Women were identified as a target group for hand tools at an early stage. Although it is great that advertisements now often show women carrying out large and small DIY projects, there is not enough in-depth knowledge about what women's needs are when it comes to hand tools. It’s time for a couple of facts!
05.03.2021 | In Focus
Does it have to be pink? What really matters to women when it comes to hand tools
A rosy outlook
When the first hand tools specially designed for women appeared in DIY stores, it became blatantly clear what was thought at the time about women and their tool requirements.
A large number of manufacturers seemed to be convinced that the appearance of the products was vitally important for women and that women have a special preference for certain colors and patterns. The consequence – cheap, low-quality products that were, of course, pink and printed with colorful flowers.
In a study funded by PB Swiss Tools into the “Gender Marketing of High-Quality Hand Tools” (Claudia Schweizer, 2013), we have proven that women neither have an especially strong affinity to the color pink, nor select tools based primarily on their aesthetics.
On the contrary, it is often even the case that they reject products that are marketed as “developed for women”.
