“What Women Want,” was the title of a fun 2000 Mel Gibson/Helen Hunt chick flick, and, by mid-2002, that film title/statement seems to have finally appeared on the marketing radar of businesses large and small.  Yet, without disregarding the wondrous intentions of those companies that are waking up of late, the question of “how” women want their products and services delivered to them may be a more worthy consideration than “what.”

To review what you likely learned in marketing 101, the “what” question is more product-centered, while the “how” question brings the entire business relationship into a more customer-centered realm.  (And, yes, male customers also love being at the center of their relationships with brands too.  Of course!)

The trick is to train your thought process so that during your product development and marketing strategy sessions, the women who are your customers, rather than the products you want to sell, will stay at the center.  One of the tenets of the customer-centered method is delivering the product or service to the customer in the appropriate context.  When it comes to female consumers especially, it’s important to show them how they might apply the use of the product or service in their very own lives.  Otherwise, they remain so focused on whatever the task at hand, they might miss your incredible widget.

One word: Context

As Faith Popcorn so aptly put it in EVEolution, (Hyperion, 2000) “Men and women differ in the way they receive and evaluate information. Women have retractable antennae that tune into multiple channels—scanning, hearing and seeing the world on all levels.”  For women, it’s about creating a solution around themselves, and context is queen.

Let’s ponder this question of context using the light fixture shopping experience as our example.  It is pretty likely that we have all experienced a day at Home Depot, and have noticed that they display many of their light fixture products within home-like vignettes.  There’s nothing like seeing a bathroom sconce on a wall as compared to visualizing how it might look in your house by staring intently at the box on the shelf.

Another effective way to present light fixtures in context is to place them in logical, yet unexpected places.  For example, how might a lighting manufacturer extend a brand into a woman’s peripheral vision?  Partnering with a high profile art gallery that needs high-end lighting for their exhibitions might be a great possibility.  Should offering your brand’s top of the line fixtures through the gallery’s gift shop be another consideration for context in unexpected places?  You better believe it. 

Never fear. Women easily make the translation to their own use.  Just think of how many women you know who buy the shampoo and hairbrushes that their stylist uses.  (Who me?)

Context Redux

In order to prove to you that we don’t just make this stuff up, I dug around for some specific and current examples that you can check out yourselves.

• The June 2002 issue of EPM’s “Marketing to Women” newsletter announced a very contextual promotion currently in effect at Bally Total Fitness centers.  Bally partnered with Unilever for an onsite sampling program with Dove Body Refreshers, and the club staff hand them out as women enter Bally locations for their workouts.  While these women won’t likely notice such a product as they hurry past shelves on their weekly grocery run, the idea of a product that helps speed them back to work after their much needed afternoon spinning class practically announces “just for you.”

• An online example I personally put to use in the past few days comes from the Benjamin Moore paint company web site.  They provide a color selector tool that really helps with that initial “do I want a rich blue or is a more reddish tone more my style” level of decision.  While the color selection is pretty limited, it truly helps to gauge the general direction you might want to go with your walls.  Plus, seeing the colors switch out in front of your very eyes exemplifies how significantly color can affect the tone of even their little virtual living room.  

Context Reigns

Marketers who honestly attempt to honor a woman’s priorities, preferences and daily life realities will be led to presenting their product more contextually and effectively to their typical female consumer.  Context starts with the question “how.”

I can already hear them saying: “You cared.  Oh really, you shouldn’t have. But, thanks a ton and please allow me to purchase a few more widgets!”

Links:

EPM’s Marketing to Women newsletter, subscription information:  http://www.epmcom.com/html/target.html#3  

Bally Total Fitness Centers: http://www.ballyfitness.com 

Unilever: http://unilever.com

Benjamin Moore’s Color Selector Tool: http://www.benjaminmoore.com/wrapper_clr.asp?L=color&K=interior&N=projclr

After writing the first draft of this article, I ran out to the local everything store (groceries, frames, automotive parts, jeans - you get the picture) and noticed a little bit of context in action.  The behemoth retail center with its plain cement sidewalks and zero landscaping suddenly had mini-planters full of all sorts of summer grasses, shrubs and annuals.  

Hmmm.  What was different?  I looked more closely and saw that all they had done was use the border blocks and potted plants they always sell and arrange them in context.  I actually took a moment and considered buying one of the plants because it had caught my eye when presented in that way.  The gardening section of this store had never previously made it onto my radar.

There you go.  Summer has begun, the heat is on out here in the Northwest (big news) and my mind keeps wandering to my yard.  I hope you are having fun too.

One more thing: Lea Goldman interviewed me for an upcoming Forbes article on how the book publishing industry is marketing to women. Whether or not I'm quoted, it will be an interesting piece. I'll remind you about it again when the issue hits the stands mid-summer.

Take care until next time,

Andrea


P.S. Yes!  Write me with your ideas, comments, or questions at: andrea@reachwomen.com