Feature: Rethinking the gender agenda

Marketing to women has attracted much attention in recent years. Books have been written on the subject: EVEolution by Faith Popcorn and Marketing to Women by Marti Barletta, to name just two; you can sign up to a monthly e-newsletter, titled “Marketing to Women”; and there are websites, copious courses, conferences and seminars dedicated to the topic.

So are women really so unique that they require such a plethora of marketing material written on the subject? Or is it just that marketers have not previously focused enough attention identifying and understanding this specific audience’s needs and recognising the importance of women as key purchasing decision makers?

Women represent an economic powerhouse: they influence 80 per cent of purchases in the UK and within 20 years it is predicted that they will own 67 per cent of Britain’s wealth. In the US, this is even higher – women make over 85 per cent of consumer purchase decisions and influence over 95 per cent of total goods and services.

So when marketing to women, what are the key insights you can count on?

There’s no such thing as the “women’s market”; you need to understand your women’s market. Invest time and money identifying who your female customers are and learning what is important to them.

“Brand female” isn’t the answer. Many companies make the mistake of thinking they need to create a separate brand to reach women, one that is softer or more accessible. The reality is that marketing to women is just intelligent marketing strategy, grounded in meeting and exceeding high standards and consistently delivering your brand promise.

Remember: “she’s always watching.” Women are great at detecting inconsistencies. If your marketing message doesn’t match up to your product performance and your retail experience, you’ll lose her trust and she’ll go elsewhere.

Respect her. And don’t patronise. Women have strong minds and views – they know their likes and dislikes and they’ll tell you about them if you ask. A willingness to solicit and listen to women’s input is critical in building this respect over time.

Embrace high standards. Women are suckers for quality and, more importantly, when they find it, they’re willing to pay for it.

Show your commitment. This isn’t a market you can just dip in and out of. You need a medium- to long-term strategy. And remember, it’s a two way thing: show your commitment and you’ll get the same back. Women are loyal – when you gain their trust, you’ll benefit for the long term.

So with these insights in mind, which businesses and brands have really proven that they understand their female base and have demonstrated that through effective campaign activity or product extension?

The one that has to be mentioned is Dove. Its Real Women campaign has not only revolutionised the skincare market, won numerous effectiveness and creative awards, but it’s delivered a brand which women have a real love for as a result of its transparency and social credentials.

I couldn’t talk about marketing to women without mentioning Sheila’s Wheels. Love or hate their advertising, it stands as one of the most successful examples of female-focused marketing, with the company far exceeding sales expectations in its first year.

And finally, there’s the sheer brilliance of GHD’s recent ad campaign – the “new religion for hair”. Insights were spot on, even if the Advertising Standards Authority had a thing or two to say about the campaign!

Sky Plus, Orange, Virgin, First Direct and Innocent are also all companies that do a good job talking to women, while not alienating their important male base.

In addition it’s worth mentioning a couple of strong female-targeted promotions. The Big Kick developed a brand experience for the launch of Nivea Visage Oxygen Power. The “Oxygen Powered Office” allowed office workers in some of the UK’s biggest cities the chance to get outdoors and give themselves an oxygen boost. The experience was created to help celebrate the launch of a new range of skincare products that can help to revitalise skin and help maintain a healthy-looking complexion.

The Oxygen Powered Office had a number of different meeting rooms and workstations. Wireless internet access, rolling news TV and refreshments were provided as well as plenty of fresh air. Targeted at women aged 30 to 40, it had beauty therapists on hand enabling visitors to recharge their skin by trying the different products in the Oxygen Power range.

This works because of its effective targeting. Busy working women in air-conditioned offices never get out enough to take a break in the day. This promotion offered the perfect balance – get outdoors for a break, try out a new day cream or two and still keep up with what’s going on in the world.

Kiwi similarly used experiential marketing to interact with its female audience at the launch of its new Smiling Feet range of transparent gel cushions, devised by i2i Face to Face Marketing. It created a bright green 14m “Shoe-a-holic” marquee and placed it at the entrances of 35 Tesco stores throughout the UK for one day at a time over a seven-week period.

A giant red high-heeled shoe filled with Smiling Feet products and a glass display cabinet full of glamorous women’s shoes provided eye-catching focal points. Shoe-a-holic Advisers chatted to consumers about the uses and benefits of the range while distributing information leaflets and money-off vouchers. The female advisers wore Smiling Feet products allowing them to talk with authority about the feel and comfort of the range.

Those consumers that trialled the product were encouraged to use money-off vouchers in-store and return with a receipt to qualify for a prize draw. Prizes ranged from 50p money-off vouchers to a Shoe-a-holic £500 shopping spree. Once again, this is highly targeted at women who may already have sore feet on the daily/weekly shop, the incentives are well targeted and the little touches, such as the Shoe-a-holic Advisers, work well.

And then there are those that have jumped on the “pink” bandwagon. In August 2007, 24-year-old entrepreneur Adam Charles announced the launch of Fly Pink, a budget boutique airline aimed at hen parties for moneyed women who need some men-free time. Offering pink champagne and manicures before take-off in your pink plane, this has all the signs of something that has been created by a man without a true understanding of audience needs. When American Airlines launched a networking site that offered travelling tips for its female customers, there was uproar – the site was deemed patronising. I suspect the same could be said for Fly Pink!

Another example of retailers thinking they are doing the right thing by women but really not hitting the mark is the creation of a plethora of all “pink” products – from powertools to taser guns and most recently the launch of the Blackberry pink pearl! It would appear that manufacturers see potential in the power of pink when developing products targeting women, but do women agree? Having had a quick trip round the high street in January, there was a large number of pink powertools being sold through the sales, so I’d suggest most manufacturers got a bit carried away.

Susi Weaser, editor of Shiny Shiny, a website about gadgets for women, has had her fill. “I get very cross about it,” she says. “Sometimes I just think, ‘Do you not think you need to improve the product instead of just making it pink?’ When manufacturers are making a product aimed at men, they might make something aimed at businessmen, or early adopters. For women, who make up 50 per cent of the population, it’s, ‘Oh, we\'ll just make it a different colour’.”

And these products hardly do much for women’s credibility. “If you’re in a meeting full of men and you get out a pink phone, you\'re probably putting yourself at an even greater disadvantage,” Weaser points out.

Pink is a very over-used colour when targeting women. Although a favourite of mine, there are millions of women out there that can’t abide it. Apparently apple green and purples come through in research as much preferred, so if you are thinking colour for your next female-targeted product or marketing campaign, perhaps you should push out beyond the obvious pink!

Emma Laney, director of Syren, a consultancy that specialises in targeting female consumers, highlights that “women value directness, honesty and transparency in their dealings with both brands and people. Female consumers respond better to a democratic, direct and honest relationship with a brand. This isn’t just relevant to brands in the health and beauty sector. Adopting a more human tone of voice like Innocent or First Direct strikes a natural, direct rapport that women value and appreciate.”

To summarise, marketing to women is no different than any other marketing challenge. Understanding your female audience and their needs is fundamental. An effective, targeted marketing strategy can then be created to deliver on these.

Marketers’ common misconceptions

“Women are a niche market and aren’t worth bothering with. Besides targeting them too overtly might alienate men.”

“Women are seeking out products, services and brands designed exclusively for them.”

“Women are looking for products and services to ‘rescue’ them from their daily dramas like knights on white chargers.”

“I’ve dealt with marketing to women already. I’ve placed a version of the ad campaign in women’s monthlies and brought out a pink special-edition of my product.”

“Women don’t need men now they have financial independence and greater opportunities.”

“Many women are seeking ‘superwoman’ status.”