The Bounce Blog: Women Mean Business. And lots of it!

Apps for Women: Reebee Offers Flyers at Your Fingertips

Gillian Shimizu — Fri, 17 May 2013 12:30:00 GMT

As we’ve mentioned in our Frugalista post, women tend to be the Chief Purchasing Officers (CPOs) or Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) in their households, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that woman are continually searching for ways to save money. Whether it’s subscribing to daily deal sites, signing up to receive mobile coupons from their favourite retailers, or even scouring social media for savings, women are always on the lookout for the latest and greatest deals. Now, with the powerful combination of social media and smartphone apps, women shoppers are able to quickly and easily find deals and instantly share them with friends and family. Sorting through mounds of inky, planet-pillaging paper flyers stuffed into the Thursday paper has now become a thing of the past.

Whether women are showrooming or mobile shopping, they are always looking for the best deals. So for today’s Appy Hour, I thought we’d share an app that is designed to make the lives of these frugalistas even easier.

Reebee, developed in Waterloo, Ontario, is an app that aggregates all your flyers in one place. Finding the best deals in town – from groceries to home hardware – is now as simple as a swipe of your smartphone.

Launched in 2011, the app has over 13,000 user downloads and was the winner of the January 2012 $25,000 Velocity Venture Fund.

Why do we love reebee?:

It’s the same Thursday paper content but with a ‘greener’ approach:
Women love to support businesses that promote corporate social responsibility. According to an Eco-Insights survey, nearly 50% of women say they want more green choices. And since we live in a digital world where 80% of humans own a mobile phone and there are more than 90 million smartphones in the United States alone, we love that reebee encourages users to download their app and opt out of paper deliveries.

Leverage local content:
Reebee’s app allows you to leverage the power of your smartphone. Through GPS and geographic algorithms, reebee will update your app so customers can see content that is relevant to them. Available across a variety of platforms, reebee automatically updates new flyers on a weekly basis and customers can view over 200 flyers coast-to-coast, depending on their location.

Timely deliveries:
Updated weekly, reebee flyers always have the latest flyers and deals posted on their app so you never have to miss another deal.

Do you know anyone who flips through flyers always on the look out for a great deal? We highly recommend downloading this app!

Inbound Marketing Steps to Success – Delight [Part 4]

Gillian Shimizu — Mon, 13 May 2013 18:30:00 GMT

Inbound Marketing is all about offering remarkable content to the people we engage with - whether they are visitors, leads, or existing customers.

Unlike traditional marketing, inbound is a continuous process that never ends. Once a customer has given you their money, it doesn’t mean the relationship stops there. Inbound marketers must continue to engage, delight and offer a steady stream of valuable goods to their current customers and, ideally, transform them from ‘satisfied customer’ to ‘happy promoter’ of your products and your company.

In order to successfully turn strangers, into visitors; turn visitors into customers, and ultimately into cheerleaders for your brand, you’ll want to follow these 4 vital marketing actions:

1. Attract
2. Convert
3. Close
4. Delight

We have already gone over the first three vital actions, so here are three tools you can use to delight your customers:

Smart calls-to-action:
These present different users with offers that change based on specific buyer personas - who they are and what they’re looking for. Additionally, smart calls-to-action are offers that are customized based on what stage customers are at in your sales cycle, ie how receptive they are to completing a sale.

Social media:
1-800 numbers are a way of the past. Using a variety of social media platforms can give you the opportunity to provide real-time customer service without the 10 level voice automated directory.

Email and marketing automation:
Providing your existing customers with remarkable content can help them achieve their own goals, as well as introduce new products and features that might be of interest to them.

What tools and offers do you use to create and deliver content that will delight your customers and transform them into your brand ambassadors?

Marketing to Women: Lise Watier's Search for Something Sweet

Gillian Shimizu — Fri, 10 May 2013 15:00:00 GMT

Here at Bounce Ideas, we're always on the look-out for marketers who do a remarkable job at marketing to women and capturing the essence of their brand. It's such an exciting and delightful discovery when we come across brands like these. But, as a Canadian inbound marketing agency, we're even more thrilled when we find a Magnificent Marketing Maven north of the 49th.

The latest 'marketing gem' that we've uncovered is the new youthful fragrance and cosmetic line, Something Sweet, recently launched by Canadian cosmetic icon, Lise Watier, in partnership with another successful Canadian brand, cosmetic retailer Shoppers Drug Mart. To create some excitement around the launch, these two brilliant brands are conducting a search for a special young lady who embodies the spirit of Something Sweet. She's a confident, ambitious spirit with a zest for life and an original sense of style.

So, what is it about this gem of a marketing campaign that sparkles?

Making a Magical Connection:
While the Lise Watier brand is usually targeted towards a mature female consumer, the Something Sweet line is a fresh, fun and playful brand specifically designed with the youthful vitality of the Gen-Y woman in mind.

From it's whimsical, Parisienne-inspired creative to the clean, but lively pastel palette and it's exciting social media-based search for the Face of Something Sweet, everything about this brand captures the energy, exuberance and fashion-flare of the twenty-something woman for whom the line was designed.

Social is the Sweet Spot:
What better way to get a young woman excited about a new cosmetic/fragrance line than to include her in the campaign and engage her on social media? The savvy marketing team at Lise Watier know exactly where the Something Sweet consumer lives. She lives on social media. And lately she's been spending a great deal of her time on image-based platforms like Instagram and Pinterest.

So, to ask her to visit the Something Sweet 'salon' at Shoppers, take a 'selfie' and share it on Instagram to become the face of Something Sweet was a stroke of marketing genius. She's now in-store, she's poised to sample or, ideally to purchase, she's highly engaged with the brand and she's sharing the fun she had with her friends and family. By using social, Lise Watier has definitely found the 'sweet spot' to building awareness and creating a conversation and a connection with their new line.

What do you think of the Something Sweet campaign? Are you the confident, style maven they're looking for?

Inbound Marketing Steps to Success: Close the Sale[Part 3]

Gillian Shimizu — Mon, 06 May 2013 15:41:00 GMT

You’re on the right track to inbound marketing success! You’ve already mastered the first two steps of the inbound model: attract the right visitors and convert visitors into leads, but now you need to transform those leads into customers.

In today’s post, we’re highlighting the third step in the 4-step inbound marketing model: Close the Sale: Turning your best Leads into Customers.

We suggest using some of these marketing tools to help you close sales with your most receptive leads:

Lead Scoring:
You have contacts sitting and waiting in your system, but how do you know which of these leads are ready to have a conversation with your sales team? When reviewing the data on these leads, see which web pages they have visited and how often they return to your site. Use this data to help you gauge their level of sales-readiness.

Email:
You may have leads who have clicked on a CTA, filled out a landing page but still haven’t shown any interest in becoming a customer. This doesn’t mean that you should disregard them. Try sending these leads a series of e-mails focused on useful, relevant content. By doing so, you can build trust with these leads and help them become more ready to buy.

Marketing Automation:
Think of marketing automation as the next-level e-mail. For example, if a lead has downloaded an e-book on a certain topic from you in the past, you might want to send that lead a series of related e-mails. If your leads are correctly filling out your landing pages, you will be able to see when and what they are visiting/downloading from your website. By lead nurturing, you can customize your email marketing to reflect the different interests of all leads.

Closed-loop Reporting:
How do you know which marketing efforts are bringing in the best leads? Is your sales team effectively closing your most receptive leads into customers? Integration with your Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system allows you to analyze just how well your marketing and sales teams are playing together.

What tool do you find most effective in turning your leads into customers and closing the sale?

Inbound Marketing Steps to Success: Convert [Part 2]

Gillian Shimizu — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 15:30:00 GMT

The marketing landscape is constantly changing, and these changes are dramatically affecting people's buying habits. The Internet, social media and mobile devices are examples of the massive shift away from traditional outbound marketing techniques to an inbound marketing model.

In order to successfully turn strangers into visitors; turn visitors into customers, and ultimately into cheerleaders for your brand, you’ll want to follow these 4 vital steps:

1. Attract
2. Convert
3. Close
4. Delight

In last week’s post, we focused on the first step that is critical to the Inbound Marketing model: Attracting Visitors with content that speaks to them and the things they’re curious about.

In today’s post, we’re highlighting the second step in the 4-step Inbound model: Converting Visitors into Leads.

A visitor's contact information is like gold to an online marketer. When you mine this valuable resource, you’ll have the ability to provide your visitors with content, such as ebooks, whitepapers or webinars, that offers the answers to their most pressing questions and addresses the issues they are most curious about.

Some of the most important tools in converting visitors to leads include:

Calls to action (CTA):
Calls-to-action are buttons or links that encourage your visitors to take action, like “Download a Whitepaper” or “Attend a Webinar.” If you don’t have enough CTAs or your CTAs aren’t enticing enough, you won’t generate any leads.

Landing pages:
When a website visitor clicks on a CTA, they should then be sent to a landing page. This is where visitors will submit their contact information, and typically become a lead.

Forms:
In order to convert a visitor into a lead, they must fill out your form and submit their contact information. You want to make sure your form is set-up in a way that minimizes the time and effort for a visitor to complete.

Have a contact list:
Once your visitor-turned-lead has given you their contact information, make sure you keep track of them in a centralized marketing database. Having all your data in one place helps you make sense out of every interaction you’ve had with your contacts -- be it through email, a landing page, social media, or otherwise. If you can track what pages they visit on your website or what emails they open, you can optimize your future interactions to more effectively attract, convert, close, and delight your buyer personas.

Are you currently using CTA's and landing pages on your website? What kinds of content do you offer your visitors?

Apps for Women: HAILO App offers Heel-Saving Taxi Service

Gillian Shimizu — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 14:45:00 GMT

BLOG UPDATE:
It's Friday and we've got a very exciting offer for you, HAILO Toronto has contacted us and has generously offered our readers the chance to win one of two $20 HAILO credits. What a great way to kick off your weekend - $20 towards your next cab ride!!

Its so easy to enter, just use the Rafflecopter widget below and either leave a blog post comment telling me why you’d like to try HAILO or tweet this blog post to your followers.

Hey, and if you do both and you'll get an extra contest entry!

Contest closes on Friday May 10th 11:59p.m. Our two winners will be announced 24 hours after the contest close date. Good luck!

Smartphones are increasingly central to our lives, especially for women. We use our phones for everything; from checking work emails to face-timing with friends and family across the world. As smartphones become more and more popular, there is a huge mobile communications opportunity for any business.

In this weeks ‘Appy Hour’, we want to showcase an app for women that offers a convenient, time-saving and safe way to get around the city.

Whether you’re running across the city finishing daily errands or just leaving a late night party, you need to find a fast and efficient way to get from point A to point B. This is when your lifeline, also known as your smartphone, comes into play. Instead of standing out on the street frantically trying to wave down a taxi, why not stay safe and comfortable at your pick-up location knowing that a “hailo” cab will arrive in just minutes.

What is HAILO?
HAILO is a free mobile app that allows users to register their information and hail the nearest cab with a simple tap of the mobile screen. Through GPS tracking, the app is able to notify drivers in the area of your whereabouts. HAILO gives you an ETA of your potential cab. It even gives you the cabby’s name and contact information, real-time taxi tracking and the option to pay via mobile.

To date, HAILO is available in over 10 cities. In Toronto, there are more than 600 cab drivers signed up with the app.

How is this an app for women?
HAILO has done an excellent job of tailoring their app to women. Along with it’s 24/7 service, the app provides a taxi ETA feature that lets users know when their cab will arrive, right down to the minute. In a woman’s daily routine, every minute counts. By providing an ETA feature, HAILO gives women those extra few minutes back into her busy schedule and . It may not seem like much but those few minutes can be a real lifesaver!

My personal favourite feature of this app is the ability to pay via your mobile wallet (also know as your phone). By adding in your credit card details to your account, you can pay and receive your receipt via email. Today, we are all so connected to our smartphones. To pay by cash or credit may seem like a simple enough step, but if a mobile app can simplify the process even more, why not give women (and men) the option to pay using their favourite wireless device?

It’s the smallest features on HAILO's app that speaks to women. By saving her just a few extra minutes, whether it’s from the ETA or the mobile wallet feature, it can mean a lot to her.

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Enter for your chance to win! Just use the Rafflecopter widget below and either leave a blog post comment telling me why you’d like to try HAILO or tweet this blog post to your followers:

"Apps for Women: @HailoToronto App offers Heel-Saving Taxi Service http://bit.ly/12Nasg3 via@LetsBounceIdeas"

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Inbound Marketing Steps to Success – Attract [Part 1]

Gillian Shimizu — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 16:24:00 GMT

Sharing is caring and inbound marketing is all about creating and sharing content with the world. By aligning the content you publish with the interests of your ‘dream customers’, you naturally attract a stream of qualified prospects to your website that you can then convert, close, and delight over time.

In order to successfully turn strangers, into visitors; turn visitors into customers, and ultimately into cheerleaders for your brand, you’ll want to follow these 4 vital marketing actions:

1. Attract
2. Convert
3. Close
4. Delight

The first marketing action in this ‘Steps to Success’ series is Attract: turning strangers into visitors.

When you create an online presence, you don’t just want any traffic coming to your site, you want the right traffic. The right traffic consists of those people you have defined as your ideal customers. These are also known as your ‘buyer personas’, or a profile of what your customers are really like, inside and out. Personas encompass the goals, challenges, pain points, common objections to products and services, as well as personal and demographic information shared among all members of that particular customer type. Your personas are the people around whom your whole business is built.

Some of the most important tools you can use to attract the right users to your site are:

Blogging:
Creating and maintaining a blog is the single best way to attract new visitors to your website. In order to get found by your ideal customers, you have to speak directly to them. By creating informative content that speaks to them and the things they’re curious about, you can show potential customers that you are a knowledgeable and trusted resource.

Keywords:
Your customers begin their buying process online, usually by using a search engine to uncover more information about a specific issue. So you need to make sure you appear prominently in the search results. With that you mind, it’s important to carefully select your keywords, optimize your web pages, create content and build links based on the terms your potential clients are searching for.

Social Media:
Creating content and optimizing your website is only half the battle. In order to bring in more of the ‘right’ traffic, you have to find, reach out and engage with potential customers. This means sharing your valuable content on social media sites, engaging your prospects, and ultimately increasing the awareness and appeal of your brand.

What kind of content do you find is most attractive to your dream-customers?

Image credit: mars-attaque.blogspot.ca

Apps for Women: WhatsApp Replaces SMS and Lets her Chat on the Cheap

Gillian Shimizu — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 14:00:00 GMT

'Staying connected’ has become a daily fascination for many women, and maintaining life/work balance is a daily challenge for many more. To deal with both their connection compulsion and the need to get more done in a day, women are turning to apps on their mobile devices as a digital lifeline. As a marketer, if you want to connect and engage with women, why not think about creating apps for women? It’s a great time to create a useful or delightful app that can make for ‘appy-go-lucky’ consumers for your brand.

According to a survey by Compete, women are far more passionate about their mobile devices than men:

“The leading activity across both genders is text messaging, performed by 98% of female and 92% of male smartphone owners. Greater differences emerge among other activities, though, with women more active accessing social networking sites (79% vs. 68%), playing games (76% vs. 66%), sharing photos/videos (73% vs. 65%) and conducting financial transactions (60% vs. 48%).”

So, as we sip on our mobile martinis during our first Bounce Ideas’ Appy Hour, we want to take a look at one of the fastest growing chat apps for smartphones – WhatsApp.

As a cross-platform instant messaging app, WhatsApp allows users to send multimedia (image, audio, video or text) messages through their providers’ Internet data plan. It’s the first app of its kind that allows iPhone, BlackBerry, Android, Windows Phone and Nokia users to message each other with no extra SMS charges. In addition to the basic messaging, WhatsApp users can create chat groups, send each other unlimited images, videos and audio media messages.

According to the company’s CEO, WhatsApp has exploded in popularity and has more active monthly users than Twitter and carries twice as many daily messages than Facebook.

How is this an app for women?

By nature, women are social beings and often take on co-ordinating and planning roles within their families and businesses. Whether they are arranging play dates for kids, making evening plans with friends, or managing teams at the office, they’re often the hub of social interactions. But in order to effectively plan, a lot of back and forth calls and text messages are often needed, and come the end of the month, no one likes to find out they have to pay extra for going over their monthly mobile plan.

Women are always looking for ways they can simplify their life, and WhatsApp does just that. Without having to worry about their monthly bills restrictions, the app’s cross-platform, multimedia messaging and group chat ability have taken multiple functions and rolled them all into one.

Have you used this app before? Are there any other chat apps that are must-haves on your phone?

Marketing Wine to Women: You Had Me at Merlot!

Gillian Shimizu — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 13:00:00 GMT

Many women love to sip and socialize over a glass of wine, and at some of these get-togethers that beguiling bottle of wine is actually the star attraction. But, with rows upon rows of lovely libations lining liquor store shelves, how does ‘She’ begin to choose the perfect vintage to suit her taste?

When it comes to wine, a woman’s motivation and buying process is significantly different than a man’s. Barbara Insel, president of St. Helena, California-based wine consulting firm Stonebridge Research, reports that, “In focus groups, women say they buy wine to go with food, to relax, to drink with friends, to have fun.” Men, on the other hand, “say they drink for health, but off the record, they admit they buy wines that will impress their friends.”

According to experts at wineinsitute.org, generally speaking, women are less influenced by wine ratings and they tend to judge the entire product, giving consideration to product quality, label design, bottle shape and, for some women, even the philosophy of the winery.

In essence, like so many other consumer purchases women make, their decision-making process tends to be in-depth, detailed, holistic, and is driven by her entire experience with a brand.

Women purchase 57% of wine consumed in the US, but despite this considerable market potential, the wine industry is only just beginning to wake up to the economic opportunity women represent. With this shift in focus, vintners and wine marketers need to consider these four crucial aspects when marketing wine to women:

Simplicity
Help make her decision process easier. Women lead very busy lives. They appreciate any effort you make to quickly communicate, with the design of your bottle and label, and also with the content and tone of your message, just exactly what your brand of wine has to offer her.

Differentiation
In a sea of wine brands currently being marketed to women, a brand that stands out from the crowd, will have a leg-up on the competition. Wine isn't exclusively an accompaniment to a meal. It can be shared during any occasion. So, if your wine is being marketed with a specific user experience in mind, such as a fun, informal, girls night out, try to add some colour, sass and punch to your package design. But, just a caution! Please resist the temptation to turn your package design or brand messages into something cutesy or condescending. This is a marketing-to-women faux pas in any product category.

Tone
Are you speaking her language? Depending on your target demographic, make sure you set the right tone and know how to keep the conversation flowing. A strong brand voice is important for standing apart from the competition.

Online Presence
Female consumers want brands they can easily find and interact with online. So, a conversational and interactive marketing approach, as well as an inclusive attitude toward women-who-love-wine, will go a long way to winning her over. Two female-focused online communities that invite women to share their passion for wines. and do a fantastic job in their inbound marketing efforts are The Wine Ladies and Wine Sisterhood.

Here is why we love these online wine connoisseurs:

Why we Love The Wine Ladies

They have an engaging online presence with over 7,000 followers on Facebook and Twitter
They have a regularly updated video stream that provides visitors with wine reviews, company updates and pairings
Their blog not only touches on the topic of wine but food and lifestyle as well

Why we love The Wine Sisterhood

They have their own smartphone app called Drink-U-Lator that allows you to calculate how much alcohol you may want to have on hand for upcoming get-togethers.
The company’s recently launched website has a simple yet visually appeal design with a warm, inviting layout and colour palette
They promote open and engaging conversations about wine – not only their own brand – but the world of wine in general
They have an engaging online presence with over 5,000 followers on Facebook and Twitter

Both of these wine brands ‘get it’ when marketing wine to women. It’s not just about the alcohol content, tannin levels or the overall bouquet, but the entire wine experience.

We propose a toast to smart, savvy marketers who understand that women don’t merely drink wine they want to experience wine - and life - to its fullest. Cheers!

Are there any other wine brands or online wine communities that you feel deserve a toast!

Social Media Etiquette: How to be Amiable on Instagram

Gillian Shimizu — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 20:50:00 GMT

Instagram is all about documenting your life, showing off your quirky moments and telling a vibrant, filter-filled story. Once you’ve snapped your unforgettable moment, you can share it to Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Flickr – it’s photo sharing, reinvented!

Like any other real-time social media platform, Instagram has a set of unwritten guidelines that users are expected to follow. If you’re new to Instagram, and struggling with the do’s and don’ts of the photo-sharing platform, we’ve got a list of five etiquette tips you can follow.

Use hashtags sparingly
Like Twitter, Instagram users apply hashtags to increase the visibility of their posts. While they are a very useful tool for organizing and categorizing topics, it’s best to resist the urge to get slap-happy with hashtags. If you want to add them to a photo, select 3-4 hashtags that are relevant to your post – don’t use generic words like pic, picture or photo. Clogging up your followers feeds with excessive amounts of hashtags will be interpreted as spammy and frustrate your viewers.

Don’t make posts too personal
Don’t make your Instagram feed cryptic. Your followers don’t want to see things that only make sense to a select few. Posts such as a drawing of an inside joke or a message directed to a specific individual won’t make sense to people outside your circle, and may only serve to alienate them.

Don’t upload your professional photos to your feed
Some see it as cheating; others see it as tacky. Posting DSLR photos on Instagram goes against the app’s purpose of encouraging smartphone photography and the process of live-sharing on social media platforms. If you have an urge to upload these types of photos, make sure to mention so in your comments or use the #dslr hashtag.

Beware the rapid fire
It's perfectly acceptable to take several photos and upload all of them to Instagram on the same day but, please don’t be a compulsive Instagrammer. When you don't use Instagram for a week and suddenly spam your followers with 10 uploads in a matter of minutes, your followers won’t be very happy.

Don’t steal
When posting a photo, make sure it’s unique and your own. It’s not polite (or entirely legal) to take a screen shot of someone else’s image and claim it as your own.

As the number of Instagram users continues to rise, it’s essential for users to be aware of what is and isn’t considered acceptable material/actions. All social media platforms have their own standards of etiquette to keep the community respectful and open to two-way communication, and Instagram is no different.

What other unwritten rules do you think users should follow?

Relevant social media etiquette posts:
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest

Social Media Etiquette: How to be Polite on Pinterest

Gillian Shimizu — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 20:56:00 GMT

In March 2013, we celebrated Pinterest’s third birthday. In a mere three years, this pinboard-style photo-sharing platform has become the third most popular social networking site, following shortly behind Twitter and Facebook. In January 2012, comScore reported the site had 11.7 million unique users, making it the fastest site in history to break through the 10 million unique visitor mark.

But with a lot of visitors, comes a lot of ‘faux pas’ pinning – unaccredited images, pixilated photos, spam. Like any other social media platform, Pinterest comes with its own code of etiquette. Whether you’re pinning personally or pinning for your company, here are six etiquette guidelines on how to pin like a pro:

Add a description
When you are pinning or repinning an image or video, be sure to add a little context. By adding a short description to your images, not only does it give your visitors more contextual informaton aboutt the photo, it also improves the likelihood your pin will appear in the search function on Pinterest. The more detailed your descriptions are, the more likely your pin will appear in the results when people search specific keywords.

Don’t binge-pin
If you are pinning 20 photos an hour - it’s time to stop! Your followers don’t want a barrage of pins clogging up their homepage. The point of Pinterest is to organize your photos into custom, inspirational boards, not to pin every eye-pleasing photo that pops up on the Internet. If your followers are being deluged with your pins, they may find it a nuisance and stop following you.

Find the original source
This breach of etiquette is a big Pinterest-Pet-Peeve of mine and unfortunately it happens quite often. When you are pinning a photo, don’t simply pin something from a search engine’s website (ie: Google images). Take the time to find the original source. The same goes for repins. Pinners don’t want to discover an inspirational idea and then click on a link that merely takes them to a single image. Why would I want to pin something if I don’t know where it came from, how to make it, or where to find out more about it?

Organize your pinboards
On Pinterest, users have the opportunity to follow other users or specific boards. Make sure you organize your boards according to their titles to alleviate confusion among your followers. If we’re following your “Favourite Foods” board, we shouldn’t be coming across pins about home décor or cute kitties. If you don’t properly label and pin your boards, it can become yet another source of annoyance to followers.

Give credit where credit is due
If you are pinning a photo that’s not yours, provide credit to the original artist or website where you sourced the image. Also, make sure to have your pin link back to their page. If you ever come across an image that doesn’t have a credit to the artist or website, leave a polite comment on the pin to please give the appropriate credit.

Report inappropriate pins
Pinterest is a photo sharing community where people can manage themed-based images and search through inspirational photos. If you come across any inappropriate pins, be sure to report them by clicking on the flag button on the bottom right of every pin.

Are there any Pinterest etiquette tips we missed? Let us know in the comments below.

This socia media etiquette post is part of our 'Mind Your Manners on Social Media' series. You can also read more about Facebook and Twitter's unwritten etiquette guidelines in our blog.

Social Media Etiquette: Facebook Page Best Practices

Gillian Shimizu — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 20:37:00 GMT

Last week on our blog, we touched on the do's and dont's of Twitter's social media etiquette guidelines, also known to some as Twittequette. But Twitter isn't the only social media platform that has an unwritten set of etiquette guidelines. Our next post in the series ‘Mind your Manners on Social Media’ covers some best practices to follow when you’re using the Mothership of social media, Facebook. These concise etiquette tips will show you just how to keep those 'likes' coming:

Populate your profile
Having a complete profile is the #1 etiquette rule for any social media platform. When creating any social media account, you should always set up your profile to include an appropriate profile picture and cover photo images, a brief description of your company and any other necessary contact information or links. Make sure your visitors get complete information about your company when they visit your Facebook page. If they don't know who you are or what you do, they won't stick around for long.

Engage with your fans
If a fan leaves a comment or question on your timeline, be sure to respond in a timely manner. Whether you leave a comment or click the 'like' button, you are acknowledging their post and showing your appreciation for their brand loyalty. Nothing's worse than visiting a brand’s Facebook page and seeing questions or comments going unanswered. Who wants to buy from a brand that doesn't respond to their customers?

Don't flood your wall with several posts a day
Facebook fans can quickly lose interest unless you keep them engaged. But, that doesn't mean you should be posting 3-5 times a day. Posting content (ie: blog posts, pictures, videos status updates) two times a day is more than enough to be seen by your followers. Post too often and it will annoy, rather than intrigue, your fans.

Today, everyone from grandmothers to the four-legged-furry members of the family are on Facebook. With so many demographics online, it doesn't take very long for people to get annoyed by your interactions if you post too frequently or aggressively.

Above all, when creating content for your timeline, make sure you remain authentic and true to your brand when addressing your fans.

Moms are Mobile Shopping Mavens

Gillian Shimizu — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 18:00:00 GMT

Remember when the Internet first came into existence and a company website was on everyone’s list of ‘nice-to-have’s rather than their ‘must-have’s? This is no longer the case. Today, if a customer searches for your company and no relevant results appear, they automatically think the worst - that is, you must not be a legitimate business or you have something to hide. In the past five years this same assumption has been made about companies who aren’t actively participating in social media. And, it seems, that soon this will be the case for mobile marketing. What is your brand doing to prepare for the growth in mobile use by consumers?

Shoppers are becoming more and more comfortable using their smartphones to search for deals and discounts. Marketers who don’t plan on developing mobile apps for their products will soon find themselves at a disadvantage when it comes to reaching influential consumers groups, like Moms.

According to a 2012 survey conducted by, Alt12, a women’s mobile network, 60% of moms use retailer apps to help make purchasing decisions. Other types of apps that mothers use are listed below:

Marketers have a great opportunity to reach moms via their mobile devices – whether it’s through mobile friendly emails, apps or simple text messages. According to eMarketer, “there will be 83.1 million m-commerce shoppers on tablets in the US by the end of 2013 and 100 million on smartphones. Moms will account for a substantial percentage of these mobile users, and their behaviors will lead trends among other demographics.”

Starbucks is a prime example of a brand that has created an app that provides convenient mobile services and valuable information that customers are thrilled to have at their fingertips. Starbucks’ app allows you to find locations nearest you, browse through their drink and food menu, accessing calorie counts, nutritional info and even information about when certain food items are available throughout the year, check your card balance and even pay with the app! This convenient, all-in-one app has received rave customer reviews and has given Starbucks’ guests yet another reason to show some serious brand love and loyalty towards their favourite premium coffee house chain.

What other brands do you think have done a brilliant job when it comes to mobile marketing to women? Have any favourite female-friendly apps that you think deserve a shout-out?

Social Media Etiquette: The Do's and Don'ts of Twitter

Sarah Skelly — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 18:00:00 GMT

Digital and social media marketers need to stay on their toes because things are constantly changing. A strategy that worked for you today, may not work as well tomorrow. But one thing that always remains the same is that people like to be treated with respect. While many platforms generally don't have written rules of social media etiquette, the social standards for online interaction are pretty similar to the way you'd engage with people in any kind of personal interaction.

Like any social network, the Twitter community has its own set of unwritten guidelines or etiquette also known as Twittequette.

Here are some of the Twittequette guidelines you should follow:

1. Don't be an egg head
When you meet someone in person or answer a phone call, it's considered polite to greet the person by introducing yourself. The same etiquette is expected when you engage with users on Twitter. When you sign up for Twitter, your first action should be to get rid of the infamous twitter egg avatar. People like to interact with someone who looks and sounds human, rather than a faceless icon.

2. Add some personal flair
After you've gotten rid of the egg avatar and replaced it with a much more flattering profile picture, make sure to update your description and twitter background. Personalizing your profile will certainly make you and your page more appealing and engaging for others.

3. Use hashtags appropriately
Hashtags are a powerful, but often misused tool to categorize messages on Twitter. They help keep your tweet focused but, if used excessively, are annoying and can appear 'spammy'. Try to use less than 3 hashtags per tweet.

4. Don't make it all about you
What is the point of having a Twitter account if you're just talking about yourself? Twitter is not a place for you to boast solely about the number of followers you have or all of your personal achievements. It's a social network (the operative word being 'social') where you can interact and engage with people who have similar interests. Who knows, you may even learn something new from them!

5. Respond in a timely manner
If you get a voicemail from someone, the first thing you're apt to do is return the call. How you respond on Twitter should be no different. If someone starts a conversation with you on Twitter, don't wait a week to respond. Ignoring someone is certainly no way to win friends and influence people.

6. Don't write a novel
Just because Twitter's character limit is 140 characters doesn't mean you should make every tweet 139 characters long. Try using 100-120 characters instead so you leave room for replies or retweets from others.

To sum it up, when interacting on Twitter, always keep (this slightly modified version of) the Golden Rule in mind: Treat people as you would like to be treated. Karma's only a bitch, if you are.

Do you use Twitter? If so, follow us at @LetsBounceIdeas! We love to tweet photos from the office and articles about some of our favourite topics - inbound marketing and marketing to women.

How Social Media is Changing the Travel Industry

Gillian Shimizu — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 21:02:00 GMT

When was the last time you booked a trip through a travel agent? With ubiquitous travel sites like Expedia, Kayak and TripAdvisor so easily accessible, visiting a travel agent to book the trip of your dreams is now a thing of the past. Whether travellers are using hotel review sites, discussion forums or booking sites, their interactions with travel brands has changed dramatically.

With the rise of social media and mobile use, travel brands need to learn how to respond quickly to their online followers because the timeliness of their responses can end up making or breaking their customer relationships.

Imagine a customer checks into your hotel and is unimpressed with your service. In today's digital world, the disgruntled guest then quickly takes to TripAdvisor, Foursquare or Twitter to publicly vent his frustrations. At this point, your marketing team (who, we assume are monitoring these online conversations) should respond to the guest's complaint and quickly resolve the issue. Without a swift and positive resolution, this single negative review (big or small) may become the reason a discerning traveller choses to book with a competing hotel instead of yours. If you don’t think this is a common scenario, you might be surprised. Today, 46% of travelers post hotel reviews online.

But, it looks like the Hyatt is one travel brand that does ‘get it’ – both from a social media standpoint, and in their approach to marketing to women, who, incidentally make 82% of all travel decisions. I recently read about Hyatt's new Listening Loop campaign in AdWeek's article, Women Give Hyatt an Earful Via ‘Listening Loop’ and was impressed by the premium hotel chain's social media initiative. By taking to social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and the up-and-coming conversation site, Branch, the Hyatt brand asked their female followers how they could improve their guests' experience.

They asked women about their travel needs and whether they were being met. Not surprisingly, the women didn't hold back in their responses, pointing out various shortcomings like robes and slippers being too big, poor quality shampoos, hair dryers shutting off prematurely, and unhealthy food choices in hotel restaurants. The women who responded also suggested access to yoga mats and electronic chargers. As the Hyatt global head of marketing and brand strategy, John Wallis pointed out in the AdWeek article, "Hotels have been created by men for men. But women deserve a completely different customer experience than men".

We were also impressed by the level of customer engagement the Hyatt Listening Loop generated, as it not only helped the brand improve the overall customer experience, but it also increased their brand awareness, especially among women. Overall, the Listening Loop social initiative was so successful, Hyatt has plans to restart the process this fall targeting a different customer segment.

Here are some fun facts on how social media is affecting the travel industry:

85% of leisure travelers use their smartphone while abroad
70% of global consumers say online consumer reviews are the second most trusted form of advertising (the first being recommendations from friends and family at 92%).
52% of Facebook users said their friends’ photos inspired their holiday choice and travel plans

To get more information on how social media has transformed the travel industry, take a look at this great infographic put together by the Four Pillars Hotel.

Are your travel purchase decisions influenced by feedback on social media, review sites or discussion forums like TripAdvisor?

Women are Social Media Mavens

Gillian Shimizu — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 20:19:00 GMT

We love it when we find new statistics about marketing to women and inbound marketing! Earlier this year, Weber Shandwick and KRC Research partnered up to conduct Digital Women Influencers, an online survey of 2,000 North American women. The overall results were no surprise - women are the social media mavens when it comes to online usage. But what this research and infographic touches upon digs even deeper.

So what does this mean for marketers?

It gives you the opportunity to create more effective plans and strategies to help you better engagement with your fans and followers. This study identifies segments of influential women in social media. Find out how you can target these individuals and build your brands online awareness.

International Women's Day: Organizations that are Making a Difference

Gillian Shimizu — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 18:27:00 GMT

This week, in honour of International Women's Day, we've dedicated several blog posts to our favourite F word - Females. We've highlighted our favourite F-earless, F-eisty and F-unny females who have achieved economic, political and social success in today's society. But since the 'big day' has finally arrived, we not only want to celebrate women, but the organizations who work tirelessly to better the lives of women around the world.

The theme for this year's International Women's Day is The Gender Agenda: Gaining Momentum. As we applaud the people and the organizations who have accomplished the unimaginable for equality and women's rights, we must not forget that there is always more to be done. Gender equality can't be achieved until women all over the world have experienced it.

Here are a few of the Canadian initiatives and organizations that are paving the way to ensure that the future for females is bright, equal, safe and rewarding.

Because I am a Girl
As an initiative founded by Plan International, the Because I am a Girl campaign aims to end gender inequality, promotes girls' rights and lift them out of poverty. They offer a wide range of programs worldwide to provide girls with equal access to health care, education, protection, independence, and an opportunity to participate in society.

To find out how you can get involved with Because I am a Girl, visit their website

White Ribbon Campaign

The White Ribbon Campaign, co-founded by Jack Layton and Michael Kaufman, is the world's largest movement of men and boys working to end violence against women and girls. Today, the WRC has spread to over 60 countries around the world.

The White Ribbon Campaign is a unique organization and it's an organization that we actively support here at Bounce Ideas. For the past three years, Keith Jasper, our Director of Inspiration has been participating in the WRC's Walk a Mile in Her Shoes event to help raise awareness for this great cause.

To learn more about the White Ribbon Campaign or the Walk A Mile in Her Shoes event please visit www.whiteribbon.ca.

Canadian Women's Foundation

The Canadian Women's Foundation is a national organization that's dedicated to providing women and girls with a chance for a better life. Their mission is to 'end violence against women, moving low-income women out of poverty and building strong, resilient girls.'

Some of their more recent events include: Hosting for Hope, Moving for Hope, the Calgary Annual Brakfast and the Toronto Annual Breakfast.

To learn more about the Canadian Women's Foundation and how you can play a part in providing more opportunities for women and girls, please visit www.canadianwomen.org

At Bounce Ideas, we believe that businesses who invest in marketing to women, will feel the benefits at their bottom line. But we also firmly believe that, as a society, its in everyone's best interest to invest in the health, social and economic opportunities for women. The World Bank calls investing in women 'smart economics' because research shows that economic growth for women has an important multiplier effect as women are more likely to share their economic gains with their families and communities at large. To quote Half the Sky authors Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn: "Women aren't the problem. They're the solution."

What are you doing today to celebrate International Women's Day?

If you missed our other International Women's Day F-Word posts, you can read them here:
International Women's Day: A List of our Favourite F-earless Females
International Women's Day: A List of our Favourite F-eisty Females
International Women's Day: A List of our Favourite F-unny Females

International Women's Day: Celebrating our Favourite F-unny F-emales

Gillian Shimizu — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 20:30:00 GMT

Laughter is the best medicine. Having a good laugh boosts your immune system, relieves stress and helps keep you young. So, in today's post - the day before International Women's Day - I would like to acknowledge some of the F-unniest F-emales in Hollywood who always make me laugh out loud.

Kristen Wiig
Kristen Wigg is an actress and comedian who made her debut on Saturday Night Live (SNL) in 2005. She was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her work on SNL in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012.

Along with providing her audience with non-stop laughs, Kristen is an avid promoter of animal rights. Named 'PETA’s Sexiest Vegetarian' in 2011, Kristen has publicly stated that she will never wear fur. Along with her love for animals, she also participated in the Clinton Foundation Celebrity Division's Funny or Die video to help raise awareness about global warming.

Kristen is best known for her roles in: SNL, Bridesmaids, Whip It, Adventureland and Paul

Melissa McCarthy
When you watch Melissa McCarthy on TV or in a movie, you can't help but crack a smile. Whether she's playing the role of Sookie St. James, the lovable control freak on Gilmore Girls or Megan, the boisterous and raunchy sister-in-law in Bridesmaids, Melissa can bring life to any script.

Melissa is best known for her roles in: Gilmore Girls, Mike & Molly, Bridesmaids and Identity Thief

Emma Stone
Starting off in television, Emma Stone made her film debut in Superbad (2007) and has been lighting up the screen ever since.

On top of Emma's adorable on-screen moments, she also finds creative ways to bring attention to her favourite charitable organizations. In 2012, Emma and her Amazing Spider-Man co-star, Andrew Garfield held up signs in front of paparazzi to use their exposure for a greater cause. Their signs read: "We just found out there are paparazzi outside the restaurant we were eating in. So why not take this opportunity to bring attention to organizations that need and deserve it. www.wwo.org www.gildaclubnyc.org Have a nice day!"

Emma is best known for her roles in: Easy A, The Help, Superbad, Zombieland, and The Amazing Spider-Man

Jane Lynch
Jane Lynch can sing, act and make people laugh. What can't this superstar do?! She has received a Primetime Emmy Award, Golden Globe Award, Screen Actors Guild Award, and People's Choice Award for her portrayal of Sue Sylveter in the hit musical comedy series Glee.

The unfiltered, straight-shooting personalities Jane plays on screen has won a special place in the hearts of viewers.

Jane is best known for her roles in: The L-Word, Best in Show, Two and a Half Men and Glee

Amy Poehler
As an actress, comedian, writer and producer, Amy Poehler has been charming audiences for over a decade. As a Saturday Night Live (SNL) veteran, Amy recently took the stage (with Tina Fey) to host the 70th Golden Globe Awards and proved to audiences that she is the queen of comedy.

She has received a Critics' Choice Television Award, The Comedy Award and Gracie Award for her performance as Leslie Knope in the comedy TV show, Parks and Recreation.

Amy is best known for her roles in: Saturday Night Live, Parks and Recreation, Arrested Development and Baby Mama

What other F-unny F-emales tickle your funnybone?

International Women's Day: Celebrating our Favourite F-eisty F-emales

Gillian Shimizu — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 18:20:00 GMT

Since today is Wednesday, aka hump day, I thought it fitting to pay tribute to some sassy and vibrant women who have added a little spice into our lives. In the 2nd part of this week's 'Celebration of the F-Word' series, we want to acknowledge our favourite F-eisty F-emales - women that have been trail-blazers in their own right and have shown us what it means to live life boldly and authentically.

Betty White

Our first Feisty Female nominee, is a woman who has 'aged with the ages', in the sense that, throughout her 70-year career she has remained relevant. In our eyes, Betty White epitomizes the 'fabulously, feisty female'.

Ms White, and so many of her iconic TV characters, embody vibrant, spunky and high-spirited women. Whether she was playing Sue Ann Nivens, the 'first cougar on TV' or the sassy and sprightly senior, Elka on Hot in Cleveland, she showed generations of viewers, feisty female characters that were relatable and real.

Among her many accomplishments, she earned 7 Emmy Awards, 3 American Comedy Awards and an induction into the Television Hall of Fame.

In a society that reveres youth, Betty serves as a reminder to all women that beauty, wit and charm knows no age limit.

Nancy Upton

Nancy Upton was the winner of American Apparel's infamous "Next Big Thing" Contest back in 2011. Through public voting online, her photos of her bathing seductively in ranch dressing or drizzling chocolate sauce over her almost bare body went viral. Even though she won the contest by a landslide, American Apparel later sent her a letter denouncing her as the contest winner.

She originally entered the contest merely to mock the clothing manufacturer's condescending campaign for a plus-size spokeswoman and their thinly veiled attempt to appeal to women with different body shapes. Nancy stated, 'I don’t believe that beauty should be qualified BECAUSE of someone’s size or IN SPITE of someone’s size. Beauty is beauty, it’s fluid, it’s objective and it doesn’t need to be justified to or by anyone.'

Sue Johanson

Sue Johanson is a Canadian media personality and registered nurse but she is best known for her role on the Sunday Night Sex Show, as a sex educator and therapist. During a time when talking about sex was considered taboo (especially for women), Sue rose above gender stereotypes to provide her listeners with honest sexual education lessons. Her radio program, turned TV talk show, became a national hit on the Women's Television Network in 1996.

Over the past two decades Sue has provided a safe place for people to discuss their physical and emotional sex-related problems in an open and unbiased environment.

E. L. James

E.L. James (Erika Leonard James) is the author of the bestselling erotic romance trilogy, "Fifty Shades of Grey". In 2012, James was named one of "The World's 100 Most Influencial People" by Time magazine. Her books also sold over 65 million copies worldwide.

James' steamy trilogy has captivated audiences around the world and has helped break the sexual stereotype that so many women feel they should conform to.

Who would be on your list of your favourite Feisty Females, and what makes them feisty in your eyes.

If you missed our other International Women's Day F-Word posts, you can read them here:
International Women's Day: A List of our Favourite F-earless F-emales

Bounce Ideas Celebrates the F-Word for International Women's Day

Gillian Shimizu — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 21:24:00 GMT

This week, here at Bounce Ideas, we're celebrating the F-word. No, not that F-word. I'm talking about Females. This Friday, March 8th is International Women's Day. It's a day of celebration. A day to celebrate the economic, political and social achievements of women around the world.

As a company that encourages businesses and brands to focus their efforts on marketing to women, and as a company that believes in the economic and social benefits of supporting women, we hope you'll join us in shouting out the F-Word and cheering on all that is phenomenally Female.

In today's post, we want to pay tribute to F-emales who have shown the world just how F-earless women can be in the face of struggle and adversity.

Jan Wong

After publishing an article about the Dawson College shooting in the Globe & Mail and claiming a link between violence and racial intolerance in Quebec, readers, media and politicians alike were incensed by the stance taken by the renowned journalist, Jan Wong.

Ms Wong received hate mail, death threats and a public dressing-down from her employer, The Globe. Following this storm of controversy, the acclaimed journalist fell into a debilitating depression which left her unable to write. The newspaper refused to acknowledge her condition, hurled accusations that she was feigning her illness and then ultimately fired her.

She fought a very public legal battle with the media giant, and then she courageously went on to pen her struggle about the flagrant workplace discrimination she suffered and her heart-wrenching battle with depression in a critically acclaimed memoir, Out Of The Blue: A Memoir of Workplace Depression, Recovery, Redemption and, Yes, Happiness".

Hélène Campbell

In October 2011, Hélène, 14, was diagnosed with advanced idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (a disease in which tissue deep in your lungs becomes thick and stiff, or scarred, over time) and was told she needed a double lung transplant.

Unable to keep up with her friends, Hélène remained positive and optimistic during the following months. In January 2012, she took to twitter to help raise awareness of the importance of organ donation. Her online #BeAnOrganDonor campaign on Twitter gained the attention of pop star Justin Bieber and after his #BeAnOrganDonor retweet, over 2,000 people in Ontario alone registered to be organ donors. Though her condition was becoming more severe, with her lung function at only 20%, she continued her online campaign and appeared several times on The Ellen DeGeneres show (via Skype) to raise awareness for her campaign.

Hélène underwent a successful double lung transplant in April and continues to promote her campaign to help raise awareness of the importance of organ donation. She received a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, awarded by Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper in May 2012 in recognition of her initiative and efforts.

Phan Thi Kim Phuc

Phan Thi Kim Phuc is a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, and best known as the child depicted in the Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph taken during the Vietnam War.

While living in Vietnam, Kim was constantly used as a propaganda symbol by the communist government. After seeking asylum in Canada in 1997, Kim dedicated her life to promoting peace. She established the Kim Phuc Foundation International in 1997 to help children who are victims of war by providing medical and psychological assistance.

Kim's suffering and courageous recovery is a story that inspires us.

SlutWalk Toronto

In 2011, a representative of the Toronto Police gave shocking insight into the force’s view of sexual assault by stating, “women should avoid dressing like sluts in order not to be victimized”. This statment caused an uproar among Torontonians.

To raise awareness for women and their right to feel safe - no matter how a woman dresses or acts - Heather Jarvis and Sonya Barnett founded the SlutWalk Toronto in 2011.

According to the website, "It began because a few people had had ENOUGH of victim-blaming, of slut-shaming and sexual profiling and policing. We had enough of being angry, of facing violence and harassment, of wanting better education, awareness and treatment and not seeing more about it."

We would like to acknowledge the Slut Walk founders and their team, as well as all event participants for standing up for every woman's right to feel safe.

On our first F-Word post leading up to International Women's Day on Friday, we want to celebrate the triumphant journey of these women and acknowledge their Fearlessness in the face of personal, political and social adversity.

Marketing to Women: Why We Love Target's Everyday Collection Campaign

Gillian Shimizu — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 22:13:00 GMT

"Part of where they (marketers) are missing the boat is, they’re painting all customers with the same broad brushstrokes. All moms aren’t quite the same. All women aren’t the same. Companies haven’t figured out how to customize their message in a way that’s meaningful. I think they leave a little bit of opportunity on the table because they’re looking at just one aspect of who you are."
- Tinesha Craig, division director of i-on-Women

Tinesha’s quote in Adweek’s “The Courage to Advertise Without Female Stereotypes” article couldn’t ring more true when it comes to marketing to women. More often than not, marketers stereotype women as high-end runway models or stay-at-home-moms in ads and commercials. And I just have to wonder, how often consumers can relate to these women.

Target is one of the few brands that has worked hard at customizing their message to women and their efforts are paying off. Their recent “Everyday Collection” campaign, that spoofs high-fashion ads by showing models interacting with a variety of everyday products in unexpected ways, has gained a lot of positive attention with consumers.

What makes this campaign so incredible, is its strong social media ties. By using the hashtag #EverydayShow, Target has allowed Twitter users to submit their own witty one-liners for a chance to have them included in their campaign. Target’s Twitter-inspired commercials were a brilliant parodying of female stereotypes done in a humourous and non-condescending way.

What other brands do you think do a good job at marketing to women through video campaigns?

Wanted to share a couple of my Target Everyday Collection favourites, and publicly declare my unbridled brand love for Target - who will be opening its doors to Canadian shoppers in just a few short weeks. 'Can't Wait to Meet You' Target!

Article Review: Marketing to Women Brand Messages Stuck In the Past?

Gillian Shimizu — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 17:34:00 GMT

Last week, I came across Michelle Fenstermaker’s article, “Brand Messaging Focused Only on Women Is Stuck in the Past”. While we, at Bounce Ideas, are resolute in our belief that marketers are losing out on a huge economic opportunity by not developing marketing that resonates with women, we realize that not every business professional, including Ms Fentermaker's, shares this opinion. Though I disagree with several points in the article, I'd thought I'd take this chance to address two of her keypoints:

"The notion that women drive the majority of consumer purchases just doesn't hold up anymore."
I beg to differ with Ms Fenstermaker on this one. Admittedly, gender income disparity is still an economic reality facing women today. However, the wage gap is gradually dwindling and is largely related to motherhood and not a woman's income potential, education or skills. A TD-Bank study indicates that labour force intermittency [exiting and re-entering the workforce in order to care for children] is the primary reason for the wage gap. But, despite the gender-income disparity, we argue that women are still making the large majority of purchasing decisions within their households and wield great economic power and influence in a cross-section of product categories. See some of the supporting data on our Marketing to Women stats page.

Women also represent considerable growth markets for many consumer segments. One just has to take a look at some of the large-scale female-driven marketing initiatives by marketers like Home Depot, Home Hardware , Lowes, Best Buy and Harley-Davidson [operating in previously male-dominated segments like home improvements, electronics and automotive] as proof that these market-leaders believe that the economic power is now, more than ever, in the hands of women.

"The archetype of women as stay-at-home, subordinate housewives that buy every piece of clothing their husband owns and every product in the fridge isn't going to actually build your brand.....The outright and persistent neglect of the male demographic - especially millennial males and the fast-growing Hispanic target market- is bad marketing strategy."

I agree wholeheartedly with Fenstermaker's lead-in argument that brands who embrace the housewife archetype in their marketing are doomed to failure. We no longer "live in the 50's" so it stands to reason that women shouldn't be stereotyped as domestic goddesses in a role subordinate to their husbands.

As I continued reading the article, however, I was confused by the author's subsequent argument. While she acknowledged that women are being stereotyped as subordinate housewives and brands need to 'get with the times' and reflect societal changes, why then does she arbitrarily state that marketers efforts should be keenly focussed on millennial males and the Hispanic market? Why not focus on breaking the housewife stereotype to accurately reflect the modern woman and leverage the influence of the female demographic, who (we argue) are The Real Spender-Gender.

While the appeal of the millenial male as the marketer's 'sweet-spot' may hinge on his discretionary income, I think the allure of this demographic stops there. He doesn't display the same fierce brand loyalty that women do. As a young adult, with his eye on the 'next new product/trend' that comes along, he is much more fickle in his ways, and more likely to abandon one brand in favour of an up-an-coming brand. She [the female consumer] has a much lengthier and more considered approach to her purchase decisions, and with so much time invested in her purchase decisions, tends to exhibit considerably deeper brand loyalty.

Does this pro-millenial-male columnist also consider that while women are - in the majority of double income families - managing the household finances and spending their combined household incomes, the millenial male, who is likely marrying later in life - if at all - only wields the economic influence afforded by his individual personal income?

The statistics also indicate that millenial women are becoming more educated than their male counterparts, in both the US and Canada, as women hold the majority of bachelor degrees and post-graduate degrees. This higher level of academic achievement ultimately translates into professional and higher income careers and results in greater economic influence and csonsumer spending power.

At Bounce Ideas, our aim is not to denounce the value of the male consumer, but rather to point out that because of a woman's spending power, her loyalty, her social influence and inclination to spread the word about her brand experiences, SHE is a highly profitable target for marketers to consider.

We also believe that today's consumers, be they male or female, are simply asking marketers to do a better job in their communication of their marketing messages. And, that marketers take the time to inform, engage and even entertain consumers with messages that are relevant and useful in their lives vs messages that are annoying, disruptive, self-serving or condescending to either gender.

We believe that creating marketing that women will love doesn't have to alienate the male consumer. And, we are certainly not suggesting feminizing brands or brand messages to the point that marketing is not inclusive of the male gender. But rather that when marketers develop their marketing strategies and their messages, that they consider the needs of and the communication styles of both genders equally.

We want to thank Ms Fenstermaker for sharing her opinon on this subject, and we appreciate the opportunity to debate the merits of these two contrasting consumer groups. What are your thoughts on Fenstermaker's article? Do you agree or disagree?

Brand Love: The Way to a Woman's Heart

Gillian Shimizu — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 19:47:00 GMT

Valentine’s Day is all about celebrating love, affection and friendship. Whether we're talking true love or brand love, there are striking similarities in the ways to win a woman over. To celebrate this special day, we’d like to share some marketing tips that will help you make a better [brand]-love-connection with women.

Don’t make it all about 'You'
I'm sure one or two of us has a Valentine's-Fiasco-Story to share. A 'friend of mine' [wink] told me about a guy who gave his girlfriend red roses on Valentine’s Day. And why, you ask, did he choose red roses? Because they were his MOTHER'S favourite flower. His girlfriend's?....not so much. While this sorry suitor got a few meagre brownie points tossed his way for at least remembering the occasion, his girlfriend wasn't exactly 'feeling the love' knowing that the thought behind the gift had more to do with his Mommy than with her. Ouch!!

When marketing to women, don’t create an experience with your brand based on what you THINK she'd like, or what is just logistically simple for your company to execute. Surprise and delight her with an offering that will make her heart skip a beat. A woman appreciates it when you take the time to understand what she's searching for in a brand. And she's tickled pink if you take the time to create a brand experience that's designed specifically for her.

Speak from the heart and be authentic
Valentine’s Day is an occasion to tell 'your love' how you genuinely feel about them and how much they mean to you. Everyone shares the need to feel special, wanted and appreciated. The same applies to women consumers and the brands they buy. Women have an astounding ability to tell when brands or sales associates are embellishing the truth, disingenuously fawning over them, or just simply trying to peddle product. Though they might not make a big deal about it at the time, they will be sure to let everyone in their circle know about your smarmy ways. Be candid and relatable in your messaging and in your sales approach, and women will happily give their business, loyalty and referrals to a brand that is authentic and appreciative.

Make her an offer she can't refuse
Gifts are a symbol of your regard for someone. A woman needs to know that your gift reflects your feelings for her. When marketing to women, take the time and effort to create a well-thought out and meaningful message or offer that speaks to her. If you want to see what NOT to do when gift-giving to a woman, check out this hilarious viral video, called Beware of the Doghouse created for the jewellery department of JC Penney.

Appeal to her fun & flirty side

A woman can be many things: a responsible mother, a dedicated daughter, a smart businesswoman. But, first and foremost, she’s a woman. Though she is busy with her daily responsibilities, she still enjoys a little fun in her life. When trying to appeal to her fun and flirty side, remember that male and female humour are very different. So, be careful...if poorly orchestrated, 'fun and flirty' could quickly become 'down and dirty'. Keep in mind your aim is to amuse, not offend.

What are you doing to woo your customers this Valentine’s Day?

10 Rules for Effective Social Media Marketing Strategies

Gillian Shimizu — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 20:45:00 GMT

When we talk about social media marketing, we often stress the importance of building brand awareness. But implementing social media can also lead to great sales success. Your social media fans and followers are all potential leads. If executed correctly, you can turn these leads into happy, returning customers. To make sure you're successfully attracting new followers and engaging your current followers, follow these 10 unwritten social media marketing rules.

Make a commitment. There are no shortcuts when it comes to social media marketing. You should invest your time, energy and creativity into your development and execution to ensure everything is done correctly.
Quality > Quantity. There is no written rule saying how frequently you should be posting on social media. I have seen some brands post 2-3 times a day on Twitter and some brands post 10-15 times a day. Pick a strategy that works best for your brand. Don't feel obligated to post every hour on the hour if you don't have valuable content. Be productive, not noisy.
Become an expert in your industry. This point goes hand-in-hand with point #2. Don’t post for the sake of posting. Make sure the content you are publishing is of value to your fans and followers. If your social media account doesn't add value to their lives, they won’t see the value in following you.
Create two-way communication – No one likes to listen to people talk incessantly about themselves, and the same goes for your brand. Social media platforms are about promoting conversations, not providing lectures. Give fans and followers an opportunity to talk to you. If you aren’t getting a lot of engagement from followers, try to reach out and start a conversation with them.
Adapt accordingly. Keep up with hot topics or events and try to work them into your social media marketing campaigns.
Add some visuals. A picture is worth a thousand words, but a video is probably worth much more. Use images or multimedia to add some visual appeal to your accounts.
Don’t ignore your followers. When a follower makes a direct comment to a brand, marketers are usually very good at responding in a timely manner. Apart from responding to direct messages, make sure to follow up with new connections as well. If someone takes the time to follow you, make sure to follow them back.
Track your accomplishments. Like all marketing plans, you need to have goals in place when creating a social media marketing campaign. Set goals, measure your efforts and make sure to adjust your strategies to increase your productivity.
Patience is a virtue. When you set up a campaign, don’t expect to see spectacular results the very next day. Like all marketing strategies, creating results in social media also takes time.
Have fun! If you’re not enjoying yourself, your fans and followers probably feel the same way. Add a little excitement to your social media content. Social interactions can be fun and professional at the same time.

What other rules do you follow in your social media marketing campaigns?

Showrooming: The Battle of Bricks vs Clicks

Gillian Shimizu — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 21:30:00 GMT

With the rise of smartphones and high-speed wireless, consumers have endless opportunities to read reviews, recommendations and compare competitive prices before making a purchase. Just last week, I was shopping in-store for some cosmetics. With the product in one hand and my phone in the other, I instinctively did a quick search to read some product reviews and compare prices. Little did I know at the time that my initial actions were something retailers call "showrooming".

What is showrooming?

Showrooming is when consumers visit in-store locations (brick and mortar stores) to check out a product but then leave and purchase the product online from home - often for a cheaper price. So essentially, stores become 'showrooms' for online shoppers who are interested in testing out the product first hand before buying it online.

In the end, I bought my cosmetics in-store rather than online for these reasons:

A helpful, personal touch wins me over
Within 15 seconds of entering the store, a sales associate greeted me. When I told her what I was looking for, she took the time to: tell me what aisle the product was in, walked with me down the aisle and handed me the product. She then proceeded to give me a couple of different options that she thought would be helpful since I was unsure about the one I was originally looking at.

If you want to 'wow' your potential customers and win their sales, having friendly, knowledgeable sales associates makes the in-store experience entirely more appealling than the solo, unassisted online 'transaction'. If your employees know your products inside and out, your customers will have no need to go searching online for additional information or for competitor information.

The depth of information on your site helps me decide.
Still unsure about which product to purchase, I went to my phone to find more answers. But as I was scrolling across competitors' sites, I noticed that the majority of them didn't have the product or prices listed on their site, even though I knew they carried it in store.

According to a survey done by JiWire, 85% of mobile consumers use their phone while shopping in-store. If you want to keep your current customers or attract potential customers, make sure your website is up-to-date with your products, prices and services. If you don't have your products listed on your site, customers may assume you don't carry that brand/product and therefore won't go back to your website or visit in-store.

Reward my loyalty and you'll reap the rewards in sales.
Last week in our "Marketing to the Fashionable Frugalista" blog post we mentioned that loyalty programs are a Canadian obsession and I certainly fit this category. I specifically went to Shopper's Drug Mart to look for my cosmetics last week because they were having one of their famous "20 times the points" Optimum events. I wouldn't have earned those valuable points towards a future free purchase had I headed home to purchase from a competitive cosmetic site online.

Implementing loyalty or rewards programs are an effective way for brick and mortar stores to attract in-store shoppers and prevent them from 'defecting' to your online competitors. These programs will offer your customers incentives or supplemental savings that they simply can't refuse.

Here are a few additional showrooming statistics:

Consumer electronics are the most popular items price-checked in store (39%), followed by groceries (37%) and then apparel/footwear (33%) came in third (Aprimo, Forrester Research)
Of the shoppers that showroom, 25% leave the store and make a purchase from a competitor - representing 6% of all shoppers (Vibes)
29% of shoppers that used a retail store as a showroom ended up buying from the retailer's own website (Vibes)