Marketing to Women Online

Creating Personas and Writing For Personas

I’m sitting on a stark metal folding chair.  There’s a sole bright light bulb glaring overhead.   Out of the shadows walks a man in an Armani suit and $400 sunglasses.  He stares at me.  “Ok – I’ve just about lost my patience.  Talk.  Don’t hold anything back.  I’ll know if you’re lying.” 

I squirm uncomfortably in my chair, but keep my mouth shut. 

“If you don’t start spilling the beans – this could get ugly.   I’m just about out of patience here.  For the last time – tell me – how do you create personas?” 

I stare at the marketer in front of me.  I hear movement in the shadows.  He’s not alone. There are other marketers and business owners in the room.  I can hear their Blackberries going off in the darkness.  They’re all waiting to hear confidential information that will tell them how to create personas.  They know if they can get this information – they’ll be able to create marketing campaigns that will leave their competition in the dust and catapult their careers and reputations.  If they can just get the secret formula.

“Well, um” I start.  “I can’t show you exactly how we create personas.  We use special software and charge clients 10’s of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of dollars for direct access to our tool and our knowledge.”

The crowd grows more menacing. 

“But wait!   I can tell you how to segment your audience by personality type and where they are in the buying process.”  This prompts a few interested murmurs.  “We can talk about what questions personas ask.  I’ll tell you about how to make your personas more real using demographics, psychographics and topographics.”  I feel myself sweating.

   

    

5 Predictions for 2006

What's going to happen in that wild and wacky world we call "Adland" in 2006?  What's going to change?  What will smart marketers do that will leave their competitors choking in the dust from their 760Li Sedans. 

Let me look into my magic crystal martini glass.....(upgraded my crystal ball)

Prediction #1 - It is going to be the year of Marketing to Women.   Advertisers have woken up to the tremendous spending power of women.  The question is no longer "Why market to women" it's "How do you market to women".  Stay tuned:  Michele Miller and I will have something for you next year that will show you everything you need to know to market to women online and offline. 

Prediction #2 - The consumer is in control.   Advertising will go from being intrusive to being inclusive.  Push mediums will be outperformed by pull mediums.  Mass marketing will become micro marketing.  The consumer will control their experience. (think websites, blogs, word of mouth, discussion forums, video on demand, podcasting). 

Put another way - consumers will revolt against all the advertising that is being shoved down their throats to the tune of thousands of ads a day.  They will tune out your message and come up with one of their own. They will increasingly turn to marketing mediums like websites where they control what information they see, how much they see, where they see it and when they see it.   And if it's not relevant to their lives?   You will not even make it onto their radar screen much less into their purses and wallets.       

Logitech - Marketing Technology to Women

Ohmigod – a technology company – with a marketing campaign squarely targeting women – and without stereotypes.   You could have knocked me over with a sledgehammer. 

While there are plenty of poorly designed marketing campaigns to pick on – every once in a while a company comes along and knocks my socks off.   So I’m giving a big shout out to the Logitech Quick Cam for a “marketing to women” job well done.   They put together a wonderful TV commercial that breaks through stereotypes and speaks her language.  Unfortunately, and as is all too often the case, their website doesn’t quite follow through.

But first the good news.  The TV commercial features a traveling mom in a hotel room saying goodnight to her husband and kids by using video calling through her computer.  Instead of just a phone call – she now has a much more interactive experience where she can actually see her family.

All too often, marketers assume it is the man who is doing the business traveling.  (think AT&T’s Rocket Man ads)  Wake up and smell the frequent flyer miles.  Women are traveling at an exponentially growing rate. Some hotels have even gone so far as to create women only wings of their hotel to attract this female business traveler.   What a proud moment to see a company who gets this fact and created a commercial targeting this female traveler.

But wait, there’s more…..they’re targeting women with a technology product.   

Soccer Moms Don't Exist

Soccer Moms Don’t Exist.   That’s my title and I’m sticking to it, though I really can’t quite pull off that argument.  You see, there are traits of soccer moms that DO exist.   There are mothers, there are mothers who drive minivans, there are mothers whose lives revolve around their kids, there are mothers who live in suburban homes.   

So why would I say something as ludicrous as “soccer moms don’t exist”?   Because “soccer mom” is a very dangerous stereotype.  Plus I am so sick of hearing about these supposed women who are everywhere!   If you believe what many marketers, companies, and even politicians believe, almost every woman between the age of 25 and 45 is a soccer mom.  They’ve taken one of the most diverse, dynamic, and complicated demographics that ever existed and boiled it down into one person – the soccer mom.   

Here’s the other problem I have with “soccer moms” – it’s not a particularly flattering portrait.   Honestly – when you think of soccer moms – do you think of her as intelligent?  Do you think of her as talented?  Do you think of her as business savvy?  Do you think of her as interesting?  Would you choose to talk to her at a cocktail party?  Would you want her to run your company?