andHow To Reach Women

How Funny Is Your Sports Bra?

Women's Wear Daily posted this article on a new campaign from compression athletic gear manufacturer CW-X, known to date in the sports bra world for their print campaigns which display cringe-inducing images, (such a female torso clad in multiple sports bras and duct tape) to represent all that well-endowed women go through to get proper support when they run.  Their newest viral campaign, which ran online in May, "The Apology Letter" takes a humorous shot at minimizing the lechery factor of inadequately supported breasts by featuring a young woman reading an apology letter to all the men (and one woman) who gawk at her on her running route who will no longer have the opportunity now that she is well supported by her CW-X bra.  

When you've only got a few seconds to get someone's attention, humor can be a hugely effective tool.  It's interesting that in many years of working in women's sports apparel, gawking wasn't an issue customers tended to bring up about sports bras.  Mostly they referenced the need for comfort as the bounce factor is just plain painful.  Although I do have a DD friend who needed new running shoes and didn't feel comfortable running on the store treadmill to be evaluated because she didn't have the right bra on and was embarrassed to bounce even though it was just she and the saleswoman in the store - not a gawker in sight.  

The most effective thing about the ad is that the woman runs in place and you can see first-hand that her breasts stay put. However, she is of average size and it would be interesting to see the company extend the campaign with women of a range of sizes.  Seeing a D or above woman pass the bounce test - now that'd sell a ton of bras. A last thought on the creative - including male runners in the gawker category, which was peopled with the "hot dog vendor," "construction worker" high school students waiting for a bus and other over-the-top stereotypes seemed to take a little of the joke edge off and push it into the "all guys are sexist jerks" category and the whole girls-against-the-boys thing in sports is kind of tired at this point.

It was a bit of a challenge to find, but you can check out the ad here.  Note to CW-X: just because the ad buy is over, doesn't mean you should bury it on your website, where I would have sent this traffic had I been able to easily locate it...

.

Roxy Should Share The Wealth

Earlier this week the NY Times (reg. required) reported on the continuing earning gap between professional female and male surfers, though it is widely acknowledged that women are driving the growth of the industry, particularly when it comes apparel sales.  Consider the fact that Roxy, the top female surf brand, grew from $20 million in sales in 1996 to $650 million in 2006 and is quickly closing the gap on parent co. Quicksilver's $750 million in sales to men.  Yet look at the disparity in prize money at events sponsored by both brands -

On the men’s tour, 45 surfers compete in 10 events, with the Quiksilver Pro offering $300,000 in prize money. The women’s tour consists of 17 surfers in seven events. The Roxy Pro, which was won by Chelsea Hedges on Monday, paid a total of $80,000 in winnings.

Seems Roxy could lead the way here.  Certainly there must be enough left over in profits to even out the field a bit and what a statement it would make to their customers, whether they plan to ever pick up a surfboard  or not.  Randy Hild, Roxy's Senior VP of Marketing, told the Times that women's sales surpassing men's was "inevitable." Yet Hild believes that women simply connect with "lifestyle" while men look for performance, one reason they use models instead of real surfers for Roxy while actual pro men dominate Quicksilver ads.  This, despite the fact that from 2001 to 2005, the proportion of women surfers in the overall pool of 2.3 million jumped from 19% - 33% (according to Board-Trac, a leading board sports market research co.)

“The bulk of the women buying, very few of them even surf,” he (Hild) said. “Very few want to, or expect to be world champion. Eighty to 90 percent of consumers buying my product are not users or hard-core surfers. I have to make sure I’m relevant to them.”

Does that mean he thinks that Quicksilver's customers all surf or expect to be world champion?  People connect to a lifestyle because it represents something genuine, something aspirational. To not credit female surfers, professional or otherwise, for the growth of the brand is selling girls and women short.  Surely if there were no female surfers to look up to, what would the point of the "lifestyle" be?   Roxy is in the perfect position to continue to dominate women's surf if they would treat the athleticism and commitment to the sport with the seriousness they do the sales.  Relevancy is walking the talk, not just profiting from it. 

Layne Beachley, the seven-time and defending women's world champion said in an email to the Times:

“I agree that sex sells, but what the industry doesn’t seem to truly believe in is that women look up to, and are inspired by, women that achieve and stand up for what they believe in. Of course, the success of a brand comes down to marketing, and unfortunately the boys that run this show still believe that the success of the women’s lines is a direct result of the lust factor.”

Hear that creak?  Sounds like Roxy just opened a door.

Family Fun (for the dog too!): Getting Tweens and Parents Outside

A couple of weeks ago a copy of The Hot Sheet: Tweens Grow Up, a youth market trend report produced by the Zandl Group, landed in our email inbox.  Its delivery coincided with a recent trip to the Outdoor Industry Association Rendezvous where how to effectively market to youth was a key focus. We interviewed Anna D’Agrosa, editor of The Hot Sheet, to get her insights on the opportunities for the outdoor industry to reach out to tweens (8-14-year-olds), who, according to the Zandl Group are “the new teens.” And, unlike in the case of older teens and young adults, parental influence is playing an increasing role.

aH: With adult and childhood obesity also on the rise, what do you think outdoor/sports companies can do to help drive interest, participation and ultimately purchases among tweens and their parents?

AD: We’re noticing an increase in parents’ participation in children’s lives, and children accompanying parents to more adult forums (e.g. restaurants, movies).  Sports/activities perceived as fun AND active (e.g. roller skating) that the whole family can participate in are attractive to parents.  Parents are also increasingly interested in “well-rounded” children.  The focus on traditional team sports has waned and parents are more interested in their children’s future college applications.  Activities that can be positioned as contributing to a child’s overall development are becoming more desirable.  In our interviews of parents of young children, we have also noted concerns with obesity and interest in workouts for children (e.g. child-focused gyms, classes).

 
aH: Do you have any information on non-team sports and tweens - e.g, surfing, kayaking, rock climbing, etc.?

AD: We have seen increases in certain non-team sport activities with tweens. Both boys and girls are showing a greater interest in bike riding.  This is a trend happening throughout all age groups.  There are more different kinds of bikes on the market (e.g. BMX, retro cruisers, multiple-speed racing bikes).  The National Bike Dealers Association estimates that 20 million bicycles were sold in 2005 – up over one million from 2004.  Fifty-two cities and towns in the US have been designated as “bicycle-friendly communities” by the League of American Bicyclists – and the 2005 US federal transportation act earmarked $3.5 billion to improve bicycle & pedestrian facilities through 2009 (almost double that of the 1998 act).

(Skateboarding is on the rise with tween boys.  We’ve also noted a small increase in snowboarding, karate/martial arts and rock climbing.)

 
aH: Much research has been published regarding cause-marketing and a positive association among Millenials.  How aware/concerned are tweens about the future and the larger world around them?   Is this something more brands should consider leveraging?

AD: Tweens are becoming more aware and interested in the world around them. It has become inescapable for them in recent years as was alluded to in the press release – they have grown up post-911 with war on the news and the Internet providing endless knowledge of the realities of the world around them.  The biggest area of topical concern for our tween panelists is the current war.  When asked what they wish for, responses include:   “world peace,” “ending hunger,” “no more natural disasters,” “cleaning up the world.”  The “Angelina Jolie effect” (adoption of children from underprivileged countries) is also making its way to tween sensibilities.  They see Angelina as a role model for her philanthropy.  This increased awareness also leads to fear and anxiety, however, so brands need to be positive and delicate in their approach to cause marketing.  There is danger in highlighting topics, which may become scary/ turn tweens off. Tweens are extremely into their pets and animal welfare in general.  There are opportunities for brands to align themselves with animal rights/adoption groups (e.g. Humane Society) in order to reach out to tweens.

Moms May Be Key To Outdoor Industry Growth

A hot topic amongst many industries it seems, from wine to cars, is how to grab a slice of the vast spending power of Millenials, and the outdoor industry is no exception.

A couple of weeks ago Kathleen Gasperini of Label Networks gave an engaging presentation at the Outdoor Industry Association Rendezvous about youth market trends. As the most wired generation they also present a unique challenge to the outdoor industry – leaving cell phones behind for hours to jump in a kayak or hike in the woods goes directly against their nature (yes, bad pun intended). Millenials seem to have a wide definition depending on who you ask, starting as young as 13 and going up as high as 35, but 14-24 seems to be the sweet spot. 

We’re wondering if the outdoor industry might want to start a little younger. There are several challenges in marketing directly to older teens and young adults. First, everyone’s doing it. Not to discourage, but that’s a lot of clutter to break though. And unlike marketing to women, the majority of effective marketing to teens isn’t generally inclusive of other market segments. In fact, inclusive is the opposite of what you want it to be. Second, if you weren’t raised in a family that likes to spend vacations camping, skiing or hiking it’s harder to integrate it into your life and, most importantly, convince your parents to give you the resources to participate, which likely requires not only money but transportation to wherever you are climbing/paddling/hiking and possibly a signed liability waiver. Third, teens like brands that reflect them. If you’re not a teen brand, and aren’t looking to become one due to the much larger customer base you serve, that can be a very tricky line to walk. Reaching Millenials right can pay off big, but not everyone can hit a home run.

What does this have to do with marketing to women? Lots. Here’s why: we propose that outdoor companies might want to think about hitting just below the teen point, reaching out to families with younger kids who still would entertain the idea of spending time with their parents, going camping, hiking, skiing, etc. The learning curve on many of these activities, such as snow boarding, most often happens on family vacations. Ask any pro on the circuit today and we bet their parents had them on the slopes as toddlers. And to reach them you’ve got to go through the Chief Purchasing Officer at home – Mom. A recent report we were emailed by youth marketing experts, The Zandl Group, gave us even more reason to believe this strategy has potential to pay off. Look for our upcoming interview with Anna D’Agrosa, Hot Sheet Editor for The Zandl Group, about tween market trends and the opportunities for outdoor.

And, for more on the growth/power of the women's market check out Mickey Meece's highly emailed article (reg. required, free) from Sunday's New York Times.

The Second Oldest Marketing Debate

Two recent articles, the first in BusinessWeek, the other in Golf for Women (a Golf Digest title), raise the question of whether or not sex sells and if so, to whom and at what cost? The BusinessWeek article, written by the new all girl run and approved marketing agency 3iYing, blasts apparel makers Abercrombie & Fitch and American Apparel for overt, porn-like sexuality in their advertising, which they say is a total turn-off to teen girls. With plenty of A&F logos on the back-to-school crowd in our corner of the world (and recent reports of a 17% net sales increase over last year) it seems some are not as turned off as others. However, while the numbers may not reflect 3iYing’s assertion that sex doesn’t sell, their request that marketers reach out to girls more in more intelligent ways is refreshing and more than valid. It’s not to say that sex doesn’t sell, but what if something else, something more soulful and relevant, actually sells better? With so many brands falling back on that old stand-by of close up shots of hard-bodied youths in suggestive poses (more lazy marketing than some break-out strategy) what an opportunity for a brand to set itself apart by changing that dialogue. We’re looking forward to seeing the results of a collaboration between a major apparel maker and 3iYing. Whose brave enough to step up?

Golf for Women’s insightful article entitled “Sex & the LPGA,” examines the long-running debate on using sex to sell women’s sports, something the tour is currently struggling with as they look to drum up fans and lucrative sponsor support. Both sides are given plenty of ink to make their case, with current and past LPGA members divided in their opinions. What isn’t clear is the audience the LPGA is ultimately trying to attract. Some men might enjoy looking at sexy pictures of female golfers but would it really get them to pony up to attend a tournament? The cheesecake approach surely can’t be a ruse to attract female fans. Some theorize that it’s male sportswriters whose attention the tour needs to grab. So when the “it” girl goes away coverage of the sport does too? Not a very good long-term strategy. Former pro volleyball player Gabrielle Reese (currently trying to get her own LPGA card) brings up the point that personality and charisma are what sells players, and by association, their sports. "Forget sex -- just make it cool," is her advice to the LPGA. Not as easy as issuing regulation short-shorts, but it has a lot more staying power.

And the oldest marketing debate? C’mon, say it with us: Does advertising really work?

Good Sports... Redefined

Over the last 10 years women's sports apparel has gone from pinked up men's smalls to almost every major manufacturer, including the likes of Nike and Adidas, putting big dollars and design power into creating women-specific lines that fit well, look good and perform.  Reebok, with it's landmark sponsorship of Venus Williams, at the time the largest endorsement deal for any female athlete - ever, baffles today with the multi-year deal it announced with 21-year-old ingenue Scarlett Johansson to design a new women's line called Scarlett (insert heart symbol here) Rbk.  According to a lengthy article in WWD (sub. required, but nothing meatier could be found on free news sources) Ms. Johansson, who is not a designer and also quick to point out that she's "definitely not athletic in any way," will be heavily involved in the design and concepting of the line with "complete control over the whole project," in addition to being the centerpiece of it's ad campaign.   According to Reebok president & CEO, Paul Harrington, the deal "hits the sweet spot of our major women's initiative that I announced in April."  OK, Stella McCartney may or may not be athletic but at least she's a designer, and a damn good one at that.  Fashion is now a basic staple of women's athletic apparel, which is certainly a welcome change, but the idea that women's athletic apparel no longer need be athletic?  That's downright insulting.  Buying running shorts or yoga pants from a woman who has never participated in the sport makes about as much sense as wearing cycling shorts made to fit a man.  Mr. Harrington characterizes Scarlett Johansson as a "multi-dimensional woman with a busy life, an independent spirit and an authentic persona."  As long as the persona is authentic, seems the line doesn't have to be.

Courting Female Fans

In an earlier post we talked about how the NFL had woken up to the fact that 43% of its fan base was female and either a) got tired of seeing women in oversized jerseys that looked like a throwback to 1985 or b) thought it would be a good idea to develop apparel made to actually fit them (for those of you playing along - the answer was "b").  The result was a top 5 selling jersey for Reebok, a whole new revenue stream for the NFL and female fans finally getting to feel like members of the team.  Now the NBA is hoping to cash in on women, (reg. required) who already account for the fastest growing category of their licensed apparel business, by converting more fans into actual viewers.  According to the league's research, basketball is the most popular team sport for girls and young women in the U.S., viewership of the NCAA women's basketball tournament is growing and, as cited in numerous books and articles, women are the dominant decision makers when it comes to consumer purchases.  The first step in this fan-to-viewer transition is an ad campaign that focuses on the personality vs. score averages of four featured players.  In describing the impetus behind the strategy to the NY Times, league executive Carol Albert said, "women connect with sports emotionally.  That's their entry point."  Ever watch a final four game in a sports bar?  Plenty of emotion there wouldn't you say?  We don't take issue with the idea of women connecting emotionally with sports per se.  As avid athletes ourselves and former executives at a women's sports apparel company, we would characterize our love of sport as almost spiritual.  It's the assumption that this emotional connection is only a desire to know personal details about the players, not enjoy the rush of watching an exciting competition or sharing a fun experience with family or friends. Jen Dreshler of Just Ask A Woman made an interesting point when she referenced the NBA's perennial bad boy image and high profile criminal cases, suggesting they may be the culprit in the league's lack of appeal to more women. If true, it's certain that a few humorous "conversation piece" ads aren't going to go too far in overcoming that. In all the research the NBA did, we're curious if any of it involved talking to female fans (both viewer and non-viewer) about what draws them to watching a game, or (just as important) turns them off. With so many young girls and women playing basketball, seems like love of the sport itself isn't the issue. Perhaps it's time to ask.

Of football and femininity

Remember trying out for team sports when you were a kid?  How exciting it was to put your uniform on for the first time?  To see your whole team outfitted as one bright shiny unit together?  One that was going to kick ass and take names?  Now imagine if everyone else's uniform fit great but yours was too short in the pants, the sleeves hanging down past your wrists.  You're all still in the same colors but you don't make the same statement.  You're not really part of the team.

As we prepare to watch Pittsburgh and Seattle battle it out on Sunday we noticed a flurry of articles this week regarding the recent "discovery" by marketers that women are indeed football fans.  USA Today noted that sports apparel companies are finally designing NFL-licensed apparel for women that can be actually worn as something other than an over-sized nightshirt and seeing great response.  In fact, a women's cut replica jersey has made Reebok's top 5 best sellers for Super Bowl XL (although the examples pictured in the article are an off-the-shoulder jersey and lace up skirt).  What's interesting to us is that most all of the top sports apparel companies, Nike, Adidas and Reebok included, realized women were a key market years ago yet the knowledge wasn't applied to football fandom until now.  With 43% of NFL fans female, we say better late than never.

The Chicago-based Marketing to Moms Coalition released survey results this week that said that moms wish Super Bowl advertisers would target them.  Seems they might be in luck, because Unilever's Dove plans to run one of its now infamous Real Beauty ads during the game and Anheuser-Busch says it will make a stronger pitch to appeal to female customers.  An interesting approach by an unexpected source, natural beauty co. Aveda is leveraging the Super Bowl to reach women by sampling products at several related events in and around Detroit.  Read more on planned women's campaigns in Ad Age.

Every time we see companies reach out to women in a manner that responds to actual behavior vs. assumptions we applaud (sometimes even aloud).  But that's just a piece of the puzzle.  Reebok wouldn't have ended up with a top 5 selling jersey just by developing a female-friendly ad.  They had to start by creating a product that made sense.  One that finally made women feel like official members of the team.