JWT launches female-focused consultancy

The new consultancy, Female Tribes Consulting, has been launched in response to client demand for better understanding of the female market, according to JWT.

The Female Tribes Women’s Index study of 8,000 women in 19 countries, published in 2016, found that the majority of women surveyed ( 85%) felt that advertising needs to catch up with reality. Additionally, 77% of women surveyed claim to make the majority of household purchasing decisions. 

The quantitative study was commissioned by JWT’s in-house research unit, Sonar, based in New York. 

The consultancy will use the findings from the study to help clients rethink their approaches to innovation, R&D, product and service design, employee experience and consumer experience.

JWT has also launched a new trends report, ‘The New Femininity’, which found that 88% don’t want to buy ‘for her’ or ‘girly’ products from brands just because they are women. The report also indicated that 72% of respondents would rather be described as ‘strong’ than ‘sweet’, and 79% of women believe femininity needs to be redefined.

Additionally, 64% of women prefer products designed by women, feeling that they better understand women’s needs.

The consultancy will be headed up by Rachel Pashley (pictured centre), with JWT London chief executive James Whitehead (pictured second from left) overseeing. They will be joined by Ebla Salvi, Megan Van Someron, Lucy Barton and WACL Future Leader Lucy Moody.

Rachel Pashley, head of Female Tribes Consulting, said: “'The New Femininity’ report and the wider Women’s Index shows us that understanding women and designing businesses through a female lens is now a commercial imperative. And this requires authentic female insight, not assumption.”

She added: “Women don’t want companies to simply ‘pink it and shrink it’. Businesses simply cannot afford to keep misunderstanding this audience.”