wednesday, OCtober 3rd, 2007
SHEHIVE MARKETING PROGRAM GETS MADMA BUZZING
By Bill Roberts
Women are a key consumer target, and a new marketing team has been formed in Omaha to take aim at them, members of the Mid-America Direct Marketing Association learned at their Oct. 3 luncheon meeting at Regency Lodge in Omaha.
SheHive, a new division of Ervin & Smith Advertising and Public Relations, was created to provide consulting, brand development, advertising and public relations services to clients wishing to reach female consumers.
“People are starting to realize that what they’ve been doing isn’t the best way to market to women so that they’re really loyal to your brand,” said Sharon Carleton, president of SheHive. She gave the presentation, along with SheHive team members Heidi Mausbach, director of client services; Betsy Perez, director of creative services; and Kristin Petrick, director of strategy.
The SheHive marketing team already has helped such clients as TD Ameritrade, the University of Nebraska at Omaha and Brodkey’s Jewelers. Armed with statistics on buying patterns, entertaining examples of good (and bad) female-focused advertising, and sharp-eyed observations on modern marketing trends, the team presented a compelling case.
WHY TARGET WOMEN
Some reasons it pays to market to women:
- Women make 83 percent of all household purchases in the U.S.
- Women account for 58 percent of online spending and complete more online transactions than men do.
- Women take care of 75% of family finances; control or influence 53% of family investment decisions; and handle 89% of checking accounts in the U.S.
Eighty-five percent of women 25 to 44 read direct mail, and 32 percent prefer direct mail to e-mail. Asked to rate the most effective advertising method, women chose event marketing first, direct mail second, and print advertising third.
- Looking ahead, the future looks bright for women, the SheHive team said, as women are outliving men and achieving higher academic degrees.
Marketers need to understand the many ways women differ from men in their styles of communicating, deciding and purchasing. They presented examples:
Product Introductions: Women like a storytelling approach, including emotional shadings, details, and the context for the product. Men want to hear the facts and see the actions.
The SheHive team showed two TV spots for the Toyota Sienna minivan, one showing the vehicle being used in various ways by a family (for women), the other showing the facts of vehicle performance (for men).
Deciding: “We are looking for the perfect solution,” said Petrick, adding that sometimes that can lead to “analysis paralysis” as women consider too many factors. Men tend to look for a quick solution.
The SheHive team pointed out that women are not a homogenous group, and it takes research to find exactly what appeals to the age range, income level, and psychographic segment you’re targeting.
FOCUS GROUPS
Focus groups, a popular research tool, are better for male consumers than women, they said, because these groups of people who don’t know one another can easily become competitive and inhibit open communication.
SheHive prefers to use “In Her Words” chat groups of four or five women who are friends. Led by a moderator, the group feels free to discuss a product more honestly and volunteer insights that can benefit the marketer.
“Cause Marketing,” in which a company ties support of a cause to its selling efforts, can be effective. They cited effective examples:
Dove, the skin care company, created an excellent “Dove Onslaught” video about beauty pressure (available on the Internet). Lee Jeans organizes a National Denim Day, which raises funds for the Susan G. Komen Foundation. RedEnvelope offers ways to buy gifts that support breast cancer research.
In the end, the SheHive team said, it’s not enough to simply “paint your product pink” and call that marketing to women. The approach has to be integrated with your product, your target and your company’s culture.
One of the biggest laughs came from an example of misfired marketing: A print ad featuring Jessica Simpson eating pizza with Kermit the Frog.
“That’s just not believable,” a SheHive team member said.