Engineers over at General Motors really know how to get in touch with their feminine side for the purpose of marketing to women. While re-designing a new line of full size GMC and Chevrolet Trucks (bad ass soccer moms) set to come out this fall, the GM engineers decided the best way to get into the heads of women is to try on their shoes. Literally.

To gain a better understanding of the female mind, over 100 engineers from GM put on skirts, heels, fake hair, and nails. They carried purses and child dolls as they went in and out of the prototype trucks according to a new report in Automotive News. The marketing assignment was huge. The engineers (all male) had to wheel a baby stoller to an SUV, open the doors, place the baby in a car seat, life the rear door, fold and store the stroller and then get into the front seat WITHOUT using the running board. The ‘moms’ had to do all of this without breaking a single nail or ripping their ‘mini-skirts’.

This market research experiment was truly an eye opener in my life and guys all of walks in life. Whether your single, married, or expecting your first child you must have a good understanding of the female life and lifestyle to appreciate their difficult lives. For marketers, we have to understand our target markets (women in this experiment) to better accomodate their needs.