andHow To Reach Women

For Brand Enhancement In Challenging Times: Fill The Service Gaps

This morning on the way into work I heard a radio ad for Whole Foods, the first I've ever heard, and the message wasn't around their to-die-for meat department, or organic wine selection, or artisan cheeses or chemical-free household cleansers.  Instead it squarely took on the price issue, pointing out that Whole Foods, and their private label 365 brand in particular, is actually priced much lower than you'd expect, and cited a couple of examples: sparkling water: $1.29 or free-range eggs at $2.49.  The brand clearly is reaching out to a wider audience and why not at least give Whole Foods a spin if the prices are comparable to conventional grocery stores, whose self checkout lines that NEVER work properly are enough to drive anyone over the edge. It may not be more for less, but more for the same sounds pretty darn appealing.

Brands in all sorts of categories are filling the service gap and creating opportunities to attract new customers and build loyalty.  Consider the new program Marriott just launched for their Marriott Rewards members which allows them to bypass the new luggage charges American Airlines has instituted (and which others are sure to follow) by allowing members to use rewards points to have their luggage picked up from their home or office and shipped round-trip, free of charge, including skis and other awkward or heavy items. If Marriott is one of the hotels where you normally stay, isn't this a nice incentive to make it the main place you stay?

And, once again, I have to give kudos to Apple Store for delivering 100% on the increased service level promised in the Ad Age article I recently blogged about. Shopping for a new computer for my step-daughter this past weekend I was impressed by the amount of staff on the sales floor and friendly, knowledgeable service, including quickly completing the rebate form online so I didn't have to later.  When a customer service survey arrived in my inbox the next day I took the time to fill it out while still high on all those good shopping vibes.  If you haven't been to an Apple Store - go.  These guys are setting the service standard and any type of retailer could benefit from this approach.  

  

Your Best Brand Asset? A Little Humanity

Found this incredible story about Zappos on Michele Miller's Blog. In the quest for efficiency, the human being is often taken out of the customer service equation. A myriad of marketing articles and books bemoan the lack of brand loyalty among today's supposedly fickle consumers, some even going as far as calling women brand sluts. Classy. Want to build loyalty that lasts? Try hiring caring people and give them the latitude to treat their customers like human beings instead of transactions. This one gesture of kindness has brought Zappos untold free publicity and lots of new customers. Why? Because, clearly, we're all STARVED for some kind of acknowledgement of our humanity. Companies talk about "low hanging fruit." This is as low as it gets people - grab it.

Tell Her About It - Marketing Financial Services to Women

“If you build it, they will come,” may be a great movie line but it’s not the most effective marketing strategy. In the financial services industry in particular, there are several companies – Prudential, American Express and Principal Financial Group, just to name a few – who have developed products or services specifically for women but they don’t make it very easy to find them. When Prudential began advertising it’s “What is the price of love?” life insurance campaign with large display ads in women’s magazines, we called the 800# for a copy of the brochure. The person on the other end of the phone had no idea what we were talking about (neither did his supervisor) then referred us to a toll number for the sales office, which had already closed for the day. After much digging on the website, we were able to locate and print a brochure but had we not been looking into it from a business standpoint, we would have aborted the mission after the first “I don’t know.” 

Even with the in-person advantage of visually identifying a customer as female, opportunities are missed. Recently, my husband and I opened an equity line and checking account at Citibank. A few days later a letter came addressed to my husband - only. Inside was a “thank you for your business” card with a picture on the front of a young father with two sons. Inside the card there was an insert with several services my husband was now entitled to as a CitiGold account holder, including free membership in Women and Company®, described as “a program from Citigroup offering education and resources to help navigate the distinct financial challenges you’ll face over a lifetime.” Even though I’d been into my local Citibank branch several times, including a half-hour session to sign my loan papers, this card was the first I’d ever heard of Women and Company. And the only reason I’d intercepted the card was because I am the official opener of all financial mail in our household. I know the system is automated but how difficult would it have been to put both of our names on the card, as the account and loan papers were jointly signed? Is my husband worth thanking but not me? Why not a photo on the front of the card that includes a woman? Or how about some literature in the branch about Women and Company or even just a stack of brochures on the loan officer’s desk that he could offer to female customers? The program isn’t easy to find from the Citibank web site either and that may be the biggest missed opportunity as online banking has the advantage of repeat exposure. Why go to such lengths to develop a women-specific program and not promote it? 

There’s a myriad of statistics on the spending power that women wield today and a big reward waits for the financial services company willing to make women’s needs, and their solutions, front and center.

The Best Part Shouldn't Be The Goodbye

In 2006, Americans will spend an estimated $38.4 billion on their pets, a 35% increase compared to the $28.5 billion spent five years ago, according to the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association.   According to a 2005 study of pet owners by BizRate Research, women are the primary purchasers in the category, spending about $50-$100     per month on their     pets.  With pet care becoming big business, an emerging service area that may have a bit more staying power through difficult economic times than say, doggy ice-cream or premium baked bones, is pet insurance.  Vet fees are costly, particularly if surgical procedures are involved, and the idea of not having to choose between love or money when it comes to your best friend's health is a welcome relief.  Trying to navigate the claims process and benefits allowances, however, is a nightmare.  After a year of having claims rejected for various reasons - illegible (even though I'd sent the original receipts), misfiled, etc. - I finally had it this morning when VPI told me that the maximum allowance on a $131 procedure was just $2 short of my $50 deductible and therefore they would, again, be paying nothing.  At that point, I said, "great, then I'd like to cancel my policy."  To my surprise that was the moment I became the recipient of the best service this company has to offer.  The rep was friendly, gave me the number for dedicated fax line for policy cancellations and the easy instructions to complete the process.  At no point did he ask how they could keep my business, or inquire what they had done to disappoint me.  Indeed he seemed to be thrilled to be able to provide me with a simple, straightforward answer to my request.  If the rest of my interactions could have only been so easy, perhaps I wouldn't have rushed to send that fax off and they'd still be collecting my 15 bones a month.