May 15, 2012Successfully Marketing to HER
posted by
Tinesha Craig,
Division Director
in
Current News & Events,
Clear, Strategic Direction & Advice,
Marketing Effectively to Women
Open any magazine or newspaper, read any blog or watch any news
program and you will notice one resonate theme in today's marketing
news...MARKETING TO WOMEN IS A BUSINESS IMPERATIVE.
Most of these studies cite key facts like:
- Women are responsible for influencing or making about 85% of
household purchase decisions
- For the first time in history, women represent a majority of
the workforce (51%)
- The purchasing power of women is estimated at $5 Trillion in
the US and $20 Trillion globally
Whether you have the perspective that we are suffering a
man-cession or the emergence of a she-conomy it is easy to see that
women are an increasingly important part of marketing dialog.
Everyone from brand managers to politicians is grappling with how
to more effectively attract HER.
We recently attended PME Enterprises 8th Annual
Marketing to Women Conference and learned (1) that there is a lot
being done to help brands better understand the importance of this
demographic; (2) there is a lot of data on what really matters to
women; and, (3) there are plenty of examples of how NOT to market
to women. Most importantly, what this year's conference
magnified is that to effectively go after this target brands
must:
- Develop…products with her in mind: It is
not simply enough to include her in your media buy; she will be
drawn toward products that are designed specifically for and that
clearly reflect HER needs, wants, and delights. For
example, Harley Davidson is targeting women with bikes designed
specifically for them -- think low-slung machines, special seats,
handle bars, and foot gearshifts. And it is paying off for them,
Harley-Davidson said that two-thirds of women who bought big bikes
in the U.S. last year bought Harleys (source:
Fox Business).
- Market…your brand in a way that connects with
HER:In the right way, at the right time and in the right
place. For years communication to her has been largely
stereotypical portraying her as the dutiful homemaker, perfect
beauty and/or overwhelmed superwoman. With trite images such
as these it is no wonder why 91% of women surveyed said that
advertisers don't understand them. One of the most common examples
of success in connecting with HER is the Dove
campaign that used authentic women instead of traditional models in
TV and print ads. After all, we aren't all modern day Martha
Stewarts with bodies like Heidi Klum!
- Nail the sales pitchat the point of
purchase: Make sure your traditionally male
dominated sales force knows how to communicate with retailers,
distributors, or franchisees in a way that helps them merchandize
and sell to HER.
The success of your marketing efforts will either succeed or
fail based on how well companies address each of the above.
Excellence in one of these often will not overwhelm deficiencies in
one of the other areas.
For over 23 years Insights in Marketing has helped brands
develop impactful products and marketing plans that effectively
appeal to HER. We are expanding our capabilities and
look forward to sharing how we can help you increase your Female IQ
and improve the impact of your marketing efforts. Stay
tuned!
847.853.0500