Marketers Discover What Makes Women Tick Is Tech

Don’t bother with the flowers.

Keep out of those jewelry stores.

And cancel those romantic vacations plans.

The gifts that guys used to give women are out.

They’ve been replaced by something a lot less traditional – like a cell phone or a big screen TV.

A new study done for a U.S. based women’s network shows the gender gap between boys and their toys and girls and their gadgets has narrowed.

According to the figures, when given the choice, 77 percent of women admitted they’d rather get a new plasma TV than a diamond necklace, and 56 percent would take the same big screen over a vacation in Florida.

At least 86 percent would settle for a digital camera and 90 percent would take a PC over a new pair of designer shoes.

Stilettos lose out to cell phones 78 percent of the time.

And given the choice between an iPod and a romantic dinner, a sexy black dress or a night out, a large number wanted the MP3 player.

The study also found women aren’t afraid to play with the devices to figure out how they work, most act as their own troubleshooters when something doesn’t function properly and they don’t appreciate being talked down to by store clerks who sell them the items.

What does it all mean? Researchers suggest it may be time for advertisers and marketers to stop appealing mostly to men and include women in their sales pitches. They believe the cliched era of the man wanting the big screen TV over his wife’s objections is at an end.

And they point out one other fact that may just prove it. Women control most of the purse strings when it comes to a high tech purchase. Only 27 percent still defer to a man when choosing  something techy.

Which for guys may mean buying that next anniversary gift just got a whole lot easier. Because chances are it’s something they’ll want, too.