If our company invests in marketing to women, will we alienate our current customer base?
In a word – no. Marketers have successfully used overt, gender-based marketing while maintaining strong relationships across the board. Why? Brands that speak to women will not alienate men in the process. Women are highly discerning consumers and they make the vast majority of purchasing decisions. From transparent approaches to sub-branding and line extensions, there are a wide variety of creative ways to develop this very worthwhile consumer market. Look to veterans like Nike, with the distinctive Niketown and Nike Goddess sectors that keep both men and women happy, while simultaneously strengthening the brand.
Isn’t selling to women a passing “pink” niche fad?
Women purchase over 80 percent of consumer goods and services and spend a combined $5.2 trillion annually on consumer and business products. For this hot market to dry up, women would have to suddenly abandon their spending influence at home, in business and everywhere in between. Translation: It’s not going to happen. Women are a mass market, not a special-interest group.
Our marketing budget doesn’t support a separate advertising to women effort, and we certainly can’t dedicate staff to it.
Marketing to women should be an integrated part of your company’s marketing mix – not a pilot project. Many companies have successfully shifted their budgets and re-evaluated their marketing plans to develop brands that resonate more fully with women. The outcome? Significant gains, increased profits and a growing demand for more refined, targeted and effective marketing in the future.
Our company’s products target a mix of gender and age groups. Why would we want to focus more on our women customers?
Even if your products are intended for a wide audience, you’ve got to consider who’s actually doing the buying. Women are the primary influencers and they don’t just shop for themselves. Speak to women and you’ll reap the rewards of this veritable two-in-one market. But if your marketing efforts don’t connect with women, your products are less likely to reach your target and become a part of their lives.
Women are such a fickle market. They say they’re tired of skinny, flawless women in advertising campaigns, but they don’t respond to images that portray a more average-looking woman. How can we learn what women want?
“If you wish to know the mind of a man, listen to his words.”
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
We’re talking about the mind of a woman here, but the same logic applies. Ask your customers if you’re looking for a truly honest brand assessment. They know what they want, and they’ll be thrilled to see that you value their opinion. We harness the energy and the information of focus groups and advisory panels, and we use questionnaire development, distribution and analysis to access this vital consumer wisdom. In addition, we’re continually immersed in research on women consumers, gender differences and life stage marketing.
Imago’s web site and articles reference a lot of statistics and strategic marketing reports. Where does this information come from?
We draw upon a variety of professional, reputable sources. We default to the more conservative, proven statistics and clarify opinion versus fact. Please contact us directly to obtain any specific sources for our research on women.
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