andHow To Reach Women

Savvy Auntie Gives Voice, And Virtual Space, To An Un-Tapped Market: Non-Moms Who Love Kids

The most powerful marketing opportunities, the ones that start movements and build momentum, come from recognizing a segment that has been there all along, yet was never directly addressed. For the last several years brands have been extending their reach and loyalty by developing campaigns to connect with the LGBT community (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) or the Hispanic market, both of which wield huge amounts of spending power, and certainly did not just pop up out of nowhere.  Women have been dissected down further - both by generation (Gen Y, Gen X, Boomers) and parental status (Moms and Non-Moms).  And in that scenario, because they buy for so many, Moms are the hot market to chase.  Generally speaking, Moms are targeted with emotional messages about caring for families, being pressed for time and trying to do more with less.  Non-Moms get "me" messages that are about reveling in the joys of kid-free lives: more beauty products, more travel, more clothes. But what about the Non-Moms who love kids?  Who is talking to them?  

Melanie Notkin (pictured above), a self-described "auntrepreneur" launched Savvy Auntie this past July due to her desire to have a place where she could revel in her pride in being an aunt and connect with other women who had very important children in their lives that weren't necessarily their own.  In the first 2 months, without any advertising, Melanie's site had attracted 50,000 visitors.  

Marketing to aunts or PANK's (Professional Aunts, No Kids), as Melanie refers to them, gives brands the best of both worlds - women who have a deep attachment to children and want to spend time and money on them but who also have the time and disposable income to spend on themselves. As budgets tighten and retirement nest eggs continue to crack, aunts may be the best option to purchase the more indulgent items that parents and grandparents are being forced to strike from their shopping lists.  And as Non-Moms begin to comprise over 50% of the adult female population, it doesn't make sense to ignore them. Check out this stat from a press release on the Savvy Auntie website:

An ever higher number of American women are childless, according to statistics* released by the U.S. Census Bureau on August 18, 2008.  The data, which reports a significant rise over the last two years, shows that the percentage of non-moms is nearing the 50 percent mark, making the ratio of moms to non-moms in America almost 1:1. 

This aunt acknowledgment is reminiscent of the Right Hand campaign launched by DeBeers in 2003. Before then, in the jewelry world, women were divided into Brides and Non-Brides.  Only one could credibly aspire to wear a diamond ring.  DeBeers gave voice to a population of women who had financial means, were not married and/or weren't interested in waiting to receive a diamond ring from a man (or for that to be the only permissible reason to wear one) and opened up a whole new market segment and selling opportunity.  Single women, whether young, old, straight or gay, began to adopt right hand rings as their statement of independence and success. Many married women found the concept appealing as well. The campaign struck a powerful emotional chord that DeBeers could not have manufactured, they simply tapped in to something that was already there, just waiting to be named.

I believe recognition of "aunting" has the potential to resonate on an equally deep level.  Think of all the products developed to foster the connection between grandparents and grandchildren.   Aunts and uncles can have very powerful relationships and a profound impact on kids but those roles have no such cultural mirror.  Moreover "auntie" in many cultures is a term of endearment applied to any adult woman important in a child's life, regardless of actual blood relation, expanding the definition even further.  And the role is quite distinct from that of parent or grandparent.  Aunts can be confidantes, friends, supercool babysitters, shopping buddies, secret sharers (they know the stuff about mom or dad that grandma and grandpa still haven't figured out), homework helpers and surrogate parents, often flowing in and out of those roles as needed. 

Savvy Auntie's tagline is:The First Community for Cool Aunts, Great Aunts, Godmothers and All Women Who Love Kids. All Women Who Love Kids. Talk about emotional.  

Aunties of the World - Go spoil your nieces and nephews!

The Obama Effect On Marketing Messages

There are many brand marketing lessons to be learned from the historic election of Barack Obama, which have been covered by multiple marketing reporters and bloggers both pre-and-post election.  For the purposes of this post, I’d like to expand the topic from the paradigm shift in the techniques of marketing to the evolution I believe is coming in the content of marketing. 

This was not, on the whole, a black vs. white race.  Thankfully it was never framed that way, though “the Bradley effect” was occasionally invoked by reporters and pundits worried that the certainty the data revealed wasn’t actually possible.  As we all witnessed, the outcome, which crossed traditional demographic lines of age and ethnicity, proved the Obama effect to be far stronger than the Bradley effect.  And the cultural ramifications are certain to reach far beyond the presidential election.

In this new reality, where multiculturalism is a source of pride, our President-elect himself a blend of two races, I can’t imagine that the faces of advertising will stay the same.   I’m not suggesting that Abercrombie & Fitch is suddenly going to bust out with a self-conscious United Colors of Benetton style campaign where every ethnicity is carefully inserted to show a perfectly rainbowed coalition of eerily beautiful teenagers all on the verge of engaging in some hypersexualixed collegiate orgy (at least I hope they don’t).  But the lines of what constitutes the look and behaviors of standard ethnicities will certainly become more blurred.  The kind of cultural costuming that puts forth gangsta-lite hip-hop culture represented on one end of the scale with clean cut preppies sporting half buttoned jeans on the other, and very few digressions in between, simply won’t continue to resonate.

Additionally, look for brands to delve into social consciousness on a level that goes beyond pink packaging in October or simply swiping a credit card for a cause. As marketers are putting together their cause-marketing plans they’ll need to evolve their messages and platforms to speak to an audience who has seen first-hand the power of investing their time, energy and service to create real results.  

For instance, The Members Project, pioneered by American Express, where consumers suggest and vote on where the credit card issuer will distribute millions in funding (this year it totaled $4.9mm) could evolve that strategy to include service days in cities around the world where people can contribute in a hands-on way to further support the dollars Amex donates, connecting their members face-to-face and increasing their impact exponentially.  Those who participated in various initiatives could custom design their card with images from their project, making Amex the credit card services company where service, in all its forms, is a true differentiator.

 

 

In Sustainability Marketing, Grassroots Is Often Greener

As sustainability becomes a key platform, both in business plans and marketing programs, we’re seeing the emergence of a new c-level position, the CSO (chief sustainability officer), as well as practice areas in consulting and branding firms, such as Saatchi & Saatchi “S” to help guide CSO’s and their organizations on how to develop, measure and communicate meaningful programs.

Despite all this brainpower, industries are still struggling to define and communicate standards and consumers remain confused as to how to understand which products and companies are truly green vs. “greenwashed.” This WSJ article re: the environmental impact of reusable shopping bags illustrates the point perfectly.

As average citizens begin to wrap their minds and arms around these concepts, a key source of information and influence is coming from grassroots groups creating their own real-world and online “green” communities.  These movements are gaining momentum and a loyal and engaged following by doing three really smart things:

1) They deliver their message in dynamic, heart-felt, user-friendly terms

2) They offer a clear and easy way to participate 

3) They allow for ordinary citizens to share their accomplishments, both in person and online

While you want to communicate your green and sustainable efforts on your website and in your marketing materials, that’s just covering the baseline -  not enough to create engagement and build trust on a level that puts your brand at the top of the list.  Tapping into some of these movements that have credibility and passion built in demonstrates that your brand’s commitment is bigger than just selling products or engaging in a seasonal marketing campaign, shows that you are plugged in and paying attention to the people and communities that are making a difference, and will provide an informal barometer on how your brand and messaging are perceived, as well as a source of new ideas. 

A handful of examples are listed below, but they’re just the tip of the iceberg.  Seek out and connect with the groups aligned with your product or service area and brand values – this part is critical as anything that smacks of greenwashing will definitely not fly with these folks - and watch your own green movement grow,

Teens for Safe Cosmetics

EcoMom Alliance

One in a Million

Carrot Mob

Run Green Feet

 

Marketing to Women In The Bags?

This tale of two bags is about opportunities yet to be realized.  The first is an occasion looking for a great bag.  This Brandweek article documents the increase in brown bag lunches spurred by recent economic challenges and the CPG companies capitalizing on it.  Pair this growing trend with "green" grocery shopping habits that include selecting paper or bringing your own bag and add to it the fact that traditional brown bags themselves often don't stand up well in crowded office fridges (which tend to include one or two spilled mystery liquid incidents per day) and there's a great opportunity for a store-to-desk bag solution.  Companies could make it easy to bring your own lunch and tout their own sustainable policies with branded bags for new employees.  A little hot/cold innovation, easy cleanup and perhaps even some killer style...Tar-jay are you listening? 

The second tale relies on the idea that if you put something in a woman's bag, she will come to find it necessary, perhaps even essential.  Last week Nintendo announced a partnership with Bags to Riches, an online handbag rental site, where the new Nintendo DS will be inserted in some handbag rentals through the end of this year.  The idea is that status created by the bag and the fashionable items you carry in it will rub off on the new gadget, making the DS the new "it" accessory.  According to the Sept. 19 MediaPost article: 

Samuel Mangiere, chairman and co-founder of the online handbag rental site, calls the Nintendo DS this year's must-have fashion accessory that goes well with handbags. "Carrying the Nintendo DS in your purse makes a statement because I truly believe there's a link between the DS and any belt, sunglasses or pair of shoes," he says. "It tells people: 'I'm up-to-date. I like electronics. I probably have a BlackBerry or an Apple iPhone in my purse, too.'"

This approach, both targeted and grassroots, stands every chance of being successful - if the DS proves itself to be a useful item that the women take out of their purses so others can spot it, check it out (and I include entertainment in the useful category) and hopefully pop for one themselves.  

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.  

  

The New Menopause: It Ain't What It Used To Be, But It's Still No Disneyland

Women's Voices For Change is a blog I've followed for a while that provides smart writing and analysis on a variety of topics with a perspective relevant to women over 40 - their tagline is "News, Opinion & Commentary for Women Over 40 - Defining The New Menopause," which is why I was inspired to write a post for them that I would normally post here about the dismal job many companies are doing in connecting with Boomer women.  Grab your sunscreen and a fruity beverage, we're going to Menopauseland! 

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.

Wowowow: New Women's Site Better Connected Than Facebook?

Today's New York Times reported the upcoming launch of Women on the Web - or Wowow.com - founded by a group of 5 "media live-wires' including entertainment columnist Liz Smith, 60 Minutes reporter Lesley Stahl and former Simon & Schuster president, Joni Evans. Women's Voices For Change, also a project of Smith's, has been getting some positive attention for a lively presentation of issues relevant to women not of the Gen Y set (and not looking to impersonate them either). One of the reasons this group, who did not grow up sending text messages or creating MySpace profiles, started the initiative was due to the lack of content they found interesting or compelling online. Joan Juliet Buck, a contributing editor to Vogue and consulting editor to the new site, described long-standing women's community iVillage as "like Macy's or something." Apparently these women are looking for more. Regarding why the group came together in the first place the NY Times reported:

Ms. Evans was struck by what she considered a dearth of online content provocative enough to hook sharp, driven women like herself. Weary of shopping and travel sites, she reached out to a klatch of women friends who are as blond as Jayne Mansfield and better connected than the most determined Facebook users.

That phrase - better connected - stuck out. Think about it: while many Facebook and MySpace users have scores of "Friends" who they know virtually nothing about, these women are far more likely to keep their contacts to the tried and trusted, and therefore have far more credibility and influence if and when they choose to talk positively or negatively about a brand.

Time will tell if this community takes off or tanks but rest assured that there is a significant and growing number of smart, savvy women who are tired of being marketing after-thoughts and are willing - even if choosing and registering a domain name takes hours longer than their younger counterparts - to do for themselves.

If you visit the site pre-launch (this Saturday, 3/8) take the time to answer their question of the day: If you could choose any women in the world, living or dead, which four faces would you put on Mount Rushmore?

"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.

Victoria's Secret To Back Off Sexy

In an analyst call reported on by the Wall Street Journal, Victoria's Secret CEO, Sharon Turney, announced that she felt the company had strayed too far from their original message of "ultra-feminine" by over-leveraging the success of their youth-oriented Pink brand to shift all their brands to appeal to a younger (and ever younger - my words, not hers) demographic of girls who aspire to be SEXY, SEXY, SEXY. Victoria's Secret, once a purveyor of elegance and sophistication, became what one friend coined Victoria's Shout Out, and the pulsating music combined with the clusters of fourteen year-olds rummaging through tables of brightly colored padded bras and glittery thongs drove most adult women to shop elsewhere. We've had a few years of this in-your-face sexuality, beginning with Britney's belly button and punctuated by her over-documented uncovered nether-regions. Add to that a series of scandals of young actresses whose nude photos meant for one or more crushes ended up on TMZ, risque Maxim photo spreads, Girls Gone Wild videos, and a push-up bra just doesn't seem all that over the top (bad pun intended) anymore. It's becoming ever more clear that no matter how SEXY a girl might look all dolled up in her skivvies on MySpace, there's another one, and another one and another one, who's body looks just as good and who's willing to display more of it. At a certain point, it actually becomes a little boring (which may be why Victoria's Secret's sales dropped 8% in Q4). Even Playboy is promoting a Miss Playboy Mobile contest where they are asking entrants to only post clothed photos.

This is all indicative of a larger trend that will continue to build as election time nears and likely long afterward - the idea of substance and nuance over proclamations and narcissism. Now that's sexy.