Marketing to Women: Don’t Just Make It Pink

Is Your "Pink" More Than Skin-Deep?
Have you lost count of the number of companies who have slapped a coat of pink on their product, or suddenly started supporting breast cancer charities - when neither of these actions has any obvious, real connection to their brand? (Type "Pinkwashing" into Google, and scroll through the list that comes back.) Women have been the special targets of marketing and advertising campaigns for decades, because marketers often assumed they controlled most expenditures for their households. (This may still be true for some categories, but can you assume that yours is one of them?) So women have learned to spot condescension a mile away. Use some basic marketing logic and find out if women are truly a realistic target market for what your company offers. If it's reasonable and profitable to connect with the female market, be sincere. Build genuine relationships over time and be patient.

Allow time for discussion.
Women tend to ask more questions, especially at the beginning of the sales cycle. Your female prospective clients may want to talk about the pros and cons more. They may bring up more hypothetical situations, or dwell on how your offering compares with what your competitors offer. Don't feel threatened by this. It's not confrontation, conflict or too much caution. It doesn’t mean there’s a flaw in your product or your approach. It’s exploration. Make it your opportunity to re-emphasize the strengths of the service or product you’re offering. Instead of deflecting or downplaying this verbalizing, engage with it to get more insight into what hopes or worries lie behind these questions. Establish trust this way early, and you're likely to spend less time answering questions later in the process.
 
"Female" does not equal "spouse" or "with kids".
As of 2005, more women are living without a spouse, according to the New York Times. And according to a 2006 U.S. Census Bureau report, roughly 20% of women 35 to 44 years old have never had kids. What does this mean? A different kind of female consumer has emerged. One who can’t be viewed as just a portal to gain access to a hypothetical spouse, or her two-point-five children. Make sure your company's marketing speaks authentically to a female audience, and doesn’t put women in a stereotypical “busy mom” or “frustrated wife” box.
 
"Busy” is not the magic word.
The word “busy” is almost as overused as the color pink when trying to attract the attention of a female audience. Many marketers seem to think if they start their messages with “Gee, we’re all so busy these days!!”, every woman in earshot will drop what she’s doing, sigh in sympathy, and give her full attention to whatever statement follows that phrase. Sure, you could argue that women tend to feel obliged to take on a wider variety of tasks in both their personal and professional lives than men or children do. But if “busy” doesn’t mesh with the rest of your marketing messages, then it’s just a fake attempt to create a connection. And it’s a weak start to the dialogue your company really needs to have with women, if you hope to create a relationship that’s rewarding for both sides.