andHow To Reach Women

You're Not Too Busy to Read "Too Busy To Shop"

As brands increasingly recognize the value of engaging female consumers, the amount of advice on the topic has also increased accordingly.  Blogs, conferences, networks and the Twittersphere are rich places to tap for expert opinions and research.  Many great books have been written on the topic - as you can see in the links to the left.  Adding to that conversation in a way that also brings a fresh perspective can be a challenge.  Kelley Murray Skoloda has accomplished that with her book, Too Busy To Shop.  Published earlier this year (yes, I'm late but I was busy - lots of life change!), Skoloda builds on the insights illuminated by Marti Barletta, Andrea Learned and others around the way women shop and gather information (holistic vs. tunnel vision, researching to make a good choice, wise to being talked down to, all about customer service) and includes case studies and observations that acknowledge the reality of our changing technology and communication landscape, which allows women to research and spread information even faster, while relying on their local networks more than ever. 

Some of my favorite insights include:

Priorities trump balance.  "Rather than balancing it all, moms are actively pursuing ways to honor what has become a driving priority - time with their children, especially when they're young." Skoloda calls these women "mindful" and "choosy."  Multfunctional products that save time are on their radar screen.  One great magazine instead of five.  Yoga clothes that can be worn as casual wear. Multi-function household cleaners.

Reach women where they are.  "...remember they are not 'national' beings.  They live in a particular town, city or market."  Skoloda goes on to reference the power of local moms' and women's group leaders in influencing their peer groups.  Most brands still think national will trickle down when grassroots movements in markets must be built from the ground up.  Think Candidate Obama.  One national message of hope, but it was the local groups who understood their own demographics and market and made "hope" relevant to their communities.

Before women shop, they CROP.  "This is an important new trend: women seek CRedible, OPinions while researching potential purchases.  As such, it is an essential shortcut to purchase."  These opinion leaders include friends and family, media and other influentials.  Social media makes accessing and sharing these opinions faster with exponential reach.  The influencers for each brand and audience will be different but its well worth the time to identify and engage them.

Smart, thoughtful and a fast read, Skoloda took her own multi-minding message to heart when writing Too Busy To Shop.  Take it on a plane like I did - you've seen all the Virgin Red movies, and if you haven't, catch them on Netflix - and come back with some smart ideas for getting your brand into the homes and hearts of female consumers instead.

The Soccer Mom Myth: Michele Miller & Holly Buchanan Talk About Getting Real In Marketing To Women

One of the advantages to business blogging is the opportunity to check out new business books before they hit the market. Michele Miller and Holly Buchanan, fellow M2W experts, sent me an advance copy of their newly released book, "The Soccer Mom Myth," to review. As long-time readers know, we consider mothers the most stereotyped market in the world today and the concept of Soccer Moms was one of the first and worst violations.

After reading the book, I sent Holly and Michele a few questions to further illuminate their perspective.

aH: There have been several books published on marketing to women over the last several years - why write this now? What did you think had not been, or was not being, covered?

H:There are a couple of really good books on marketing to women out there. But what we focus on is - not only how women are similar, but how they are different. Not all women think alike. We wanted to show marketers how, even women that look exactly the same on paper, may have very different needs, questions, motivations and buying processes.

We also wanted to focus on marketing to women online. The internet is quickly becoming the single best place to market to women. We wanted to to show marketers how to tap into this powerful medium.

M:Our mission for this book was to give readers some "nuts-and-bolts" ideas of exactly what they can do to improve their business. Knowing it's important to market to women and reading about theory is one thing - actually applying that knowledge is another. It was our mission to have every reader walk away with an idea they can try.

aH: In the section on personas, you give an example of a cruise ship company with four different female personas to appeal to and go on to describe how each of them might see a different start page that matches their buying style - can you explain a bit further about how the company would do that?

H: Make sure that on your home page, or landing page (where the personas first land on your site) that you answer or link to the answer to each persona's biggest question. If one persona just wants to buy your product, have a big button that lets them go directly to a "buy now" product page. If another persona's biggest question is "why are you my best choice?" provide a link to a page that talks about your competitive advantages. If another persona cares most about who you are and what your company values are - provide a link to your About Us page, and if the final persona wants to know details about your product and how it works - you might provide a link to a product demonstration. The key is - you don't try to force them into a set pathway -you let them choose whichever link is answering their most important question.

M: If we're talking about brochure copy or a website, a business needs to make sure they're answering ALL of the questions their potential customers might have. Some women might want to know what kinds of special events are happening on ship; other women need to find out exactly what amenities come with each cabin. For some women, it's very important to know they'll have enough "alone" time on ship - are there designated "quiet zones?" Each woman has a different reason for traveling, so the company has to spend quality time thinking about everything they offer.

aH: What market segments do you think have the furthest to go in getting it right with women and why?

H:Some traditionally male dominated industries still have a ways to go, but I've been really pleased to see a lot of positive marketing to women efforts in the consumer electronics industry, home improvement, and auto dealerships, just to name a few. The single biggest problem is that all marketers need to get rid of stereotypes and do the extra work to really understand the changing needs of their audiences.

Even industries that have made great strides can blow it if they aren't consistent across all of their efforts. If the car dealership is targeting women, and does a great job with their ads, but the woman comes in and sees all male management, and the sales person asks if anyone else will be involved in the purchase, like her husband or boyfriend, all of your good work in marketing will go out the window. The entire culture needs to change, not just your advertising.

M:I, too, have been pleased to see strides in the consumer electronics industry; financial planners seem to be getting it, too. The sad thing is that in EVERY industry, there are only one or two shining examples of companies doing it right. We're still only at the beginning of the marketing-to-women era - it will take years before momentum is really gained.

aH:We're clearly in a challenging economic time when budgets are being scrutinized and ROI is more important than ever. If you had to advise brands on just one aspect of marketing to women to invest in, which would it be and why? In other words what's the one thing you think every brand MUST do to sell to women?

H:Well, I'm a little prejudiced, but I truly believe you must have an online presence. Whether that is a website, or a blog, or creating an email campaign, or posting a video on You Tube. There are now more women on the Internet than men. Women are turning to the Internet as a trusted source to get information on all sorts of products. Something like 70% of all purchases (onilne and offline) start online. So if you want to get on her radar screen, you better have an Internet presence.

You also mention ROI - the great thing about the Internet is - you can measure it! You can track and see exactly what customers are doing, where they are clicking, and how many or buying from you, or signing up for your newsletter, or downloading your white paper. There are so many opportunities for testing and optimization to get the most from your Internet marketing. It's really an exciting time for marketers.

M: I couldn't agree more! For women, the Internet is a godsend, and it doesn't have to be difficult to give her an extraordinary experience with you online. You also have an exponentially increased chance at maintaining her loyalty if your website really kicks some butt. :-)

To learn more of Michele and Holly's pearls of wisdom, you need to grab a copy for yourself. We found the persona development section and strategies for blog and website creation particularly user-friendly and actionable.

"Big Green Purse" Gives Women (And Men) Practical Advice To Smarter Eco-Friendly Shopping

One of the most challenging aspects of our country's new green consciousness is that it can be impossible sometimes to determine if what you're buying is really doing more good than harm. For example, did you know that "hypoallergenic," a word many cosmetic companies use to assure women their products are gentle, has, in fact, nothing to do with allergens and no regulations at all as to its meaning? Or that a company can claim its chickens are free-range if they let them out of their cages for just five minutes a day? Or that plastic shopping bags are easier on the environment than paper (though the best solution is, of course, to bring your own)? Diane MacEachern's new book "Big Green Purse" was written on the premise that as the people responsible for 85% of all consumer purchases, women are ideally suited to influence the direction of our planet, simply by voting with our pocketbooks. Here are a few reasons to pick it up:

*Practical, easy-to-understand, guides on which certifications mean something, and which ones are totally bogus
*Advice by spend category (food, gas/cars, cosmetics, household cleansers, etc.) on how to, cost-effectively, shop for green alternatives
*Contact information for companies in a range of consumer categories so you can let them know that responsible business practices matter
*Web addresses for tons of companies Ms. MacEachern has vetted and determined to be eco-friendly, from coffee to wine to household cleansers to home decor and gardening supplies

This is a great guide to have in any household, and something marketers should become familiar with to ensure their brand doesn't inadvertently stray into greenwashing. Best of all, this isn't green for the wealthy, Ms. MacEachern is very conscious of the realities of limited time and money in the majority of U.S. households and offers smart tips for going green on a budget.

Four Trends/Counter-trends/Microtrends To Take And Make Your Own

Part of our jobs - no, let me rephrase that - part of our mission at andHow is to cultivate an understanding of the larger trends that are happening in business, marketing, pop culture, media and social movements so we can bring a perspective to our clients that both takes into account what's going on right now as well as inform future opportunties. This offers a context for discussion. It is a means but never an end. The only way to get to the "end" is to deeply understand your own customers and where their perspectives line up, or don't, with some of these larger trends.

Below is a small sampling of some trends that are making an impact right now. How can these inform how you interact with your customers? Understand and speak to very different motivations for the same shopping behaviors? Craft the questions you include in your next survey? How you can create more opportunities for your customers to create a more personal experience with your brand and share the results with friends, anyone, you?

Two great articles in the New York Times highlight two new counter-movements happening in consumer markets:

Read here to discover how a new breed of do-it-yourselfers have turned one of the most generic brands around into the ultmate expression of personal style.

An affinity for Made in the USA products used to be a hallmark of, shall we say the "red" states. This article explains how recent recalls from China and a concern for energy usage associated with imports is compelling the far left to check the manufacturers label before they buy.

In a controversial new book, former Labor Secretary Robert Reich slams the new trend of corporate social responsibility, and the heavy marketing of CSR to consumers, as a way for corporations and the government to avoid making truly meaningful changes. The Economist has an analysis here

Last but not least, Mark J. Penn, CEO of Burston-Marsteller and orginator of the "soccer mom" moniker (ugh), has a new, and much more appealing, book out called Microtrends: The Small Forces Behind Tomorrow's Big Changes. In this Forbes article, he outlines why leveraging counter-trends can be so powerful for brands. Keep in mind that keeping up is key. One of Penn's top 10 Microtrends is the purchasing of second homes. Based on the 2005 data he cited it certainly makes sense but oh how far we've come...

Consider yourself caught up on some of the latest. Now do what many of your consumers are already doing - take it and make it your own.

The Female Brain

A Bay Area scientist, a female scientist we might add, has just released a book called "The Female Brain," which lays out some of the scientific differences in brain development between boys and girls and how those differences affect communication skills, learning, etc.  Newsweek has a story on the book's launch in this week's issue and a Today Show segment this morning teased viewers with the "controversial" findings.  Upon reading the Newsweek article and accompanying blog posts, we have to say, what's the controversy?  Granted, we've yet to read the book (copy is on it's way) but why is the very suggestion that men and women might be different automatically interpreted to mean that women are inferior?  In researching other news stories on the book I came across an article written a year and a half ago in the San Francisco Chronicle by Joan Ryan, shortly after Harvard President Lawrence Summers suggested that brain differences might be the reason why there were so many more men in tenured positions in science and engineering at the country's top schools.  Stemming more from opinion than science, Summers was blasted for his comments and has since apologized repeatedly.  In developing her column on the topic Ryan interviewed Louann Brizendine, who was in the midst of working on "The Female Brain," to get her perspective.  What followed was an illuminating discussion on how understanding brain differences between boys and girls might lead to more effective education techniques in high school to help girls do better in math and sciences and boys increase their language skills.  Other scientific work in areas like heart disease have recently uncovered dramatic differences between the ways men and women experience chest pain and heart attacks, which has helped increase early detection and saved lives.  No similar public outcry erupted about women's hearts being judged different and therefore inferior, but the brain seems to be hitting  a whole different nerve, particularly among women.  As quoted in Newsweek

 Books like this "are bad for my blood pressure," she says. Dr. Nancy C. Andreasen, a psychiatrist and neuroimaging expert at the University of Iowa's medical school, says nurture plays such a huge role in human behavior that focusing on biology is next to meaningless. "Whatever measurable differences exist in the brain," says Andreasen, "are used to oppress and suppress women." 

Imagine if heart specialists would have had the same reaction? Ms. Ryan's closing paragraph to her article in the Chronicle stated it best:

The differences of the male and female brains are what they are: biological facts devoid of social or political judgment. But what we do about those differences is completely about social and political judgment. We can ignore the research and cling to our ideology that gender equality means gender sameness. Or we can use the information to bring us closer to real equality, the kind that doesn't mistake difference for inferiority, and one that values all those striving toward the mountain top, no matter their route or the speed by which they travel.

Waiting For Your Cat To Bark?

One of the basics we talk about when marketing to women is that marketing (in the traditional sense) is just one step.  You can create a fantastic ad for a car, even incorporate compelling features based on women's feedback and input, but if the experience at the dealership is bad, you won't get the sale.  You can advertise a great financial planning product in all the top women's magazines but if when a woman calls the toll free number for a copy of the brochure the guy on the other end of the phone has no idea what she's talking about, you've not only wasted a bunch of money, you'll have to spend a lot more to persuade her to try you again.  In their new book, Waiting For Your Cat to Bark?, co-authors Brian & Jeffrey Eisenberg help marketers understand how to deal with the reality that the customer is in control.  According to the Eisenbergs, like cats, today's consumers are independent, unpredictable and finicky but many marketers are still approaching them as if, like Pavlov's dog, all they have to do is create a compelling message and it's bound to produce a predictable response. Companies that want to succeed must take every interaction into account and understand that for today's consumers (and we'd add, especially when it comes to women, who make 80% of the purchasing  decisions) it's action not words that motivate  "The experience has become the brand," say the authors, "it's about experience... theirs."  We couldn't agree more.

Oprah, we hardly knew ye...

At this point, A Million Little Pieces is giving us a million little headaches but the public scolding by Oprah begged us to revisit the issue once more.  Read the transcript  and it is much like witnessing a child being bawled out at the grocery store-  "Yes Oprah I know lying is wrong, yes Oprah I feel really bad, no Oprah I won't do it again..."  Rather than defending the right of the reading public to not be duped, the show came off as an hour of why we shouldn't hold Oprah responsible for choosing his book (she thought some things were fantastical but the publisher stood by them so...) and why, while she felt bad about defending James on Larry King, that was a mistake inspired by all the positive emails she'd received from the book's loyal fans vs. what James did, which was lie. We're not questioning Oprah's apology.  We applaud her for it.  But a short statement at the beginning of her show and a web posting would have done the trick.  Perhaps even a show that opens a dialogue about the publishing industry and how its response to increasing competition from ever fragmented entertainment sources and our society's continuing obsession with "reality" TV, factors in to some of these marketing decisions.  Something more Oprah-worthy, if you will.

It seems that like Madonna, Oprah is on some kind of reinvention kick, which involves more salacious show topics (two-headed babies and parents who hire strippers for their son's 16th birthday) and a whole lot less inspiration for living your best life.  We sure do miss her.