WOMBAT Roundup: Woman Power

Here’s a Law of Marketing: If you aren’t marketing to women, you are going to fail.

And lest you scoff, this Law is on its way to becoming as ubiquitous as the Law of Gravity.

-- Fact: There are more women than men in every age sector, across the world.
-- Fact: In the U.S., women are the majority as small business owners and recipients of college degrees.
-- Fact: Women are the majority as online users and total amount of money spent in offline and online purchases.
-- Fact: Women influence anywhere from 60 to 90% of all purchases for items as disparate as furniture, cars, entertainment, clothing and insurance.
-- Fact: This majority—and its power—is going to rise in the coming decade.

Conclusion: If you aren’t marketing to women, you are going to fail.

So here’s where you should be looking to avoid the insipid marketing “strategies” known as “treating women like men in skirts”, “thinking pink” or “stereotyping women”:

Yvonne DiVita: Author of Dickless Marketing and a blogger with a reputation for a no-nonsense approach to marketing. Yvonne’s take on marketing, and how to tap into the power of women, can be discerned through her blog, Lipsticking, which features an intriguing blend of advice, interviews and personality. Not only is Yvonne on-target with her marketing advice, she is also looking to develop the next generation of business books through her Windsor Media Enterprises company, thus extending her influence in range and depth.

Toby Bloomberg: If the title of her blog—Diva Marketing—doesn’t give you a clue to her approach, you need to get rid of those blinders. Toby’s approach is more Grande Dame-meets-Mrs. Brady: elegant as a chandelier and warm as just-baked cupcakes, but it’s as effective as anything you’ll find in the business world. And yes, she is a Bloomberg (THE Bloomberg as far as The Jenius is concerned...) Toby doesn’t market so much as she shares, a crucial distinction that goes to the very heart of marketing successfully in today’s economy. To read her blog is like entering a cozy tea room with your favorite teacher: comfortable and enlightening.

Holly Buchanan: Senior Vice President of Client Services for FutureNow and a woman who sees marketing from the perspective of writing (copywriter) and “consuming” it, with a blog titled Marketing to Women Online. Holly tends to go directly to the nitty-gritty, like her multi-part analysis of the Pew Internet Report “How Men and Women Use the Internet”. She writes about everything from corporate strategy to marketing tactics with keen insight and a remarkable paucity of words. (The Jenius has been known to—ahem—use 17 words where maybe 10 will do.) Holly is direct, but gentle. No stridency here, folks: just candid viewpoints and valuable advice.

In fact, Yvonne, Toby and Holly are equally “non-strident”. Their voices are friendly and supportive, very much seeking a greater common good for all marketing campaigns. By approaching each of them, you will discover a larger world of blogs, websites and companies that are leading the way to powerful marketing, greater sales and stronger reputations.

And if you want to put it off, here’s a nudge: If you aren’t marketing to women, you are going to fail.

The Jenius Has Spoken.