A very loooong time ago, back in the late 90s, I worked as a writer for motivational speaker, Tony Robbins. I learned a lot from that experience but there's one thing in particular that stands out to me and that's what Tony called "The Six Human Needs." 

Roughly based on Maslow's theory, Tony defined the six human needs as: 1. certainty (basic food and shelter without worry); 2. uncertainty (everyone needs a little adventure in their lives); 3. connection (as in being connected to other humans or a part of a community); 4. significance (we all want to feel special and like the top dog once in a while); 5. growth (keep learning, keep growing); and 5. contribution (we all want to feel like we are helping on some level, whether individually or as part of a larger movement).

The idea is that ALL of us need to meet these six human needs in order to be fulfilled and happy, but there are a couple of interesting stand-outs. Can you guess what is most important to the majority of men? Significance. What about women? It's all about connection.

Women want to feel a connection and that applies to just about everything, including how you market to them. We know that women drive 85% of purchasing decisions, yet a whopping 91% feel misunderstood by marketers.

The way you speak to women and tell the story of your product or service is key. Women research; they like to learn about products before they purchase. Not only does this save money and time, but it gives women a sense of certainty about the product and its manufacturer.

Features and benefits are important to be sure, but so is the emotional connection women feel to the product. And that is imperative when it comes to capturing this very lucrative audience. When marketing to women it's important to address the real issues they face. Women want to be seen and heard; they want authentic solutions that speak to their needs. They want to feel a connection.

In most cases, it really isn't even about the product; it's the messaging and content around the product that makes a campaign or strategy effective. If you're in CPG, it might just be time to evolve your marketing strategy to really resonate with this influential and significant audience.