm not saying they're not influential, but even when my mom wanted a car, she didn't know what she wanted, she wanted something that looked good in black with a tan interior and was good on gas. She had been driving my dad's old minivans for almost 10 years and didn't know where to start looking, so I sent her the way of the Saturn VUE and she still loves it 3 years later. I never said ignore women.
 

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So, the woman you know is your mum.... Kinda reminds me of Pirates of Penzance...

The useful insight from the research above, though, is the one about storage space. GM could excel here, even without the need to actually redesign their current vehicles!
 

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T-Rex has a BMW because he, at one point, wanted to impress a girl with it.
Hey now, wait a minute....!

Oh. Never mind. I did! :D Well not ONE girl, I just didn't want to attract the wrong kind of girl. Drive a BMW you land that MBA, lawyer, or med student. Drive a Silverado, you land Betty Sue. Drive a Camaro, you land... well, I'll be nice and leave it at that.
 

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Hey now, wait a minute....!

Oh. Never mind. I did! :D Well not ONE girl, I just didn't want to attract the wrong kind of girl. Drive a BMW you land that MBA, lawyer, or med student. Drive a Silverado, you land Betty Sue. Drive a Camaro, you land... well, I'll be nice and leave it at that.
I like Betty Sue....except I would rather a Marie, Evangeline, or Angelle.

It's funny you mention that. I drive a Silverado and lately I've been attracting the artsy red headed type...occasionally two at a time.

BMW wouldn't look good in the employee parking lot either. It's full of full sized trucks and SUVs.

I'm in the eastern time zone. The women here are not worthy of a ring...the one's that are really my type are taken long before I get to them. I want to go back to Texas or Louisiana.
 

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"Today's women are more autonomous than ever before. As their lives evolve, it's clear that their vehicles need to transform with them,"
This sentence has absolutely no meaning whatsoever. The fact that a woman is "autonomous" tells us no more about what she wants in a car than the fact that men are "autonomous" tells us what men what in their car.

Women's lives evolve. Great. Last time I checked, men graduate from college, too. And they get married, too. And they have kids, too. And they have jobs, too. And they retire, too. This tells us nothing about how women's desires are any different than men' desires.

-- Women are in transition
How are women "in transition" any more or less than men?

-- Women are connected -- women of all ages are incredibly connected to technology
Who here believes women are more interested than men in bluetooth.

-- Women need more storage space
Packrats are in need of storage spaces. Women do not "need" storage space in vehicles any more than men.

-- Women need style
How much do you want to bet that the majority of Corolla buyers are women while the majority of 3 Series buyers are men?

-- Women are environmentally conscious
Conscious, yes. Willing to sacrifice safety, performance or style, no. Tell a woman with two kids that a Yaris gets better mileage than a Tahoe, and wait for a response.

-- Women feel good in their car -- the vehicle provides a feeling of safety and security, especially when they are alone in their vehicle.
Men don't?

To explore women's current values, motivations and concerns and to better understand how the female perspective influences interior vehicle needs, Johnson Controls conducted a qualitative research study. A multi-method research approach of individual interviews, duo in-home interviews and focus groups were conducted throughout Chicago, Boston, Germany and the Czech Republic in the fall of 2007.
This kind of gibberish is what gets us cars by committee. Call me sexist, but I say this: spend the day watching commercials during daytime television.
 

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So, the woman you know is your mum.... Kinda reminds me of Pirates of Penzance...

The useful insight from the research above, though, is the one about storage space. GM could excel here, even without the need to actually redesign their current vehicles!
One of many, their search criteria have always been similar.
 

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Hey now, wait a minute....!

Oh. Never mind. I did! :D Well not ONE girl, I just didn't want to attract the wrong kind of girl. Drive a BMW you land that MBA, lawyer, or med student. Drive a Silverado, you land Betty Sue. Drive a Camaro, you land... well, I'll be nice and leave it at that.
Her name was Dayna...she was a nice girl...little loopy, but aren't they all? :rolleyes:
 

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So, the woman you know is your mum.... Kinda reminds me of Pirates of Penzance...

The useful insight from the research above, though, is the one about storage space. GM could excel here, even without the need to actually redesign their current vehicles!
Actually I did quite well selling Aztecs that way, pointing out the "Purse" holder under the counsel.
 
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