Marketing to Women Online

Marketing to Women Best Super Bowl Commercials 2013

So if there was a drinking game where you had to take a sip for every guy featured in a Super Bowl commercial, you would have been plastered.  If you had to take a sip for every woman featured, especially a woman in the lead, (and not just a sexy distraction) you would have been pretty darn sober.

Except for the beautiful glorious exception of half-time.  Beyonce rocked the house!  I actually think even the band members were all women.  

That said, what were the Marketing to Women best Super Bowl commercials of 2013?

How Christian Radio Stations Can Market to Women Podcast

I recently did an Interview with the awesome Doug Hannah, host of The Christian Radio Show.  Our subject was How Christian Radio Stations Can Market to Women.  

In the interview, Doug and I talk about:

• How to best communicate with women listeners
• Mistakes radio stations make when marketing and talking to women
• The Buchanan Test - a test to make sure you are not stereotyping women
• Fundraising and how to persuade your female listeners to take action
• The four types of women and why marketing to one persona is a mistake
• What you are NOT saying - content women love that is missing from most radio programs. 
• How to make sure you are not coming across as condescending or judgemental
• Female radio hosts who drive ratings (enough with the "giggle chicks" - bring in women who are true hosts or co-hosts)

Click here to listen to How Christian Radio Stations Can Market To Women.

Shout out to The Christian Radio Show's Doug Hannah for such great questions.

 

What You Can Learn About Marketing to Women From The Golden Globes

Ok, I just gotta say it - to Tina Fey and Amy Poehler - WOOOOOOOT!

I am not one to sit through a whole awards show, but I did not want to miss a minute of the Golden Globe Awards last night hosted by the dynamic duo of Tina Fey and Amy Poehler.  I can't remember the last time I laughed out loud like that.  

As Today pointed out, it was an historic event.

Somewhere in the mists of time, two women may have emceed a major awards presentation. But we're pretty certain that as hosts of the 70th Annual Golden Globe Awards, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler are setting a new historical precedent. If nothing else, they're the funniest women to ever host a major awards show.

I hope all you marketers were watching the show and paying attention.  There were several interesting moments and themes around women that were extremely insightful.

What marketers can learn about women from the Golden Globes

Marketing to Women Predictions for 2013

When I look back on the highlights of marketing to women for 2012, there are surprisingly few.  But I do see some interesting and encouraging trends which will set the stage for success and failure in 2013.

Here are my marketing to women predictions for 2013

Marketing to Women Prediction #1 - Less Stereotyping

When you look at recent literary/movie/TV successes, you will notice a trend.  Here's a hint:

• Katniss Everdeen (Hunger Games)
• Lisbeth Salander (Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series)
• Bella Swan (Breaking Dawn)
• Alicia Florrick  (The Good Wife)
• Emily Thorne (Revenge)

What do all these femal characters have in common? They break through stereotypes.  They take chances.  They are the heroes of their own stories.  Advertisers should take note.  Are you stereotypping women in your ads?  Find out by taking The Buchanan Test.

Marketing to Women - Best Commercials of 2012

What were the best marketing to women commercials of 2012?   I had to look long and hard.....very hard....Bueller? to find shining examples.  

The criteria:

• Must feature a woman in the leading role
• Must be able to pass The Buchanan Test for not stereotyping women

That's not asking too much, right?   In order to pass The Buchanan Test a commercial must do three things. It must feature women who:

1. Are outside of the home
2. Are in a role other than that of "mother"
3. Are NOT doing yoga

It was nearly impossible to find commercials that pass these simple criteria, especially outside of beauty or fashion products.   So I used The Buchanan Test as a guideline but not a deal-breaker (or there'd hardly be anything left).

Positive Marketing to Women - Nike Voices

So much of today's marketing to women is negative.  By negative, I mean it prays on women's insecurities.  It's all about being prettier, thinner, younger, sexier, a  better homemaker, a better mother.  

Add to that a barrage of media that portrays women as objects, victims and stereotypes, and you now have thousands of images every day assaulting women and their self-esteem.  This is especially troubling when you look at the effect on young women and girls.

How bad is it?   A recent study on the effects of TV on children had some alarming findings.   As Jezebel put it, "TV Makes Girls Feel Like Crap About Themselves, But Does Wonders for White Boys."

What Advertisers Can Learn From a Women's Film Festival

Last weekend I attended The Athena Film Festival - a celebration of women and leadership in New York. 

The festival included films by and about women.  The subject matter highlighted the wide diversity of women’s leadership in both real life and the fictional world.

Film is a medium known to nearly all people in nearly every part of the world. And films have power. They create conversation. They reveal truths. They inspire. Through feature films, documentaries, and shorts, the Festival will explore what makes a leader

So many things struck me about the movies, the panels, and the festival as a whole.  There are so many amazing women's stories that aren't being told.   There are so many inspirational women leaders who we aren't being acknowledged.  There's a desperately needed point of view that's not being heard.  The Athena Film Festival is one gigantic step towards changing that.

But there was another theme throughout the festival that really got my attention - and it was this:

The Power of One Good Friend

As I sit right smack dab in the middle of the holiday marketing season I am inundated with ads of families, couples, parents, romantic partners.....but there's one relationship that's glaringly missing from the ads...

Friends.

Sure there are ads with female friends doing their holiday shopping together. But where's the ad with the woman/man/kid shopping high and low to find the perfect gift for their best friend?  

When you DO produce a commercial about true friendship, it stands out.

Volkswagen Scores Two More Winners

If you want to reach moms, show great dads.

If you want to reach dads, show great dads.

So many commercials feature the "doofus" dad.   So when I see a commercial that portrays fathers in a positive light, I notice.  So do moms and dads everywhere.

You can drive when we stop to fill up

Here's a great example of a spot that features a great dad while also demonstrating a distinct product benefit.

Zestra - Bringing Women's Sexual Satisfaction Out of the Closet

How long have we all been waiting for the women's equivalent of Viagra?   There is a STUPID amount of money to be made with such a product. (Drug companies currently make $2.5 Billlion on Viagra, Cialis and Levitra each year.)

Did you know research shows women actually suffer from sexual dysfunction more than men?  

Women - 43%

Men - 31%

Pharmaceutical companies have done research in this area, but women's bodies and sexual function are far more complicated than men's. 

Then along comes Zestra