Marketing to Women Online

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).

Webinar - How To Sell Credit Union Services to Women

Credit unions are discovering that focusing on women and their financial needs can be very profitable.

What can credit unions do to attract, retain, and get more business from their female members?  I"m glad you asked.

Find out in my upcoming webinar, How to Sell Credit Union Services to Women December 19, 2012 at 2pm EST.  In this webinar we'll cover topics like:

• Why focus on women
• How to attract, retain, and gain more business from your female members
• How to market to women without alienating men
• The differences in how men and women make financial decisions
• Why the cooperative "movement" is a perfect match with women's values
• The three reasons you lose a sale to a woman
• Marketing materials that work with women (including websites)

With every paid sign up you'll receive a free copy of my book Selling Financial Services to Women.

Register here.

Why Selling Life Insurance to Women Is So Important

Just in case you've had your head under a rock for the last decade or so, here's a news flash: Women are increasingly the main or co-breadwinner in their families.

In her article The New Breadwinners Heather Boushey shares some startling information and statistics:

Women have made great strides and are now more likely to be economically responsible for themselves and their families than ever before. In fact, for the first time in U.S. history, women are half of all U.S. workers and mothers are the primary breadwinners or co-breadwinners in nearly two-thirds of American families  

In addition to their role as breadwinner, women are still carrying the majority of the load of caring for the home and kids.

This is just one of many reasons why women need life insurance now more than ever.  

Chocolate Bar for Women?

Here's an interesting story about Cadbury's new Crispello and how it is being marketed to women (in the UK) - A Chocolate Bar for Women: At Least It's Not Wrapped in Pink by Susan Berfield.

Are you wondering why women need their own chocolate bar? Me too. Well, turns out Crispello isn’t actually a bar, it’s “three curved crispy wafer shells, each one filled with a smooth creamy center, dipped in Cadbury milk chocolate,” according to a statement from the company.

It's always a little dangerous to create a product, "just for women" unless women truly do have a unique need that is different from men. I've found a better way is to simply market a product to women without calling it a "product for women only." 

How to Attract More Women Financial Advisers - Part I

It's a familiar refrain at financial companies  - "We'd love to hire more female advisers if we could just find more qualified women who are interested in the position."

Here's the thing...there are a lot of women who are interested in those positions, AND women bring a lot of natural advantages that make them ideally suited for the role of financial adviser.

So what's going on?  Where is the disconnect?  Why aren't there more women advisers in the industry?  And what can companies do about it?

How to attract women financial advisers

There are three secrets to attract and retain women financial advisers:

1. Create teams
2. Provide more training
3. Create a culture that values women and men

We'll look more at 2 and 3 in upcoming posts, but right now let's look at why creating teams can be a key way to attract not only women advisers, but women clients as well.

ING-Girls Inc. Investment Challenge Results

(ING-Girls Inc. Investment Challenge Winners with Girls Inc. President and CEO Judy Vredenburgh and ING Foundation President and Head of Corporate Responsibility Rhonda Mims)

How many of you out there would be happy with a 54.55% return on your investments over the past three years? 

Who could generate such impressive results?  Hedge fund managers?  The country's top stock brokers?   Super savvy financial advisors?  

Actually, these were the results of the most successful team in the ING-Girls Inc. Investment Challenge, the “NYC Investment Divas” based in New York City.

Sea Glass - Ode to a Sister

While walking along the beach this morning, I saw a piece of sea glass, but it was from a freshly broken bottle, with sharp edges and clear transparent coloring.   I picked it up and threw it back into the ocean.  It wasn’t ready.

I then saw another piece of sea glass.  It was smooth around the edges, battered and sanded down by endless waves and sandy ocean bottoms.   You could not see through it  - the clear glass was replaced by a less opaque veneer.  It felt heavier, older, wiser, clarity replaced by depth – its smooth yet rough surface proof of its journey through the sea.

The first piece of sea glass did not make it into my collection.  Its youth, inexperience and beauty held no interest for me.  The second piece, battered after years of tossing, turning, rolling, grating, tumbling – sanded down by endless tides, waves and the energy of an ocean in constant motion…..It was the second piece I treasured.  It was that piece that made it into my pocket for the trip home.

Thank you for always being my treasured piece of sea glass.  I’m so happy you have joined me on this journey.  

For your birthday –may the waves finally wash you up on the beach so you can bask in the sunlight, marveling at your new rounded curves, smoother, wiser, and more valuable for having made the journey of the sea.

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."

How Financial Companies Can Win with Women Business Owners

Women business owners face the same challenges that all business owners face. But how they handle those challenges, how they make decisions, and what they want from their financial partners can be different from their male counterparts.

For example, a recent American College survey found that small business owners prefer to work with financial advisors of the same sex.

Sixty-one percent of women small business owners prefer to speak to female financial advisors, compared to 24 percent of men. Seventy-five percent of men prefer to speak to male financial advisors, compared to 40 percent of women.

So for those 61% of women business owners who prefer to work with a female financial advisor, what can you do for them?  Do you have women financial advisors in your company?

Why Mothers Need to Put Themselves Financially First - New Study

Moms are famous for putting other people first, especially their families.  But when it comes to finances, moms need to put themselves and their retirement first.   It's actually one of the most loving things they can do for their family.

Here's why.  Women don't want to be a burden on their families, financial or otherwise. 

• 9 out of 10 women say they don't want to be a burden on their kids.
• Older Americans (age 44-75) are more afraid of running out of money than death. 

Women care deeply about NOT having to be dependent on others, and this includes moms.  The problem is, mothers face additional challenges when it comes to saving for retirement.

Retirement Revealed Study

A recent ING U.S. study Retirement Revealed found that mothers face additional hurdles when it comes to building their retirement security.  While the income gap between men and women has narrowed in recent years, mothers tend to spend more time out of the workforce due to caregiver responsibilities.  This reality reduces their earning and savings potential and also lowers Social Security benefits.  ING U.S.’s study found that:

• The majority (60%) of mothers do not feel prepared for retirement and almost half (46%) don’t know how to achieve their retirement goals. 
• Just over half (53%) of mothers have less than $25,000 saved in their employer-sponsored retirement plan. 
• Less than two-thirds (65%) of mothers are receiving their employer’s full company match compared to more than three-quarters (76%) of fathers.
• Only two-in-ten (20%) of respondents have a formal investment plan to meet their retirement goals.