Intersexual Choice
When customers have power to select among suppliers, companies succeed by understanding and courting specific customer preferences.
The Vertu lesson: you can invest heavily in honest costly signals that are genuinely expensive and high-quality, yet still fail completely because you're signaling on dimensions customers don't care about.
Female choice drives male investment in displays and courtship. Bower birds build elaborate structures, decorate them with blue objects, and perform dances. Females inspect multiple bowers and choose mates based on construction quality, decoration, and performance. Males who invest more in impressive displays have greater reproductive success. This is different from intrasexual competition. Males aren't fighting each other - they're competing to be chosen by females. The female's evaluation determines success.
Business Application of Intersexual Choice
When customers have power to select among suppliers, companies succeed by understanding and courting specific customer preferences. Patek Philippe's 'Generations' campaign masterfully courts wealthy customers who value intergenerational legacy. The key: discover what customers actually select for (not assumed preferences), then design courtship displays addressing those real preferences.