Marketing to women requires solid strategy, not just tactics. To really make an impact with women, you’ve got to commit to them—just like with any other initiative. When marketers introduce a new advertising campaign, launch a new product or sometimes even just add a product improvement, it’s a big deal. It changes everything: the message, the media, the motivational dynamics. The change permeates every element of the company’s communications.
Oddly enough, though, when marketing to women, some marketers seem to think that they can put a picture of a woman in one of their print ads and call it a day. That’s not a marketing strategy; that’s just plain ineffective. Take a gander at that “vintage” advertisement to the left. Believe it or not, marketing professionals sometimes have as many misconceptions about women now as they did then. (One of many questions this ad raises: Just how does she keep her nails so perfect while cooking all day??)
You might as well know up front: if you’re not ready to make a commitment to marketing to women, don’t expect them to come running into your arms. One delightful date is not enough to make a marriage. It would be foolish to think you can woo the women’s market with a single contact, a tentative program or a short-term outlook.
Only a comprehensive program, integrating several different tactics and creating numerous communication opportunities, can build the kind of brand presence you need to persuade a person. This is especially true when that person is a woman in search of The Perfect Answer.