Woman-Owned, Year-Round

Happy March — here in Boston the sun is starting to shine a little brighter, and we can feel our winter selves beginning to thaw. Alongside the longer days, this month holds a special place in our hearts at TCG Brands because it’s Women’s History Month. As a woman-owned company, it made us pause and ask ourselves not if we should continue to promote that (we always will), but why it still matters — and whether consumers are more inclined to support a product or business when they know it’s woman-owned.

Through my research, the answer was a clear yes. According to a study published in The Journal of Consumer Research, explicitly identifying a business as woman-owned can positively influence how consumers evaluate it. What I found especially interesting is that the researchers didn’t just theorize — they tested it in the real world. In one field experiment, they partnered with a dessert shop and distributed two nearly identical flyers. Both promoted a QR code for a chance to win a gift card, but only one included a “Woman-Owned Business” logo. The result? The flyer with the logo received significantly more responses than the one without it.

The American Marketing Association highlights a few reasons why consumers respond this way. One is empathy: woman-owned and minority-owned businesses are often perceived as underdogs, which can create an emotional connection and even make customers more forgiving of small missteps. Whether or not that perception is accurate, it clearly shapes consumer behavior.

And it’s not just across the board — it’s generational. Research from YouGov shows that millennials and Gen Z are the most likely to factor ownership and values into their purchasing decisions. That means when we talk about being woman-owned, we’re not just telling our story — we’re speaking directly to the consumers who care most about it.

For us at TCG Brands, being woman-owned isn’t a label we use once a year — it’s part of who we are every day. Understanding why it resonates helps us tell that story more intentionally and reminds us that representation in business doesn’t just matter symbolically — it influences real consumer choices. That’s also why we’re proud to work with brands like Everybody Water, a woman-owned company that gives back by funding clean water access for women and girls. Partnering with businesses that share that mission allows us to turn values into real impact, which is what this month — and our work year-round — is all about.