For most industries, attracting both male and female consumers is a must, but successfully engaging both genders is not always easy. It is becoming more difficult given that both genders’ roles continue to change and their views on gender roles are ever evolving. In Monster Myth: Marketing To Women Alienates Men, Forbes contributor Ayesha Mathews-Wadhwa contends that the “monster myth: marketing to women will alienate men” is a “misconception [] entrenched in the modern marketing world but is especially strong in ads for liquor and cars. Slick, dark shots open on a woman gazing seductively at the camera while Jason Bourne-esque music swells.” She, however, cautions that a “‘shrink-it-and-pink-it’ approach” to marketing to women hasn’t work and that “tone-deaf brands equal a tuned out audience.” She further cautions that it may be even more difficult with the new millennial generation, citing to the New York Times bestseller, The Athena Doctrine, which reportedly confirms that “millennials have a fundamentally stronger view of femininity and the role of women in society.”
Ayesha Mathews-Wadhwa encourages marketers identify who is the “true chief decision maker” buying your products or controlling the purchasing decisions. Successfully marketing to these individuals likely will be critical to your company’s successful marketing program. If the true chief decision makers are woman, Ayesha Mathews-Wadhwa suggests five ways to reach your female audience:
- Enchant — “… How does your brand make your customer feel… detailed attention and care is what customers remember, and what elevates something that is okay into something worth talking about…”
- Help her do less — “…It’s the brands that provide customers with a serene moment, or an ‘it’s-so-easy-it’s-magic’ experience that get a hooked, loyal audience…”
- Give her more — “…With both genders under a time crunch, it’s important to make sure “more” is tempered with value and–for women especially–aesthetic and function…”
- Assume nothing — “… brands that go beyond these stereotypes to change [] tired approaches can have a powerful impact…”
- Cultivate conversation — “It’s a simple fact: if a woman likes your product, everyone will hear about it. So give her multiple ways to talk to you–and about you–within her circle of influence….”
Although not all of these approaches resonate with me, several do. How are you marketing to these “high-touch communicators”?
Additional Source: Forbes, The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women