Sex Sells – Or Does It?

Does Sex Sell? Godaddy's Super Bowl Ad

Does Sex Sell in Advertising? Go Daddy Thinks So.

Overtly sexual Super Bowl ads have made a comeback this year, despite the evidence that sexual ads actually turn many consumers off. Yes, a lot of men watch the Super Bowl but a heck of a lot of women do too – about 40% of the entire Super Bowl audience. A record number of female viewers helped propel Super Bowl XLV to become the most-watched television program of all time last year — and according to the research, they were watching primarily for the commercials.

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, who have been analyzing Super Bowl ads for more than two decades, indicate that sex doesn’t sell as much as it used to – finding that ads with sexual imagery take a 10% hit in “likability” versus ads without racy images. Case in point: this year’s Go Daddy’s Super Bowl commercial. Here’s a look at how the world reacted to Danica Patrick and Jillian Michaels needlessly painting a naked model to promote the web domain company. From “stale cheesecake” to “pricelessly awful,” it’s fair to say the ads weren’t exactly well received.

“Yes, once again GoDaddy served up stale cheesecake in the form of two commercials that exploited women in the guise of empowerment.” – The New York Times

“In a cheap-looking spot, GoDaddy body-paints a model and then asks you to go online to see more. I didn’t, and no one else in my house did, either—though, come to think of it, my brother went to the bathroom for an unreasonably long time, carrying his laptop.” –The New Yorker

“I think the ad that best summarizes how debased our excessive commercialism has made us is the Go Daddy commercial that features two women using another woman’s body as a billboard on which to write and draw the Go Daddy brand.” – The Baltimore Sun

“What would a Super Bowl be without a terrible Go Daddy ad? The incomprehensible appearance by Jillian Michaels was pricelessly awful.” – Newsday

“Is there an American male left who still goes to GoDaddy.com expecting to see a half-naked Danica Patrick?” – San Francisco Chronicle

Popular Un-Sexy Super Bowl Ads

With that in mind, we thought we’d take a look at some of the best un-sexy Super Bowl ads in recent history. These ads are simply fun, and managed to be so without even a bikini shot.

1980: Mean Joe Green
A little boy offers a grumpy football star a Coke, which he drains with terrifying speed before tossing the boy a sweaty towel as a symbol of their newfound friendship. BFFs!

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2008: Hank The Clydesdale
Underdog horse trains his hindquarters off to make it onto the Budweiser team of Clydesdale horses, set to the most inspirational theme song of all time.

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2009: Love Story
Google uses Google searches to tell the full story of a modern romance, from a search for “study abroad paris france” to … well, the ending is too cute to spoil.

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2012: The Dog Strikes Back
This two-part ad from Volkswagen opens with a cute montage of a dog getting back into shape so he can chase cars again, then moves to a Cantina-style bar filled with Star Wars-esque characters debating if the dog is better than last year’s adorable Darth Vader kid. Spoiler alert: He makes an appearance, too.

Beauty Is Pain

High Heels - Beauty Is Pain

A recent Today Show poll noted that 48.6% believe that high heels empower women — making them stand out as confident individuals. 31.9% felt that high heels oppress women — objectifying them as mere sex objects while causing lasting damage to their feet and ankles.

I know that I can make a statement much more pointedly with the click-click of my heels than when striding purposefully in flats. For me, there’s a feeling of empowerment that I don’t get when wearing flats. I know the relationship women have with their shoes is often the butt of jokes, and probably for good reason.

The human foot is one the most intricate structures in the body: it contains one-third of the bones in the body (26), has 35 joints, and more than 100 ligaments, tendons, and muscles. High-heels place a ridiculous amount of stress on feet, and over time can create major problems for women later in life.

The photo above made me start thinking about my relationship with heels. For most of my life I’ve been in the “comfortable shoe” camp, and certainly own more sneakers and flats than heels. But lately I’ve begun to notice that the shoes I choose to wear on any given day may directly influence how others interact with me. Though perhaps it’s my own demeanor that changes when I’m wearing heels — it really is difficult to project an authoritative presence at 5’2”.

Whatever the reason, though I’m always most happy when my feet are happy, if I’m pulling myself together to go out and slay the dragon, I’ll take along a pair of high heels as part of my arsenal.

Marketing to Generation Mom

What Is Generation Mom?

We all know the established generations of Mom: the Boomers, Gen X and Gen Y. But are all Moms equal, or do the generations dictate their parenting values and core marketing preferences? My colleague Stacy DeBroff, founder and CEO of MomCentral Consulting, recently conducted a survey to find out how ages and stages impact Moms.

In looking at generational differences, the survey originally assumed that a Mom’s generational characteristics would deeply influence her parenting style, attitudes about brand messaging, and use of social and traditional media. Surprisingly enough, however, the survey showed that regardless of Boomer, Gen X or Gen Y status, certain universal truths for all Moms emerged in four key areas:

Moms would rather stay at home instead of forging ahead on their career path
Moms would forgo a bigger paycheck to spend more time with their kids
Moms say contentment in kids trumps future success
Moms put parenting ahead of their marriage

When Moms surveyed were asked “What Makes a Great Mom?” and given 25 choices, these Top 3 emerged:

Spending quality time with her children
Raising children with good manners
Setting boundaries and keeping them

When asked about their perceived inadequacies, the Top 3 responses were:

Moms feel guilty for being short-tempered with their family
Moms feel guilty because they don’t play with their children enough
Moms feel guilt for not spending enough time with their kids

All Moms Yearn to Connect

The study also revealed that Moms are feeling more isolated than ever before – due primarily to today’s mobile society and their own attempts to achieve “Super Mom” status. This isolation, coupled with the feelings of guilt, has resulted in Moms seeking alternative ways to reach out and connect. Social media has become the conduit between Moms and their trusted connections to other Moms and brands. Much like Moms want relationships with fellow Moms, they also want relationships with the brands they love – and when they feel engaged, they are more likely to make a purchase, or recommend a brand to their friends.

What’s Important to Generation Mom?

What’s important to Generation Mom? Her family, her passions, her relationships, her children. Generation Mom feels a deep need to connect with the world around her – and social media has become the way in which that happens. Twitter and Facebook now mimic the neighborhood friends of previous decades. They help women expand beyond their immediate worlds and make new friends, while reconnecting with old friends. The Internet also provides Moms with access to ready-made communities that provide support for those who knit, do yoga, need help with potty training, or other issues.

As social media becomes the new “picket fence” for Mom conversations, the age of those Moms appears to be proving irrelevant. Regardless of age, brands will find her online. There may be some slight media preferences by age – Gen X Moms read more magazine articles than Gen Y Moms for example – but all generations surveyed embrace social media. And whether a Mom is 25, 35 or 45 – shared parenting values bring them all together as Generation Mom.

When marketing to moms, is your brand participating in the emergent platforms where Moms are congregating online? Does your messaging map to a Mom’s core values?

Rethinking Grandma

I was reading Holly Buchanan’s blog the other day and nearly fell off my chair laughing – she was so right! The topic was grandmothers – and how they are perceived in today’s marketing world. Here were the photos:

The reality:

Rethinking Grandma

And the marketer’s stereotypical perception:

A Marketer's View of Grandma

Holly reminded us that today’s grandmothers are active, affluent and very involved in their kids and grandkids lives. They’re also typically boomer women – the demographic that, though invisible to most marketers, carries the most buying power clout. They have more discretionary income, and will experience the biggest transference of wealth over the next decade.

So marketers, ignore these women at your peril! Thanks Holly.

Do you have a strategy for building a relationship with this important demographic in 2012?

Marketing to the Female Brain

The differences between women and men are not only well-documented, but frequently at the heart of jokes and good-natured ribbing. The fact is, men and women simply are wired differently.

In human relationships, women tend to communicate more effectively than men, focusing on how to create a solution that works for the group and talking through issues. Men tend to be more task-oriented, less talkative, and have a more difficult time understanding emotions that are not explicitly verbalized. Men typically prefer to peel away the extraneous detail and focus on the job at hand. To women, however, those details add richness and depth and are a very necessary part of their decision-making process. Here are some of the neurological reasons for these differences:

Marketing to the Female Brain vs. Marketing to the Male Brain

The male brain is organized in a neatly structured and compartmentalized way, where the female brain is more web-like and networked in structure.

Female brains have four times the number of connections between the left and right sides of the brain, which means they have to process information four times faster than men and take in four times as many signals that must be filtered.

Men have “The Big T” – testosterone – which is responsible for many of the male personality traits like self-assertiveness, competitiveness, risk-taking and thrill-seeking. Men also tap the right side of the brain, but not as often as women, or as deeply. While the male brain goes from point A to point B in a linear fashion, the woman’s brain operates in a more circuitous fashion.

The parts of the brain that control speech and language are more pronounced in females. Yes, women talk more. Typically 12,000 words a day more. But that means, given the right circumstances, women are 10-20 times more likely to share those good experiences and become walking advocates for a brand.

Women and Men React to Stress Differently

Men tend to have a “fight or flight” response to stress situations, while women approach these situations with a “tend or befriend” strategy. The reason for these different reactions to stress is rooted in hormones. The hormone oxytocin is released during stress in everyone. However, estrogen tends to enhance oxytocin, resulting in calming and nurturing feelings whereas testosterone, which men produce in high levels during stress, reduces the effects of oxytocin.

Marketers Should Better Understand Emotions to Better Engage Women

Women typically have a larger deep limbic system, which promotes bonding and nesting instincts, and enables women to better express their feelings than men. The down side to this larger deep limbic system is that it also opens women up to depression, especially during times of hormonal shifts such as after childbirth or during a woman’s menstrual cycle.

One of the key ways that marketers can better engage with women is to understand what makes her uniquely female. And understanding that doesn’t mean they will alienate men in the process. On the contrary, while women expect more from the brands and products they do business with, men ultimately benefit from those high expectations as well. So if a brand meets the needs of the woman, typically it will exceed the needs of the man.

To those marketing to women: Are you taking into consideration the differences between men and women when targeting women with your brand message?

Engaging the Mom Market

How to Engage the Mom Market

Recently Maria Bailey created a list of places a brand needs to be in order to engage with moms. Her list was right on the money, so I thought I’d share it here.

We all know moms are constantly on the go, and use numerous technology tools to stay connected. Mobile apps, iPads and Smartphones are just some of the tools that help brands market to moms and engage them at the right time and with the right message. Here are some additional tools that should be part of any marketers toolkit when reaching out to the mom market.

1. Engage Moms on YouTube

As the second largest search engine, YouTube provides moms an easy way to not only search for products, but to also learn how to use them. Create short videos — less than three minutes — that tell moms how to create solutions with your product. Use mom vloggers or mom employees to produce videos in order to create a relevant connection with the female audience.

2. Mothers Can Be Found on Pinterest

If you haven’t discovered this hot, new social media community yet, make it a New Year’s resolution to do so. This is not only where moms are migrating for ideas and product suggestions, but it’s cool to her tween and teenage kids as well. The next time a mom blogger tells you she loves your product, ask her to “pin” it on her Pinterest bulletin board.

3. Find Moms in Their Homes

An article by the Associated Press,“Why Are Toys Selling Out? Might be Mommy Blog Buzz,” focused on the success of LeapPad Explorers and their popularity, thanks to the buzz created by MommyParties. It’s using the fun of in-home Tupperware parties without the pressure to buy items. Allowing moms to test and share your product in a social setting is an effective way to fully engage mothers in peer marketing.

4. Reach a Mother in Her Email Box

We often forget the power of email; however, moms are still reading emails several times a day. In fact, most say they learn about sales and promotions via email. They also say they don’t want numerous emails promoting the same deal or emails that have no relevance to their lives. In other words, don’t send a mother with teenagers an email promoting baby food. An “unsubscribe” is sure to happen, followed by a delete of your company from her buy list.

5. Look for Moms at Smaller Niche Conferences

Brands love to sponsor conferences but often do so without a plan or strategy behind it. Sometimes bigger is not better. There are over 30 mom blogger and social media conferences in 2012. Some of the smaller, more intimate conferences can provide you a better platform to truly engage with the moms in attendance. It’s not about being a logo on a brochure, but rather truly engaging with those who are at the conference. There are conferences for Christian Moms, Frugal Moms, Video Moms and many others. Look for the conference that fits your brand and message.

6. Engage Moms on Their iPads

“There’s an app for that” and moms on average have 31 of them on their iPads. One-third of them is there at the request of her children. Make sure you are among the solution-oriented apps that she downloads to her wireless device in 2012.

7. Connect with Moms on iTunes

More and more moms are listening to podcasts. It’s easy and inexpensive to create a podcast for your brand. Consider what solutions you can offer mom and pull up a microphone. For example, if you are a car company, create product podcasts on travel ideas or destinations for families. If you are a food brand, consider a cooking podcast. If you can’t find a radio guru in your hallways, think about contracting with a mom podcaster to host your show for you.

Utilizing the tools above will help brands build those engaging, ongoing relationships that are so critical in the mom market.

Happy 2012 everyone!

Women In Business – Afraid of Aging Gracefully?

Women in Business: Is There a Way to Age Gracefully?

Businesswoman Aging Gracefully I thought the era was gone, but I’m seeing it more and more lately: Women depicting a confident business image in the media (especially in certain industries) are again starting to look like . . . men. Picture women in dark suits, crossed-arms and feet propped up on their desk wearing 4-inch heels. Throw a little Botox in there for those over 50-types and you’ve got the picture. Angry looking (albeit well-dressed) women.

But wait a minute. Powerful women are still women, aren’t they? They’re not men. I once read a blog post about a woman who attended a business lunch in dangly earrings, a non-traditional business outfit and untamed hair. An older, well-respected businessman complimented her on how poised and confident she looked because she wasn’t afraid to be who she was. Yet I’ve had mentors insist that the external packaging is more important than what is on the inside.

Many of the women that I respect and who indeed are powerful business women also break the dress code – they don’t look like they’ve spent a gazillion dollars and hours with a Nordstrom personal shopper to put themselves together. Instead, their confidence emanates from within. Confidence is their greatest accessory, more than a purse or pair of Jimmy Choos. It puts a light in their eyes and a spring in their steps. But for some women, if you take away their power suit, you take away their power.

I know in today’s marketing world it doesn’t help that 32-year old models are representing 45+ women in ads. But why is it so hard for marketers to celebrate women getting wiser, more mature, experienced and seasoned – in the business arena or otherwise? Even Nicole Kidman has admitted that she’s tossing her Botox.

Which marketers do you see helping women age beautifully and gracefully? Is your confidence hiding in your closet?

The Female Identity Crisis

Photo by John Rawlings

It may seem that the average woman of the 1950s led a cushy life. Her husband earned the money, and she spent her days cleaning the house, enjoying her new appliances and visiting friends.

But this cushy life existed only in appearances and advertisements. In reality, the average woman of the fifties was fighting against societal repression and searching to find her place and purpose in life. Her roles, responsibilities, and perception of herself were being frantically rearranged by society. As the 1960s dawned, things would never be the same again.

Photo by John Rawlings

Insights for Marketing to Women

Marketing to Women Insights

Marketing to Women: Helpful Insights

By now we all know that women are the primary consumers in the U.S. today, making over 85 percent of the consumer purchase decisions and influencing over 95 percent of total goods and services purchased. Women’s consumer and business spending is fast approaching $8 trillion – more than the economy of Japan. When marketing to women, businesses need to keep the following in mind:

There is no “women’s market” — there’s your women’s market.

Marketers should not segment women strictly by age. Whether a woman is 28, 39, or 52, she’ll respond more to marketing messages that address her life stage, not her biological age. Unlike previous generations, today’s women are experiencing life in a less linear fashion; women are having babies in their 40s, starting new careers in their 50s, and re-entering the dating scene in their 60s. Marketers need to clearly understand the differentiation in marketing to the different life stages of women, and tailor their messages accordingly.

Pink is not a marketing strategy.

Today’s women are not looking for a watered-down version of a male offering that has been feminized with clichéd colors. Instead, they’re looking for solid information, ease of use, stellar customer service, and brands that are looking to build real relationships with them based on their interests, personal identities and problems that they need to solve.

Instead of relying on outdated assumptions and stereotypes, marketers must do the hard work to be relevant to women consumers – taking the time to learn what motivates them to order to present their brands in a meaningful way. A woman’s b.s. meter is always on – she knows when she’s being addressed in an authentic way…and when she’s not.

Recognize that women think different than men.

All human brains start as female brains, until the male brain is flooded with testosterone. But there they part paths. A woman’s brain has four times as many connections between the left and right hemispheres as a man’s. All of those signals hurtle down the superhighway into her right brain – the home of emotional memory, intuition and experience. A woman not only reads – she attaches feelings to what she’s reading. A woman’s heart is in her brain – tell her a story that is filled with emotion, and explain why your brand is relevant to her.

Sounds simple, but many businesses develop and market products without ever asking their female customers what is most important to them and why. Companies such as Best Buy and Volvo have made gaining women’s input a key part of their marketing process, leading to product improvements that both men and women appreciate, along with marketing messages that resonate with both.

Don’t buy into a woman’s “Half Truth.”

A Half Truth is what a woman is willing to admit, while the Whole Truth is what she really believes, does and buys. For example:

“I am happy with my looks.” (Half Truth)

“If given a choice, I’d like to look better than I do.” (Whole Truth)

A woman’s half-truth can cost marketers billions of wasted dollars not just in concept development and market research, but in the marketplace where it really hurts. Marketers need to take the time to really understand the women they’re talking to – what motivates them and what makes them tick.

Tips on Marketing to Moms

Tips for Marketing to Moms

How to Be Successful at Marketing to Moms

75 million U.S. moms make or influence 85 percent of all household purchase decisions, representing $2.1 trillion in annual spending power. In today’s economic climate, many brands are counting on American moms to help them survive, but getting them to unleash their purse power can be a struggle if those marketers don’t understand how best to connect with moms. Following are a few tips to help attract and engage moms online:

Participate directly with moms. Brands trying to win over moms must participate directly with them, and develop a credible voice: one that is engaging, personal, authentic and participatory.
Research where she is online. Yes, moms like to shop and read blogs, but they also research health information, conduct online banking, watch videos and play games. Because patterns vary by life stage and interests, marketers need to understand their audience and how they are using the Internet.
Help her connect with your other customers. Moms gravitate toward brands that help them converse and connect with other moms. Brands can accomplish this through their websites, blogs and other social media sites where moms are connecting.
Don’t talk AT moms. Many brands create social media campaigns aimed at engaging moms, but fail because they end up talking “at” moms with self-serving advertising speak. Create added value for moms by providing them with information that is useful and interesting. Then provide tools that allow moms to interact not only with the brand, but each other. Listen to their feedback and make changes accordingly.
Respect her. Moms want brands to listen to them and respond to what they’re saying by showing respect and understanding their needs.
Make her laugh. Moms love to laugh. Women’s humor grows out of identifying with another person in a funny situation, and recognizing their similarities. Help them find those similarities in humorous situations.
Concentrate on customer service. Word-of-mouth is the biggest factor in purchasing decisions for online moms. They look for recommendations from people they trust, and stay away from businesses if other moms relay bad experiences. Brands should make sure that word-of-mouth doesn’t work against them by making a commitment to impeccable customer service. Always go a bit further than needed, and include some form of “thank you.”
Remember that moms are not JUST moms. Moms are not one-dimensional — they have other interests, and don’t want to read just about mom-related topics. Moms also travel, race dirt bikes and collect fine wine as well.

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