Marketing to Women Online

Super Bowl Ads Target Hot New Consumer Group - Beavers

Holly Buchanan — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 23:15:14 -0500

Well....I wanted to write about how well the Super Bowl ads did in connecting with women consumers. Unfortunately, I didn't see any ads that were targeting women. Really. Even Dove was promoting skin care products to men. Ok, there was one commercial for a chick flick called The Back-up Plan, but it was so horrible I have erased it from my memory.

I thought it was a little odd that the advertisers completely ignored half the audience.

Yes, women influence 80% of all spending, control 51 percent of the wealth in this country, and one in four women out earns her husband. But, for whatever reason, advertisers and their agencies seemed to feel this wasn't an audience they wanted to reach out to.

Um....Ok.

They DID, however, reach out to another consumer group - Beavers. Ok, they're really a rodent group, not a consumer group, but still. Several of the ads featured beavers - beavers looking for jobs, beavers buying cars, beavers using technology products.

Perhaps there's some research out there I missed. Here I've been focusing all my efforts on women. Maybe advertisers know something I don't know.

I'm not aware of the average household income of beavers or their consumer buying habits. Perhaps with the focus on building things like dams, they are the recipient of stimulus money. Perhaps, seeing themselves in more ads, they are becoming more aspirational consumers. I bet the housing downturn hasn't hit them as hard, enterprising little builders that they are they probably didn't overspend on those granite counter tops and 6 bedroom homes.

And they are awfully industrious:

"Beavers are the world's largest rodents. They are famously busy, and they turn their talents to reengineering the landscape as few other animals can."

Here are a few things I've learned about beavers:

Beavers have transparent eye lids that protect their eyes while allowing them to see under water. I'm seeing some great underwater advertising possibilities.
Beavers have an acute sense of smell that compensates for their weak vision and hearing. Be sure to use large font in your ads.
A beaver chooses a mate for life. Only if a beaver’s mate dies, will a beaver search for a new mate. Bad news for the online dating sites.

I think there's a trend here. I even noticed squirrels getting in on the act.

Take it from companies and agencies advertising on the Super Bowl. Forget the spending power of women. Beavers, squirrels and other large rodents are the new sought-after demographic.

Who knew?

Blissdom '10 - What I Learned About Women

Holly Buchanan — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 12:21:04 -0500

At this year's Blissdom 10 women blog conference, I think Isabel Kallman summed it up best - "It's not just about sharing information, it's about sharing understanding."

That's what women bloggers do - they don't just share information about their lives, the products they use, their dreams and disappointments.....they share understanding of all of these things. Bloggers give a voice to women's unique experiences in this world. I believe women are flocking to the blogosphere because it is one of the only places their true authentic voices can be heard, unfiltered.

One of my all-time favorite quotes came from a woman who said, "The Internet has given women a voice, and they're screaming their heads off."

Blissdom'10 - top insights

Great presentations, stories and conferences are judged by their beginning and end. Blissdom got it just right. The opening keynote was by Kevin Carroll - author of Rules of the Red Rubber Ball.

Insights from Kevin Carroll

Two of Kevin's quotes really resonated with me:

"You must take your chance"

"For those important moments in life, we need to take time, show up, pay attention, be present."

Blogging forces us to be present for those important moments in our lives, to record them, to bring our unique perspective to them. Those most important moments are often the smallest and the simplest things - the joy of an early morning wrestling match with your two year old in your hotel bed, waking up one morning to find your facial hair problem has exploded to the point you feel like you are channeling Burl Ives.

Women really need to listen up when Kevin says, "you must take your chance." He points out "there's another you out there that needs to be encouraged." One of the consistent themes that came out of the conference is that blogging builds and inspires confidence. And, trust me, there is nothing more beautiful than seeing a woman who has found her confidence.

Blogging is an amazing way to discover yourself.

Blog about what interests you. You win readers by daring to be yourself.

One of my favorite quotes from the Blissdome conference was, "Don't ask what the world needs, ask what brings you alive." I hosted the Blogging With the Stars panel, and a consistent theme was that "good content is what interests you."

Don't be cautious. One panelist said, "the sign of a good post is if it makes you nervous to hit "publish." When you're brave enough to truly put yourself out there, that's when true connection happens.

Another favorite quote was "If you don't take up space, no one can find you." Women often feel isolated and invisible in this world. Blogging helps them take up that space.

Which brings me to the closing keynote.

When women come together and share their stories, they change the world

The last speaker was a mother sharing the story of her son, Stellan. He was diagnosed with a serious heart problem while still in the womb. This woman shared her journey with her dying her son. (at least, that's what the doctors told her would happen).

She said, "I just wanted his name to be known."

Well, one blog reader in England sent her a picture of Stellan's name written in the sand.

This one picture turned into pictures from all around the world. Blog readers from every corner sent pictures of Stellan's name written in everything from fruit loops, to human beings posed as letters.

Her readers granted her wish. Her son's name was indeed known to millions of people. And, he is still alive and doing well despite all the odds. Read Stellan's story here.

So - the best way to sum it all up is - When women come together and share their stories, they can indeed change the world.

Major kudos and much love to Blissdom conference organizers Barbara Jones, Allison Worthington and Paula Bruno. I knew these women would put on a kick-ass conference and they totally threw it down.

Watch my video on why women blog.

Why Do Women Blog Video

Holly Buchanan — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 09:14:01 -0500

I have been fascinated by the explosion of blogs written and read by women. It lead to a year's worth of research and many questions.

What's going on here? Why are so many women flocking to the Internet? Are they getting something in blogs they aren't getting elsewhere?

In today's society, where we move around, stay home with our kids, often don't have family nearby - are women feeling isolated?

Is there a void in our media? Is there a lack of women's stories being told unfiltered?

Do women have a unique sense of humor? Let's find out.

Disclaimer: The filming was done at women blogging events and I'm sorry, but ya'll are LOUD. There's some background noise and some poor camera work which are totally the fault of the crappy videographer (which would be me). My super woman editor Jennifer Takaki did an amazing job of assembling and improving the material.

Oh. And there are poop jokes. No video is worth it's weight without a good poop joke.

I'd love to hear from you. What's your answer to, "Why do women blog?"

Be Her People - And His People Too

Holly Buchanan — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 11:28:14 -0500

I recently wrote about a marketing to women approach called - why you need to be her people. It focused on ways companies can be there to support women.

Well guess what. When you provide a great experience for women, you often also provide a great experience for men. FedEx Office is targeting small business owners and does a great job of "being her/his people" in their latest commercial.

Check it out here.

Marketing to Moms on Facebook Report

Holly Buchanan — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 17:44:02 -0500

Seems everyone today wants to advertise to moms. But how do you get the attention of and connect with the most busy people on the planet?

A lot of marketers I've talked with feel the answer may lie in social media, especially Facebook.

Kevin Burke and Lisa Finn at Lucid Marketing did a survey to find out how moms feel about advertisers on Facebook.

The study looked at how moms use Facebook as well as delving into how they feel about various forms of marketing on the site. It also asked for direct feedback on how marketers should connect with them through the site.

Moms are receptive to advertising on Facebook when it follows their rules

Although moms' primary motivation for being on Facebook is social connection, they are receptive to marketing on the site, as long as it's done in a non-intrusive way and offers them real value.

Three-quarters of moms are fans of at least one company on Facebook, and parenting-specific sites are moms' top picks. To win with moms on Facebook, marketers should:

Develop interactive promotions and ask for mom's opinions
Offer coupons, exclusive offers or discounts for fans, and "share with a friend" promotions
Be careful not to bombard moms with updates or ads, or to make unrealistic-sounding offers

Lucid Marketing's Moms on Facebook Survey was conducted online in July 2009. The report includes behavioral and attitudinal data and open-ended feedback on marketing techniques, as well as a marketing playbook for reaching moms on Facebook.

To purchase the full report - $249 USD - go to momreports.com.

Can Men Create and Run Brands Aimed At Women?

Holly Buchanan — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 16:03:26 -0500

I was fortunate enough to have lunch with Tony Fannin of Be Branded fame before the holidays. What fun! We had a fascinating discussion.

Tony asked one question that particularly got my attention:

“Can a company, whose upper management and board is made up of almost all men, really have any real insight on how to market to women? And, is that a defendable position when their customers begin looking at the management and board and not seeing women being properly represented?”

You'll find my answer here - Brands for Women Run By Men.

What She's Not Telling You - Book Review

Holly Buchanan — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 15:31:19 -0500

For anyone who has ever done market research for a new product or campaign that women said they liked, only to have that product or campaign fail miserably - this book is for you.

What She's Not Telling You - Why Women Hide the Whole Truth and What Marketers Can Do About It is the latest book by Mary Lou Quinlan and other top minds at Just Ask a Woman.

What She's Not Telling You takes a brutally honest look at the Half Truths women tell not only to marketers, but to themselves. I found myself nodding my head, "OMG - that is SO true" and laughing out loud.

The book looks at specific things you, as a marketer, can do to make sure you aren't relying on Half Truths which can sabotage your efforts. The secret to success is moving beyond her Half Truths to her Whole Truths.

A Half Truth is something women are willing to admit. A Whole Truth is what women really believe, do, and buy.

Women will save the Whole Truth for those who respect who she is and what her life is about, who ask smarter questions, and who are honestly intent on hearing her answers.

The 5 Half Truths that shortchange your success

Here's an example of a woman's Half Truth - "I want to eat healthy foods." But here's her Whole Truth - "Sometimes the less-bad-for-me version of my favorite foods is good enough."

Another example - Half Truth - "I'd never go back to being 35. I feel so much wiser now." Whole Truth - "Just because I've earned these lines doesn't mean I want to wear them."

Women's relationship-driven natures propel their Half Truth telling whether it's to please, cajole, repel questioners, or protect herself or her family from emotional intruders, like marketers.

There are 5 universal emotional drivers of Half Truths best described by the acronym GAMES:

G = Good Intentions

A = Approval Seeking

M = Martyrdom

E = Ego Protection

S = Secret Keeping

Understanding these emotional drivers can help you look out for them and not be taken in by Half Truths where she says one thing, but does another.

Wal-Mart vs. Target

Get the inside scoop on which brand women say they love, but which brand actually gets their money.

Dove

Take a closer look at this marketing darling and see that sales aren't living up to the hype.

What women say vs. what women do

One of the things I love about online marketing is that you can measure what people actually do, vs. what they say they would do.

In the book, there's a funny example of women who suffered from heartburn and claimed they avoided spicy foods. Yet in the focus group room, when offered a choice between a bland turkey sandwich and lasagna with garlic bread, guess which entree was decimated? LOL!

What she says she'll do, and what she actually does can sometimes be two different things.

Why marketers are part of the problem

The fault does not lie completely with women. Marketers are a part of the problem as well. Take an honest look at the part you're playing and the mistakes you are making. I found this part of the book to be one of the most helpful. If you conduct focus groups, this is a must read. (and you'll also appreciate the peanut M&M jokes).

One of the best marketing to women books this year

This is truly one of the best marketing to women books I've read this year. It's a quick read, it's entertaining, and I guarantee you will walk away with a whole new awareness and understanding of women.

As the book says: "Once you learn to listen differently, you'll begin to hear what she's not telling you."

How Men and Women Communicate

Holly Buchanan — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 12:30:07 -0500

One of my all-time favorite movies is Lars and the Real Girl. There's a magical scene in the movie where Lars and a female co-worker (with whom there's a mutual attraction) have an exchange in the office lunch room.

I'll let you watch the scene, then we'll talk about what we can learn about how men and women communicate.

Women have more connections to the verbal centers of the brain. Women often talk out problems. Men are hard-wired to take action. While he may not be able to express himself verbally, he often finds other ways to express himself.

In this case Lars (who struggles in social situations to begin with) can't fully participate verbally, but he finds another way to show that he cares.

Now, Lars is an extreme case. But I think there's something we can all learn here.

Women express themselves verbally. Communication feels good. She feels better by simply talking. She is not necessarily looking to you to solve her problems. She wants you to listen and empathize. Often, a "Wow,sounds like what your boss did really bothered you" will get a way better response than, "Well why don't you just quit your job?"

Men express themselves through actions. So often women get upset with men because they can't express themselves verbally, share what they're feeling and thinking. But look at what he is doing. He may be putting new tires on your car, he may be offering to take the family out to dinner so you don't have to cook, he may be giving your stuffed bear CPR. While he may not be telling you how he feels, he is showing you how he feels.

Advice for men - Listen - Don't just half-listen, really listen, stop what you're doing, make eye-contact, don't interrupt and don't try to solve the problem.

Advice for women - Watch his actions. If you're frustrated with him because he's not sharing his thoughts and feelings verbally, look at what he does. He could be trying to communicate through actions rather than words.

Marketing examples

Kleenex - Let It Out. I love this campaign for so many reasons. But one of the main ones is Kleenex understands the power of verbal communication and the need for women (and men) to let it out.

Roy Williams Jewelery Radio Ad - Roy Williams is the master at understanding men. In this ad he taps into how men buy jewelery (take an action) to "tell" her how they feel.

“Ladies, many of you will be fortunate enough this Christmas to find a small, but beautifully wrapped package under your tree bearing a simple gold seal that says ‘Heisenberg’s.’ Now you and I both know there’s jewelry in the box. But the man who put it there for you is trying desperately to tell you that you are more precious than diamonds, more valuable than gold, and very, very special. You see, he could have gone to a department store and bought department store jewelry, or picked up something at the mall like all the other husbands. But the men who come to Heisenberg’s aren’t trying to get off cheap or easy. Men who come to Heisenberg’s believe their wives deserve the best. And whether they spend 99 dollars or 99 hundred, the message is the same: Men who come to Heisenberg’s are still very much in love… We just thought you should know.”

Understanding male and female communication style can help you create more relevant and more successful marketing campaigns. It may even help you in your personal life as well.

Party Like It's 1909

Holly Buchanan — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 17:13:17 -0500

To all my fellow travelers who are braving this blizzard - I salute you. My personal travels started Saturday at 6 am and I just made it home.

I was grabbing a bite to eat in one of the airport bars when I saw a middle-aged couple walk up to the bar. They didn't even sit down. They just ordered a shot of tequila each, downed the shot (the woman hacking slightly - guessing she doesn't do a lot of shots) and walked right back out.

I thought to myself, "I know exactly how you feel."

In attempting to change my flights online, I had an interesting experience with US Airways. The site could not pull up my reservation. I couldn't figure out what was wrong til I looked closely at the screen. See if you can spot the problem.

That's right - the calendar was for December....1909.

I actually sort of feel for the airlines right now. The weather was not their fault. But defaulting to 1909....that's just too good to pass up and not say anything.

Marketing Gifts for Her When He's Buying

Holly Buchanan — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 18:02:53 -0500

Holiday shopping can be a bit tricky if you're a guy buying female products - like lingerie or lipstick. Joseph Carrabis has some great advice for marketers who want to help men buy products for her, and for women who want to buy products for him.

Imagine a cosmetics commercial that shows a man putting on lipstick. Depending on what follows in that ad, the brightness of the lighting and the colors of the room in which the act occurs, that ad will sprout legs or not. Have the man in a brightly lit, steamy bathroom, towel around his neck, powerful arms and chest showing, hair wet and tussled as if just from a shower and the consumer is greatly confused.

Have him do a bad job of putting on the lipstick, then turning to his wife who's sitting on the tub rim watching him, hiding her laughter poorly and him saying, "You're right. This is tougher than shaving" and trust me, you've sold that lipstick to both genders. It'll fly off the shelves.

There are some great examples and some sound advice that will help you create winning ads this holiday season and throughout the year. Read the full article.