Marketing to Women Online

Marketing To Moms - Lose The Stereotypes

I'm sure every mom has been in this situation.  You wake up one day, look around and ask, "Can these really be my children?"  I know my mom's definitely been there.

So, Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there.  In my job, I spend a lot of time researching moms, and I have to tell you, moms - you are one crazy-ass group. 

I am always amazed at the number of bland, cliche, stereotypes of moms I see in ads.  People - have you spent any time around moms?  Seriously.

Take a look at my mom.  (Happy Birthday and Happy Mother's Day Mom!).   Last year I wrote about our relationship - Thanks Mom For Not Disowning Me.  The great thing about moms is, they have a sense of humor.  After reading last year's post, complete with drinking stories,  tales of snoring and squirrel recipes, Mom's reaction was, "This is why some animals eat their young."   You gotta love a mom that can take it and give it right back.

So this year, I thought I'd share a more appropriate story.

(Snort)  Yeah....right.

New Research Shows Women Buy More Movie Tickets Than Men

 
  
How long have we been hearing the same old story from Hollywood?  "Teenage guys drive movie ticket sales," "Female leads can't carry a movie,"  and the famous "Women don't go to movies."

New research from the MPAA should officially put that last statement to rest.

Melissa Silverstein at Women & Hollywood breaks the news, Guess What?  Women Buy More Movie Tickets Than Men. 

This news should rock each and every executive in Hollywood more than the Bigelow Oscar win.  Cause this is something they understand.  This is money and women are delivering the money.  Big time.

So I am officially holding a funeral for the term “women are not a film market.”  I never want to hear it uttered again.  I am going to keep these statistics next to my computer (or maybe make them my screensaver but that would mean removing my picture of Kathryn Bigelow holding two Oscars) because every time someone says that women don’t go to the movies I’m just going to throw the stats in their faces.

2009 was a banner year for the box office.   Part of that success was due to female centric movies like New Moon and The Blindside. 

A Woman's Nation - The Shriver Report

If you are involved in selling to, marketing to, working with, hiring or having a relationship with women - you need to be following the coverage of A Woman's Nation - The Shriver Report.

The Shriver Report presents an accurate and detailed portrait of American women and families at this transformational moment in our history.

Here's an interview with Maria Shriver discussing the report.

What Do Women Want from a Laptop?

Dell found out, the hard way, what women don't want in a laptop.

But Andrea Learned says it so well, I'm just going to let you read the NYT article about what women do and don't want in their laptop.  Great marketing advice from Andrea Learned - one of the industry's best minds.   

Soccer Mom Myth Inteview

Thanks to the fabulous Janice (and Susan) at 5 Minutes for Mom for interviewing me about The Soccer Mom Myth and how brands and mom bloggers can come together to promote products.

Just say no to stereotypes!    And be sure to check out 5 Minutes for Mom, one of the best websites for moms out there.

I Asked My Doctor And She Said....

That was all it took to get my attention.   I was watching yet another drug company commercial, when the man in the commercial said "I asked my doctor, and she said..." 

That's the great thing about marketing to women.  You don't need to create a whole separate commercial with a pink flowery background and soft music and smiling women laughing and hugging each other......just send her a subtle nod that you respect women.

Like including a line "I asked my doctor and she said...."

Women notice these things.  When you break through a stereotype, you get her attention.

The commercial was for the antihistamine nasal spray Astepro.   I wanted to see if their website continued their female friendly efforts.

An Apology to Manolo Blahnik

It's a never ending joke - women love shoes.  When advertisers survey women, they compare luxury vacations with buying new shoes.    When they need humorous creative, they have a skit with women obsessing over shoes.    When they depict women's fantasies, there are almost always shoes involved.

I have been ranting about the "women and shoes" cliche for several years now.   I've just never bought it.   Women simply can not be that obsessed with shoes.   That has always been my stance.

Until last Thursday.

I responded to an 11pm cry from my sister to help her move.  She rented her house for the summer and had to be out by midnight.  She was not going to make it unless she got some serious help.

So me and my car rode over to the rescue.  She had almost everything out of the house, except for some plants and her clothes.  I figured that was one trip in one car.   

I was wrong.

Women in the Workforce who Overcompensate

I was giving myself a pep talk this morning.  (do you ever do that?)  I had a really interesting conversation with Bryan and Jeffrey Eisenberg at Future Now last week.  I've been with them for almost four years now.  These are two smart dudes who are really good at getting my brain juices flowing.  It's really interesting to look at myself through their eyes.

I am so far from the person I was four years ago it is amazing.  And yet, in some very basic ways, I have not changed at all.  (that may sound strange to you, but it makes perfect sense to me)

We were discussing confidence.  I have a huge amount of confidence - in myself and in what I do.  I've been very successful.  I am really good with clients.  I can get up and speak to a room of hundreds without getting nervous.   I will put my brain up against just about anyone's.

So why am I always overcompensating?   

You've heard me speak about my 3:07 AM "aha moments".    Well, it hit me again last night.   I overcompensate.   I've done it forever.   

My reports have to be more thorough.  My presentations have to have more slides.   My strategy has to have more reasoning.   My insights have to have more research to back them up.   

The only thing that makes me feel better is - I'm not alone.  I see women everywhere doing the same thing.   

Do you work in a male dominated industry?   Do you feel the need to do everything better just to be accepted, to be acknowledged?

Dove's Pro-Age Campaign

Here's something to get you thinking...

Nearly 60% of women globally believe that if magazines were reflective of a population, a person would likely believe women over 50 do not exist.

It's tough to respond to ads when you never see yourself in those ads.  When you do see women over 50, it's almost always a stereotype in an ad for Medicare, or a financial planning service, or someone's grandmother.    Break away from those stereotypes and she will notice you and your ads. 

Dove is doing just that....again.   They are generating a lot of interest.  Check out Michele Miller's blog for some insight into how women feel about the campaign.

As usual, I was interested in how well the website was integrated into their marketing strategy.  I think they did a pretty good job this time.  But I do have one suggestion (Come on Dove, you didn't think you were going to get away that easy :)....

There is some awesome information, but it is completely buried in the FAQ section.   Some of this should really be front and center in their campaign. 

I was curious about the products - if they aren't supposed to stop aging, what are they supposed to do? 

 

Is It Good or Bad To Be a Princess?

When you hear the word "princess", what comes to mind?  Do you have positive thoughts of a pretty girl/woman who lives a fairy tale life where all her dreams come true?  Do you have a negative picture of a demanding young woman who always wants her way?   Do you think of a powerless female who has no choice but to sit around and wait for prince charming?  or are you envious, wishing your prince charming would come riding in on his white steed?

Do you think of Zena Warrior Princess, Princess Diana, or Cinderella? Does the word "princess" make you smile or cringe? 

Words are loaded - absolutely loaded.   I have heard so many differing opinions on "princess" I can't get any reading.  Some women love it, some don't really care, and some hate it.   

There seems to be a big resurgence of princess merchandise for little girls.   I wonder if it is because

A - little girls naturally gravitate to pretty pink princess icons

B - merchandisers think that's what girls want and bombard stores with princess merchandise so little girls really don't have a choice

I don't have the answers, but this article from a mother who doesn't know what to do certainly got my brain whirring.   Check out What's Wrong with Cinderella.

What do you other mothers out there think?