I was getting the oil changed in my car the other day at one of those quick lube places. Sitting in the waiting room I noticed a stack of nearby magazines. Since it was going to take a few minutes I rifled through the stack expecting to find periodicals like Car & Driver, Hotrod, or even Sports Illustrated. You know, guy stuff. How surprised I was to see copies of Ladies Home Journal, Southern Living, and Redbook. Then it dawned on me, this business knows who their customers are, and something about how to appeal to them!

There is a new book out, Don't Think Pink, that will help you see your brand through a woman's eyes, unlocking the secrets to developing products, services, and marketing strategies that truly resonate with female buyers. Written by ReachWomen.com's Lisa Johnson and Andrea Learned, the book focuses on what drives women's buying decisions, and how businesses can capitalize on this enormous (and evergreen) market.

With women heading some 40% of households in America, making 85% of consumer buying decisions and running 40% of all companies in the U.S., it makes sense that marketers would want to appeal to this audience. Marketers need to understand the customers, get their feedback and focus on the context of the product.

According to Promo Magazine women are driving the growth of online shopping. Last year, women accounted for 52% of online buyers — 18.9 million of the total 36.5 million U.S. shoppers online, according to Forrester Research. Thirteen percent of women shop online in a given week, compared to 9% who shop in a drugstore, reports WSL Strategic Retail, a New York City consultancy. Even among teens, girls tend to get down to business online more quickly than boys.

I don't know if the guys down at the oil change place have read this book. Probably not. They just know more women come through their doors than men I guess, and are trying to appeal to them. Shouldn't you?