Marketing to Women Online

Miller Lite vs. Amstel Light

I was sitting at a bar the other night (imagine that) and when the bartender asked "what'll ya have" I replied "Amstel Light, Please".    (always be polite to your bartender - you want to make friends)

It wasn't a very exciting order.....no Pomegranate Martini or Hairy Navel or a Caribbean No-No (couldn't get the recipe out of my Rasta bartender bud) - but what made it interesting was - I am a long time Miller Lite drinker.

It was really only the last year that I switched to Amstel Light.   I like the taste slightly better, but not enough to really justify the higher price.  So what happened?   I suspect that sneaky little devil called......marketing...might have had something to do with it.

This only surfaced into my conscious when I read that Miller Lite is pulling their "Man Law" campaign.   To be honest, I found some of the Man Law stuff funny.  So apparently did others.  But alas the true test of a campaign's success is sales - and Miller Lite sales are down.  (Bud Light and Coors Light sales are both up)

Lots of folks are spouting opinions - while I don't agree with all of it, I did find this post from Joe Sixpack interesting.   He brings up a good point - men don't want to drink girlie beer.  But do women want to drink manly beer?   It's an important point because women are drinking and buying a large portion of the light beer market. 

beer marketers are increasingly coming to grips with a stunning fact about their customers: Though 75 percent of their product is consumed by men, the vast majority is bought by women. Studies show as much as two-thirds of beer is purchased by women, mainly on their weekly trips for groceries.

The stats I've found have varied as to the exact percentage, but it appears to be growing.   

So why my defection to Amstel Light?  Did it have anything to do with the Man Law commercials?

More on Sony Bravia's Marketing Efforts

I was teaching a seminar last week and one of the attendees commented on my laugh - she said it was "distinctive and genuine".    I took it as a compliment.

One of the reasons I love writing this blog is, it makes me laugh.   I'll be writing at work or in an airport and I'll just be sitting there chuckling to myself.   Every once in a while a true guffaw will escape my lips.   This causes people to look at me strangely.   

Another reason I enjoy writing a blog is - I get to hear from you.   I love hearing your thoughts and opinions.   When you disagree with me - I genuinely try to look at it from your view point.    Then I shake my head, laugh at you, call you a name, and move on.    (hah - just kidding)   

I really do love hearing from all sides.   I learn a lot from you.   But it is nice when every once in a while someone agrees with you.   Check out Slate's take on the Sony Bravia "TV for men and women" campaign.   Seems I'm not the only one shaking my head.

I've wrtten before about Sony Bravias poor effort, in my humble opinion, to connect with women.   

What do you think?   

   

Do You Really Want Your Consumers Creating Your Ads?

My sister is making a short film about how she tries to deal with her grief over the death of her dog by transferring her affections to a duo of wooden deer.   (go with me here)

In her film, she features Snausages - they were Coco's favorite.  For those of you who aren't dog owners - Snausages are soft little treats that look like pigs in a blanket.

Now - several of the scenes in her movie featuring these Snausages would probably make a great commercial for this popular little doggie treat.   Who knows, perhaps the makers of Snausages will see the film and contact her to use some of her material.

BUT - this is really different than the makers of Snausages saying to consumers - "Hey - make a commercial about our product and send it in to us."

Yet that is exactly what many advertisers are doing.  For example - Dove.

Go to www.dove.com and you will be met by this message - "Create Our Next TV Ad"

The Dove brand makes products for real women like you. So who better to produce our NEW Dove Cream Oil Body Wash commercial which will air during a commercial break on the 79th Annual Academy Awards.

(thanks to Bryan Eisenberg for giving me the heads up - he is a virtual encyclopedia of cool articles)

The Dove phenomenon was not due to the product, but the approach to the product.  What resonated with women was Dove's deeper understanding of how women feel real bodies are not reflected back to them in beauty advertising.   

If Dove did a contest where they said - Do a video telling us what you think makes women beautiful - now THAT would cool.   

News Flash......consumers don't care about making commercials (unless they are a budding marketer hoping to get attention).   Consumers care about sharing their story.

These may sound similar, but they are actually quite different.    

Have You Stayed at a Kimpton Hotel?

I'm standing in the lobby waiting on some friends when a guy walks into the beautiful marble foyer with his pet Pug.  The bellman walks over, leans down, and asks the Pug how his stay was.   The pooch responds with a smile and a tail wag.  The bellman gives him a scratch behind his ears and walks back to his post.

There's a difference between saying your hotel is "pet friendly" and actually being pet friendly.  Kimpton Hotels understands that difference.   We are surrounded by so much marketing hype it is truly refreshing to see a company who believes in "showing" rather than "telling."

It isn't one big thing that Kimpton Hotels does that impresses me - it is the dozens of little things.  And it's the consistency.  The total experience from pulling into the front door to check out is seamless - as is their follow up communication.

This should be especially good news for Kimpton since they make an active effort to market and cater to women.

So what specifically is Kimpton doing that has converted me into one of their biggest fans?   Here's a list......