Make Marketing to Women Fun: Be Creative and Innovative

July 21, 2008

Written by Gerry Myers, CEO and President of Advisory Link

Connecting to the female consumer is not easy, because there is no one magical way to target women. They are a diverse group, and in many ways it is harder to reach them than their male counterparts. If you have designed marketing plans designed to attract women consumers that have been unsuccessful, you need to try something new.

Women tend to be very family oriented. Programs and events that include kids or the whole family are important to them. However, because mothers are usually juggling several things at once, they have very little time for themselves. Getting away for just "me" is something all women want at one time or another, but they have to have a good reason to fit it into their busy schedules without feeling guilty.

Spend time brainstorming with some of your key customers and get some fresh new ideas that would re-energize both your employees and customers. In the meantime, here are some ideas to get you started.

Events and Giveaways With a Twist

To set yourself apart, look at what would compliment and appeal to your specific customers. For instance, if you are a fitness facility, perhaps you can have a chef demonstrate healthy, quick, but tasty dishes and provide recipes. Women always love chocolate. You could have an event that not only has decadent chocolate treats, but someone to discuss the health benefits as well.

A mall’s success depends on traffic and sales. You can create events with local pro sports team’s wives to do a fashion show in the mall court area, with outfits and accessories from various stores. They can be paid half their fee in cash and half in “mall currency”—a way to entice the celebrity models to return and shop at the mall. And, there are four seasons with different sports for a total year-round program. An added bonus is that many of the models famous husbands and children will attend the events. The crowd will love having the local sports personalities in the audience.

If your business is a home furnishings or home improvements store, perhaps giving away a shopping spree at The Container Store, a closet makeover that includes built-ins, or other organizational items would be of interest to your targeted customers. Additionally, you can have a contest or drawing for a year’s free housekeeping services.

If you are a car dealership, your twist might be to bring women into the facility for things other than automotive-related sales or educational events. While programs like a car-care clinic and classes on buying versus leasing are good, they are common and won’t differentiate you from the competition. To do that, you might consider having a local or well-know artist, author, or journalist speak on a topic of interest to women. If you are a luxury brand, you might want to do a joint event with an expensive jeweler. By partnering, you lessen your financial investment and increase your invitee list..

If you are looking for different door prizes, consider a car service that would transport the kids to baseball practices or orthodontic appointments.

Many organizations focus on women’s trips, some to beautiful spas, others to more adventurous destinations. Perhaps giving that kind of a trip away, rather than the standard couple trip, would strike an accord with some of your female customers. Pampering is always appreciated. Anything that makes her life easier or reduces stress will be appealing.

If you are spending a lot of time and dollars, make sure your event is distinctive or a signature event people will associate with you. For instance, when I was handling PR for the Town of Addison, we created its first fireworks display for Independence Day. The twist we initiated was Addison held a Fourth on the Third celebration rather than compete with well-established shows in our area. Today, 20 years later, the fireworks are still done on July 3 and have one of the largest turnouts in the country. Addison achieved its goal of bringing people to the community to have fun and spend money with its merchants.

Lastly, have fun. If you do, your employee’s and customers will have fun as well and want to be associated and do business with you.

Gerry Myers is CEO, president and co-founder of Advisory Link. Myers is also the former owner and president of the Myers Group, which she founded in 1980. For nearly 15 years, from the early nineties until 2005, the Myers Group specialized in marketing and selling more effectively to the female consumer, as well as helping corporations recruit and retain more women employees. Myers, a pioneer in the women’s market and the first author to publish a book on the subject in 1994, was instrumental in creating awareness, training programs, keynote speeches and consulting services that helped nationally and internationally companies, including many in the automotive and financial arenas. Learn more about Gerry and Advisory Link at www.advisorylink-dfw.com

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Post Words: Myers, Addison, Advisory, Gerry, Group, Women, Independence, Anything, Pampering, Perhaps

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