female consumers

Why Pink Is Not a Marketing Strategy

Pink is Not a Marketing Strategy

Must Marketing Strategies Geared toward Women Include Pink?

A recent article in the Huffington Post talks about Nokia’s plan to launch the first smartphone specifically geared towards women — the pink N8 – complete with an ELLE fashion app and an option to install a “Little Pink Diva Theme.” But does a product need to be pink to appeal to women? Absolutely not. In fact, often the reverse is true. Sometimes painting a product pink simply tells a woman that a brand hasn’t really given any thought to her and her needs at all. Pink is style, not substance, and it certainly isn’t a marketing strategy.

Marketing Strategies Aimed at Women Must Be Relevant and Authentic

Marketers cannot rely on outdated assumptions and stereotypes when trying to engage women. To be relevant to women consumers, marketers need to do the hard work – taking the time to learn about women and understanding what motivates them to order to present their brands in a meaningful way.

Yes, this can take time, and there’s no quick fix. But a woman’s b.s. meter is always on – and she knows when she’s being addressed in an authentic, sincere way. . . . and when she’s not.

What do you think – are pink products patronizing to women? Is this a desperate and dated strategy by Nokia?

Embracing My Inner Hippie : A Woman’s Life Stages

Embracing My Inner Hippie - Flower Power If I continue at this pace, I might be a full-fledged flower child by 2014. It’s been a slow transition but a clear one: I’m turning hippie. I promise you won’t run into me in the grocery store barefoot, with my floppy suede hat and bell-bottoms. No, that’s not what I mean. What I do mean is that I’m beginning to embrace something that perhaps was there all along.

My 20s and 30s were a time of accumulation. High-end home stores and high-end shoe stores were my BFFs. I had more than I could possibly use or wear. But as I moved through my 40s something kind of wonderful happened –– my world and priorities shifted. I became more comfortable in my own skin and I needed far, FAR less to make me happy. I must say, I’m truly enjoying this chapter of my life.

What does all of this have to do with marketing to women? Simple. It’s about marketers understanding a woman’s life stages, instead of the stereotypes of her chronological age. It’s about effectively speaking to her based on where she’s at in her life, and not by the date of birth on her driver’s licence. The same marketing messages that are used for women in their 20s and 30s aren’t going to work for me. I need less, I want less. But I have the money to spend on what is important to me. So, marketers take heed: this hippie has a fat wallet and a new way of thinking.

Marketing to Women: Not a Niche

Women Are Not a Niche Market

When will marketers finally get it? Recently I was speaking to a professional group and was introduced as a specialist in the marketing to women “niche.” I almost choked. Once again, my specialty has been referred to as niche. Really?

Women influence 85 percent of all consumer purchases, and represent over $7 trillion in purchasing power. This is a niche market?

Yes, our team has managed public relations and marketing programs for food and baby products, but we’ve also represented men’s grooming products, motorcycle and automotive manufacturers, fast food, an airline, a real estate firm, gaming, and a major university. Why? Because eventually it all comes back to women. Women who, yes, are often moms – but who frequently have responsibility for making major business decisions as well. Like buying computer servers. And health insurance. And financial services.

According to Tom Peters, one of the world’s top marketing gurus, women are the top marketing opportunity for the foreseeable future.

Women Hold Purchasing Power

For years, women have been recognized as the chief purchasing officers for their households, and they still are the primary decision makers for household goods. But women also drive the big-ticket expenditures for themselves, their families, and their businesses. For example, women drive the purchases of:

91 percent of new homes
66 percent of computers
92 percent of vacations
65 percent of new cars
89 percent of bank accounts
93 percent of food

All this influence at the same time that 91 percent of these women feel that advertisers don’t understand them.

59 percent of women feel misunderstood by food marketers
66 percent feel misunderstood by healthcare marketers
74 percent feel misunderstood by investment marketers
84 percent feel misunderstood by investment marketers

Source: Yankelovich Monitor

The Key to Marketing to Women

It’s a scientific truth that women and men see things differently – because their brains work differently. While men think in abstract principles and have great spatial acuity, women are more accessible emotionally and think more holistically. Translating that into a brand’s marketing messages is critical in reaching this key consumer.

Does your brand truly “get” women and how they relate to your marketing messages?

Well, Bowl Me Over: Marketing Beer. . . to Women??

By Marti Barletta, CEO and Founder of the Trendsight Group

The Super Bowl is right around the corner, and I look forward to the event at least as much for the annual party and the advertising as for the game. And if there’s one thing we can be sure of, it’s that there will be a lot of beer advertising on the schedule.

Year after year, I continue to be astonished at the mounds of money the conventional beer industry leaves on the table by overlooking the opportunities to market to women. This is not a tough call, team: Marketing beer to women – marketing it well to women, I should say – would boost sales, would require no new product development or launch, and would shake up the category with some innovative and interesting creative work.

1. Boost Sales

A Woman Drinking Beer

The beer market is missing a substantial opportunity by never, ever marketing to women. According to Beverage Dynamics, women comprise 32% of Domestic Regular beer drinkers, 36% of Imported Regular beer drinkers and 42% of Light beer drinkers. Now, I grant you that women probably account for proportionately less volume consumed; but I guarantee you that they account for proportionately more volume purchased, as, wishful thinking notwithstanding, women still handle over 80% of all grocery buying duties.

As for the low consumption number, I could argue it’s a self-fulfilling formula driven by the beer industry’s practice of advertising that virtually slams the door in female faces. (“No girls in our clubhouse!”) In my three decades “trendsighting” marketing campaigns, only once have I seen an ad I would consider resonant with women – and I saw that spot only once. (I seem to remember it was Coors or Coors Light, but sadly, I have no record or recollection of what it was, or of the specifics that caught my attention.)

2. No New Product Launch Required

The “girly beers” that I have seen – like the pink beers in Britain (REALLY?!) – have been marketing “FAILS” that should never have reached the shelf. Some segment(s) of women may or may not prefer a different taste profile in beer than men, but to date, these pathetic attempts to “reach out” to women have been insulting.

3. Innovative and Interesting Creative

Off the top of my head, I can think of at least three approaches that breweries should explore in marketing beer to women. Any of these strategies is likely to have more appeal to women than anything I’m seeing on the football playoff broadcasts now. (Oh – and by the way: 38% of pro football’s TV viewers each week are female – as are fully 45% of Super Bowl viewers.)

Refreshing – Something like the Lipton Brisk approach: an icy-cold, fresh-tasting and (unlike wine or mixed drinks) “gulpable” alcohol drink. (Remember “this ain’t no sippin’ tea!”) This would make a great campaign for warm seasons or warm climates.
Humor – Funny situations based on women’s humor dynamic (“that’s me” moments) not on sophomoric male humor (practical jokes and horse farts).
Sociability – Since nobody likes to drink alone and everybody likes a good beer, social occasions are absolutely the most natural setting for beer advertising. I’m thinking of “Here’s to good friends… Let it be Lowenbrau” or the “weekends were made for Michelob” and “Tonight, make it Michelob” spots. If you click over to watch these ads, cut them a break. Some of them look incredibly dated and corny to us today, but hey- it’s not their fault I had to go back 35 years to find beer ads built around being social!

None of these approaches would exclude men, by the way. What they would do is include women, unlike the current overtly testosterone-driven beer campaigns that dominate the market.

Actually, the ONE beer campaign I can think of that probably appeals equally to men and women will likely be on air in a few days… but only for the blink of an eye.

Anheuser Busch traditionally creates 1-2 beautiful new Clydesdale spots for the Super Bowl every year. I love these ads – the little donkey that desperately wants to make the team; the young colt that gets a helping nudge from the big guys when he tries pulling the wagon on his own; Hank, the horse who doesn’t make the team, but trains all year, coached by the Dalmation, to the sound of the anthem from Rocky…

Every year, the Clydesdale spot is ranked one of the Super Bowl favorites… Every year, it does a beautiful job re-connecting millions of viewers – men and women – to a brand that comes across as a class act that Americans can care about. And then less than a week later, it’s gone. What a waste!

And what a mystery, to me, at least. I understand that young men are the core consumers. But seriously: In a category where a single share point means multi-millions of dollars, how is it that not one marketer thinks it’s a worthwhile idea to include women in their marketing message?

Notice I didn’t say “Create, launch and promote a new beer marketed exclusively to women.” I’m suggesting simply some sign that says “Women welcome – Why don’t y’all come in and have a cold one with us?” The day beer marketers open up their advertising, they’ll find women will open their wallets. And the resulting sales will bowl you over.

I second Marti’s thoughts. If you’re a brewery, you would strike gold this time of year IF you decided that pursing the 50.9% of the population that is women was worth it. And worth it – it is.

Marketing to Boomer Women: Don’t Ever Call Them Senior

Marketing to Boomer Women - Even Famous Ones

Would you call this Boomer Woman senior, aging or even (gasp!) elderly?

Who Is the Boomer Woman?

Many advertisers and marketers are just beginning to awaken to the fact that the deep pockets of female Baby Boomers is where it’s at. And though they would certainly like a piece of that market share, the reality is that disproportionately few of them understand this group of women.

Baby Boomers are people born between 1946 and 1964. Boomer Women make up 19 percent of the total U.S. population. Consider these other facts:

Every fifth adult in the U.S. today is a female over 50.
Women comprise the majority of the 80 million Boomers now working their way through society and the consumer marketplace. They have established careers and money to spend on themselves, as well as the ability to influence the majority of their households’ purchasing decisions.
In the next decade, women will control two-thirds of the consumer wealth in the U.S.
Not only will Boomer women continue to earn income by working, they’ll also manage inheritance windfalls from their parents as well as their husbands, who they will outlive by 6-9 years on average.

The reality is that in today’s world, the economy definitely is largely influenced by Boomer Women.

Marketing to Boomer Women

Vibrant Nation has recently put out a book that provides an in-depth look on the subject: What Boomer Women 50+ Know, Think, Do & Buy. Following are some key findings from the book:

Boomer Women are at a fascinating time in their lives. These women are reshaping the world with adventure and luxury vacations, luxury cars, continuing education, volunteerism, politics and entrepreneurial endeavors. They’re enjoying the greatest financial stability of their lives, and they’re not afraid to spend.

Boomer Women want to hear from other Boomer Women. Peer influencers are going to have a much greater impact than a young female celebrity hawking their face cream. Many marketers are addressing that reality, with Ellen DeGeneres and others becoming the faces of brands targeting this age group.

These are not your grandmother’s 50s. Today’s Boomer Women are educated, active, and technologically-savvy. They’re online, using iPads, Flip cameras, Blackberries, Facebook and Skype. Not just passive observers, Boomer Women are quickly adopting the Internet usage patterns of younger generations and posting content themselves.

Boomer Women recognize their importance. Today’s Boomer Women feel ignored by marketers, and in turn, have decided to write them off. In a recent survey, the majority of respondents indicated that they are indignant and angry that many industries simply aren’t taking them seriously, and they’re proactively looking to give their business to those that will. They don’t demand that ads feature only women 50+, but they don’t like ads that never feature women 50+.

Trying not to look old does not mean looking young. Boomer Women are realistic – they don’t want to look like their 20-year old granddaughters, but they aspire to be the best 50 or 60 they can be. They like to hear that they can be “ageless” and look as great as they feel, rather than that they’re “still going strong” or look great “for their age.”

And, by the way, don’t call a Boomer Woman “senior” – she’ll be well into her 80s before she’s willing to take on that title.

We’re Not Mommy Bloggers, We’re Social Media Moms

11/1 2010 BY HOLLY PAVLIKA

Moms may not have invented social media, but the 26 million moms who use social media prove the mommy demographic dominates it. From mommy blogs to Facebook and Twitter accounts, social media provides a limitless platform for savvy “Social Media Moms” to share pics and videos, keep in constant contact with friends and family, and post reviews about products. Social media has empowered women and moms by giving them an endless platform to effect change. The truth is that moms trust the opinions of other moms over advertising. Mom blogs that offer product reviews, coupons, links to deals and specials, and information about the hottest products on the market have become the most reliable go-to source for the mom consumer. No longer is it enough for retailers to make great products and expect push media to attract consumers to their product. There is a delicate balance in finding a healthy medium between content and brand messaging, while figuring out the right tone and approach to building a solid relationship with moms.

Mom’s domination of social media has caused companies to embrace social responsibility. Trust and reputation are all-important in today’s Mom’s connected world. The trust factor is becoming the main differentiator among successful brands and not-so-successful ones. Moms, in growing numbers, are embracing brands and companies they trust.

The biggest mistake a brand can make is to underestimate the power of mom. When today’s mom is faced with a problem, she’ll always find a way to come up with a solution. By sourcing and creating applications on their own, launching blogs that provide a platform for them to have discussions with other moms, or even starting their own businesses, today’s tech savvy mom is constantly finding innovative ways to solve everyday problems. As a result, business models, product development techniques, technology, and marketing are changing dynamically.

Many moms use social media to start their own businesses. These Moms are confident and are taking their excellent networking skills and the strong relationships they have built with their social graphs to leverage a business that ultimately produces revenue. Even in the midst of a roaring recession, Moms are actively seeking ways to monetize their blogs and generate additional income through consulting, speaking appearances, filling out surveys, attending meetings and becoming voices for brands. More and more Moms are crowd-sourcing issues and joining forces to help teach mom to business relationship-building skills. Even between having multiple children, managing a home and running a business, she is moving at light speed.

The Social Media Mom is a force to be reckoned with. She’s been given the tools and she’s making the most of them. Brands can learn a lot from her.

Marketing Lessons From The Gap

The recent brouhaha over Gap Inc.’s attempt to change its logo is a cautionary tale for all brands.

Brand building is just that – brand “building.” It’s about building the brand through an ongoing consumer relationship. That’s especially true with women, because a woman’s loyalty to a brand in particular is tied to the relationship she feels with the brand, and how much she feels connected to it. It’s about knowing how to talk to women, and how to listen to her.

Logo aside, I think Gap has more pressing issues. Like many women, Gap became my go-to store when I had my son. The durable, high-quality denim and expandable waistbands in their children’s department meant I got maximum wear (and style) out of the purchases I made for him. And the products worked for me as well. They had a great selection of jeans in a large variety of cuts and washes. But over the years the quality and style began to decline. The denim was thinner, and the jeans felt cheap. And to add insult to injury, the price was not lowered to make up for the lack of quality. Eventually, I stopped going to Gap or even shopping its online site, and as a result the brand became invisible to me.

The Gap brand currently seems trapped between several fashion category trends. Women like to mix low-priced basics from Target or Wal-Mart with expensive signature pieces from premium brands. Unlike Abercrombie & Fitch, which has a deep understanding of its consumer and what makes them “tick,” Gap seems to have lost relevance with its consumers, or to even be able to identify its core target audience.

Yes, this was a massive miss for Gap, right up there with New Coke. To make matters worse, their “crowd sourcing” spin seems to have ticked off the entire graphic design community as well.

But most importantly, Gap’s trials and tribulations over the past few days really highlights the power of social media. What consumers (particularly women) might have thought privately while walking into a store before is now shared publicly. Personally, I like the old logo better, but the logo isn’t what draws me to a particular brand. It’s how invested I am in the brand, and more importantly, how invested the brand is in me.

I get that Gap wants to rebrand itself. The brand seems to be attempting a renaissance, and rethinking the logo is a legitimate thought. But Gap could have used social media to get their customers invested in this rebranding effort. By not asking customers on Facebook and Twitter for feedback before unveiling the redesign, Gap marketers missed an opportunity to speak to the brand’s key audiences – many of them women. Why wouldn’t they invite loyal customers to be a part of their journey, and feel some ownership and pride in the process?

What do you think – did Gap miss the boat?

Where Is the Tooth Fairy When You Need Her?

Marketing Healthcare to Women I could say my life is full –– but that’s code for frenetically, overwhelmingly busy. Too busy to take care of me –– too busy to be healthy. It’s not that I don’t know what I need to do –– it’s finding the time to do it that’s the problem.

And that’s what brought me here. Last week I had the extremely unpleasant experience of getting my wisdom teeth yanked out of my mouth. I’ve known for years that I needed to address these teeth, but I was always too busy avoiding the inevitable. It was finally a salad and fork that ultimately dealt me this hand.

Whether I’m making healthcare decisions for myself or my family, I’m definitely the one making the decisions. Novocain or anesthesia? Remove one broken wisdom tooth or all of them? Dentist or oral surgeon? Vicodin or Ibuprofen?

I walked back to the Chair Of Doom and the oral surgeon, who injected me with the Propopol that sent me off to wonderland (hello, Michael Jackson). I elected to have my wisdom teeth surgically removed –– which means cutting the gums open and breaking the tooth into pieces and pulling the pieces out. I have to admit –– it hurt, but I was trying not to be a baby in front of my son who I’m sure will eventually have to face this as well.

As a marketing-to-women specialist, I understand the purchasing power of female consumers. And though women make 90% of all consumer healthcare decisions –– some $500 billion a year -–– we are still considered a niche market in the healthcare category. In other words, marketing healthcare to women isn’t a priority for many brands.

What do women want from their healthcare providers? For starters, prescriptions that can be sent electronically to the pharmacy from the doctor’s office. Doctors that can provide resources for answers to a patient’s questions before their appointment. In general –– the same customer attention they demand from other consumer products and services. Now more than ever, healthcare marketers need to understand that women want resources they can trust, and should be looking to create lifetime relationships with these important consumers.

Do you feel your providers are marketing healthcare to you?

The Recession Will Be Over When Moms Say It’s Over

Marketing to Moms During the Recession

Though Warren Buffet recently ruled out a double-dip recession in the U.S., ultimately it’s our country’s moms who will decide when the economy starts showing real signs of recovery.

75 million U.S. moms make or influence 85 percent of all household purchase decisions, representing $2.1 trillion in annual spending power. Brands are counting on American mothers to help them survive the current economic slump, but getting moms to unleash their “purse power” continues to be a struggle.

With up to 45 percent of moms insisting they have “eliminated anything they don’t feel is absolutely necessary from their lives,” and another 29 percent having found ways to cut back on spending in response to the current economic climate, moms are putting brands, products and services under tighter scrutiny than ever before, and making sure every dollar is spent wisely.

According to a BSM Media Study, moms focus on the needs of their families first, and then look for the smaller luxuries they can afford for themselves. Instead of a new pair of boots, in this economy it might be a new magazine or lipgloss. And while nesting was a social issue in the days following 9/11, today it’s an economic one, with 81 percent of moms cutting back on eating out, and 72 percent reducing their out-of-house entertainment altogether, according to a recent USA Today/Gallup Poll.

What does this mean for marketers? It means that moms are interacting with their favorite brands in new ways – like Starbucks on a weekly instead of a daily basis, or Costco pizza instead of Friday night delivery. Experts believe this state-of-mind will continue even after the recession is over for many American families.

Moms have always been more brand loyal than men, but they require more frequent interaction and communications designed specifically for them. Marketers need to make the extra effort to build relationships with their female consumers, whether it’s through social media, influencer recommendations or customer appreciation. They need to start marketing with moms, not at them.

Are moms still loyal to your brand through these economic times?

Back To School Shopping With a Tween Boy

Shopping with a Tween Boy

Back to school shopping can be stressful, particularly when you have a picky fashion conscious tween. My nearly 13-year old son has a very strong sense of his own personal style, and refuses to stray far from it. And while I appreciate his independence, I wish he were more open-minded to trying new things, like mixing patterns and layering.

But boys in middle school know what they want to wear, and that’s usually what the rest of their peers are wearing. And if that’s only khaki, black and camouflage for the entire year, well, that’s what they want to wear. Having clothing that’s similar to others at school is one way they feel they can avoid embarrassment. At the same time, they want to establish their individual needs and style, and this is the time they will begin do so.

My son’s favorite place to shop is Tilly’s, a store that markets clothes with the west-coast lifestyle look and feel. He likes Tilly’s because they “get” him. There is as much space dedicated to boys clothes as there is to girls clothing. And there are lots of accessories and products to sample, smell and experience.

This year’s fashion winners and losers for him are:

Shorts – solid colors only
T-shirts – no yellow and absolutely positively NOTHING close to the entire pink family
Socks – the biggest priority. Lots of them and only of the highest quality (Who knew Nordstrom socks have smaller, more comfortable seams at the toe?)
An umbrella for rainy days – absolutely no way!
Backpack – in “no one can tease me” solid gray
Accessories – belts, hats, etc. – turns out the clothes are simply a backdrop for the accessories
Grooming supplies – loves them: the more the better!
Shoes – not sure why his back-to-school shoes need to cost more than the pool maintenance man, but there you are

And my best kept secret for getting my son to embrace something that I like? I tell him I hate it.

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