A Food Marketing Fact: Women Don’t Need Specialized Products

Marketing Food to Women

Food Marketers: Women Don’t Need Special Chocolate Bars

A recent article in BusinessWeek noted that Cadbury has created its own chocolate bar for women. Though packaged in Cadbury’s corporate purple instead of pink, the bar is “lady” because the chocolate and wafer bar is, according to them, “a lighter way to eat chocolate, and the resealable package allows women to consume just a bit at a time.” Crispello is clearly marketed at the weight-conscious, which I believe they are suggesting is an exclusively female domain. And while I love the concept of the resealable package, I don’t want anyone telling me how to eat my chocolate. Or worse, assuming they know better than me how I should eat my chocolate. Identifying this as a “woman’s product” brings us all back to those tired gender stereotypes.

The picture that this type of marketing paints is that women are incapable of doing much, including eating, without help from some friendly corporations. The truth is, we’re actually doing better than OK. Most of us can decide how to eat our chocolate without any help or pre-determined portion control. And while I love marketers that recognize women for the intelligent people they are, this is not the way I like to be reminded that I’m a woman.

“Women Don’t Write Here”

Women Don't Write Here - The Good Girls Revolt

Recently I came across a fascinating story on the role of women at Newsweek in the 60s. They were told that “women don’t write here.” That, though they attended Seven Sisters colleges, graduated with honors, and had the same professional goals as their male colleagues, they were merely there to push mail carts, fact-check and mix cocktails. Enjoy “Behind the Good Girls Revolt.”

All the Single Ladies

Ann Marie - The Single Lady

The Changing Face of Single Women

Single women on TV have historically been a reflection of our changing societal times. First there was Ann Marie – AKA “That Girl.” Then there were Mary Tyler Moore, Murphy Brown, Ally McBeal and Carrie Bradshaw. All unique women in life stages as complex as the times they were living in. These were not their mother’s daughters, but a whole new era of modern single women.

Today’s women are responsible for in this country. A large segment of these women – 59 million to be exact – are single. Even with that staggering number, advertisers aren’t taking the time to learn how to speak to them or, more importantly, listen to them. Single women are not necessarily moms, and they’re definitely not married with children. They are as unique in their opinions, influences and buying habits as any other consumer group, and want to be recognized for the economic influence they yield.

Marketing to Single Women

Marketers can let go of outdated stereotypes by listening to this group and exploring their unique lifestyle. Just as ad campaigns now reflect moms as multi-faceted with many things going on in their day besides doing laundry or cooking dinner, brands must recognize and reflect the ways in which single women choose to live their lives, and how their lifestyle influences everything from parenting and politics to shopping and brand loyalty.

Marketing To Women: 30 Stats To Know

Stats to Know about Marketing to Women

I was really pleased to see the following article by Ekaterina Walter for MediaPost. It’s rare to find such a great compilation of stats (including some from Girlpower Marketing) that drive home the purchasing power of women. Thanks for including us!

Marketing to Women: 30 Stats to Know

Women are earning, spending, and influencing spending at a greater rate than ever before — and they account for $7 trillion in consumer and business spending in the United States, and over the next decade they will control two-thirds of consumer wealth. Women make or influence 85 percent of all purchasing decisions, and purchase over 50 percent of traditional male products, including automobiles, home improvement products and consumer electronics.

But 91% of women say that advertisers don’t understand them.

Recognizing the power and influence of women must be a top priority for marketers if they are going to tap into the market’s full potential. Here are 30 surprising stats to help marketers get a handle on this misunderstood demographic.

Earning Power

1. The average American woman is expected to earn more than the average American male by 2028

2. Fifty-one percent of U.S. private wealth is controlled by women

3. Women account for over 50% of all stock ownership in the U.S.

4. Women control more than 60% of all personal wealth in the U.S.

Spending Power

1. Women account for 85% of all consumer purchases, including everything from autos to health care

2. Women make 80% of healthcare decisions and 68 percent of new car purchase decisions

3. Seventy-five percent of women identified themselves as the primary shoppers for their households

4. Women influenced $90 billion of consumer electronic purchases in 2007

5. Nearly 50% of women say they want more green choices, with 37% are more likely to pay attention to brands that are committed to environmental causes

Women and Cars

1. Women buy more than half of the new cars in the U.S., and influence up to 80% of all car purchases

2. Women request 65% of the service work done at dealerships

3. Women spend over $200 billion on new cars and mechanical servicing of vehicles each year

4. Forty-five percent of all light trucks and SUVs are purchased by women

Mom Power

1. Moms represent a $2.4 trillion market

2. Fifty-five percent of active (daily) social media moms said they made their purchase because of a recommendation from a personal review blog

3. 18.3 million Internet users who are moms read blogs at least once a month

4. In 2014, 63% (nearly 21 million) of all online moms will read blogs

5. Moms mention brands an average of 73 times per week compared with just 57 times per week among males

6. Seventy-seven percent of mom bloggers will only write about products or brands whose reputations they approve of, and another 14% will write about brands or products they boycott

7. Ninety percent of moms are online vs. just 76% of women in general

8. Sixty-four percent of moms ask other mothers for advice before they purchase a new product and 63% of all mothers surveyed consider other moms the most credible experts when they have questions

Women Online

1. As early as 2000, women were found to have surpassed men in Internet usage

2. Seventy-eight percent of women in the U.S. use the Internet for product information before making a purchase

3. Thirty-three percent research products and services online before buying offline

4. Women account for 58% of all total online spending

5. Twenty-two percent shop online at least once a day

6. Ninety-two percent pass along information about deals or finds to others

7. The average number of contacts in their e-mail or mobile lists is 171

8. Seventy-six percent want to be part of a special or select panel

9. Fifty-eight percent would toss a TV if they had to get rid of one digital device (only 11% would ditch their laptops)

The sources for the statistics cited in this article are as follows: She-Economy, Ms Smith Marketing, StartUpNation, Clickz, Inc.com, Girlpower Marketing, Catalyst, Forbes.

The Scary Mommy Manifesto

For those moms who can relate . . . enjoy!

Excerpted from “Confessions of a Scary Mommy: An Honest and Irreverent Look at Motherhood: The Good, The Bad, and the Scary” by Jill Smokler.

I shall maintain a sense of humor about all things motherhood, for without it, I recognize that I may end up institutionalized. Or, at the very least, completely miserable.
I shall not judge the mother in the grocery store who, upon entering, hits the candy aisle and doles out M&Ms to her screaming toddler. It is simply a survival mechanism.
I shall not compete with the mother who effortlessly bakes from scratch, purees her own baby food, or fashions breathtaking costumes from tissue paper. Motherhood is not a competition. The only ones who lose are the ones who race the fastest.
I shall shoot the parents of the screaming newborn on the airplane looks of compassion rather than resentment. I am fortunate to be able to ditch the kid upon landing. They, however, are not.
I shall never ask any woman whether she is, in fact, expecting. Ever.
I shall not question the mother who is wearing the same yoga pants, flip-flops and t-shirt she wore to school pickup the day before. She has good reason.
I shall never claim to know everything about any child but my own. (Who still remains a mystery to me.)
I shall hold the new babies belonging to friends and family, so they may shower and nap, which is all any new mother really wants.
I shall attempt to not pass down my own messed up body issues to my daughter. She deserves a mother who loves and respects herself; stretch marks, cellulite and all.
I shall not preach the benefits of breastfeeding or circumcision or home schooling or organic food or co-sleeping or crying it out to a fellow mother who has not asked my opinion. It’s none of my damn business.
I shall try my hardest to never say never, for I just may end up with a loud-mouthed, bikini clad, water gun shooting toddler of my very own.
I shall remember that no mother is perfect and my children will thrive because, and sometimes even in spite, of me.

Find Us On Pinterest

If you’re on Pinterest, you know what a visual feast it is, and what an effective marketing board it can be for many brands. Some of the more social consumer brands that you might expect are already experimenting on the platform: McDonald’s, Gap, Coca-Cola. But there are plenty of brands that might surprise you. College, non-profit and sports brands of all types are there. Government, NGO and healthcare brands are also there. The diversity is something you do not really see on any other social network outside of Facebook and Twitter.

If you’re not yet there, we highly recommend you check it out. Here’s where you’ll find us: http://pinterest.com/girlpowermkting. Hope to see you soon!

Social Media Marketing: The Power of Pinterest

Brands Add Pinterest to Their Social Media Marketing Portfolios

Pinterest now has more than 11 million unique monthly users. Eighty percent of those users are female, and they are spending more time there than on Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+ combined.

South by Southwest Interactive officially drew to a close last week with the 15th Annual Interactive Awards, where Pinterest received the “Breakout Digital Trend” award.

The infographic below shows just how powerful social media marketing with Pinterest is, and how five brands are using it.

What opportunities does Pinterest afford your brand?

Pinterest: Are Women Driving Its Explosive Growth?

We know that women are the gateway to sales, making 85 percent of all purchasing decisions in the American household. Well over half of all female shoppers are using online social networks to find the newest and best products for themselves and their families.

The latest online social network is Pinterest. Launched in 2010, the site is a runaway hit, growing from 1.6 million visitors in September 2011 to 11.1 million visitors as of February 2012.

I’ve been an active member of Pinterest for a while now. The greatest thing about Pinterest is that I can selectively choose what I want to follow. I use Pinterest much like I would use any notebook where I would keep clippings of things that inspire me, recipes, books I want to read, or anything else I can think of.

Currently women make up about 82 percent of Pinterest active users, according to Google Ad Planner. Whether that’s because women are already using social networks 30 percent more than men, or simply because they’re earlier to the party remains to be seen. Pinterest may be attracting women because of its storytelling aspect that women relate to – women are attracted to the feel of a brand and to the “why” behind every company. Whatever the answer, the real question remains: How will businesses start using Pinterest as a marketing tool to speak to their customers?

One of the most straightforward ways for brands to use the platform is to exhibit items or services that traditional appeal to women. Companies like Lilly Pulitzer and Chobani Yogurt are showing ways to use their products. Nordstrom, Lands’ End and Better Homes & Garden magazine have added buttons on their websites to let visitors easily pin photos on Pinterest. Virgin America airlines, Gilt Group and Barneys New York have started their own Pinterest pages.

Whether women continue to dominate Pinterest remains to be seen, but as marketers review site user demographics they will continue to tailor their messages to the primary Pinterest users. As a result, Pinterest may become a haven for women on the Internet, with products, content and images tailored specifically for them. Because, as with all marketing to women, building relationships is the key to long-term brand commitment and loyalty.

Women’s Purchasing Power

How Do Women Wield Their Purchasing Power?

More women are taking the reins with their own finances, holding 60 percent of the country’s personal wealth, and 51 percent of all U.S stocks. In addition, the number of wealthy women in the U.S. is growing twice as fast as the number of wealthy men, according to Virginia Tech.

At home, the majority of women act as “chief purchasing officer,” influencing or managing 85 percent of all consumer purchases. And that’s not just diapers and detergent. Women buy more cars, insurance and consumer electronics than men as well.

See the infographic below from the Business Insider for more fun stats on women’s purchasing power:

It bears repeating that women are the top marketing opportunity in today’s economy. They make 85 percent of all consumer purchasing decisions, and account for $7 trillion in consumer and business spending. Savvy marketers understand this, and will continue to look at ways to build relationships with this key consumer.

Nike: Smart Marketing to Women

Nike Is Marketing to Women

Love this ad from Nike that says women don’t have to be toothpicks to be pretty. The copy and image are both powerful and empowering. Other brands and marketers would be well served to take a page from the Nike playbook when marketing to women.

Well done, Nike!

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