NEW YORK (Map) - NEW YORK, July 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Sex is an issue in business. Not sex the verb - sex the noun. Think about it: Women buy or influence the sale of 80% of consumer products, yet men run most companies. In her new book, Why She Buys: The New Strategy For Reaching The World's Most Powerful Consumers (Crown Business, on-sale July 7, 2009), Bridget Brennan exposes the enormous gender gap between the people who decide what to manufacture and those who decide what to buy. "Gender is the most powerful determinant of how a person views the world and everything in it," says Brennan, who is the CEO of Female Factor. "It's more powerful than age, income, race or geography. In a consumer economy driven by women, male-dominated companies that don't overcome this blind spot risk getting left behind."

Why She Buys synthesizes demographic trends, gender psychology, new research on brain differences, and first-person interviews with executives at companies from MasterCard to

Lexus (Toyota) to Procter & Gamble. Readers will learn how to capture the business of the sex that does most of the shopping: Women.

Brennan helps executives reorient their thinking by revealing:

-- The five important global demographic trends driving female consumerism, including more women in the workforce; delayed marriages and subsequently more spending on self; lower birthrates resulting in fewer kids (but more stuff); a divorce economy, which translates to two of everything; and the growing numbers of active, older women. -- The latest research on the differences between the brains of men and women, and how to apply these insights -- Great stories, such as the car salesman who went the extra mile to turn off a woman determined to buy a luxury car -- Powerful case studies loaded with practical advice -- The "X to Y Mencyclopedia" - a glossary of terms that serves as a translation guide for speaking "female"

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Bridget Brennan is the founder and CEO of Female Factor, a strategic consultancy that advises companies on how to increase their success with women consumers. She is the recipient of numerous industry awards, including Public Relations Agency Practitioner of the Year by PR NEWS. Brennan has served as an instructor at Northwestern University's Graduate Program, and has guest lectured at the Kellogg School of Management and at industry conferences nationwide. She is a founder of the Marketing to Moms Coalition, an active member of the Network of Executive Women and the National Speakers Association.

BRIDGET BRENNAN IS AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEWS

www.thefemalefactor.com

Contact: Tara Gilbride, 212-572-2872; tgilbride@randomhouse.com