Marketing to Women: How to Get it Right

During the past decade, we’ve seen historically “masculine” brands and products, from motorcycles and hardware to beer and professional sports teams, seek growth by marketing to women. The list is long and getting longer: Harley-Davidson. Home Depot. Under Armour. The National Football League. The Boy Scouts. And that’s just for starters. Success in engaging women consumers often lives or dies in marketing execution. No matter the good intentions behind a marketing strategy, getting the execution wrong is serious business. Mistakes can go public — or viral — all too easily. So, what’s the best way to avoid mistakes and connect with the world’s most powerful consumers?

Whether you're embarking on a women-focused campaign for the first time or taking your efforts to the next level, consider these helpful best practices: 

• Conduct your own research before launching a campaign. It’s surprising how many people skip this crucial step. Don’t be tempted. Research can help you uncover billion-dollar insights (Procter & Gamble's Swiffer® was borne out of ethnographic research, for example), and test messages to make sure they're effective (at best) and not taken in a way you never intended (at worst). Unintentional stereotyping and euphemisms can die merciful deaths in qualitative research. There are now more ways than ever to conduct research quickly and affordably. Find the way that works for you. 
• Resist the three P's: Pink, Patronizing and Passive. Women tend to be wary of marketing approaches that depict them as “other.” Unless you're raising money for breast cancer causes, think twice before relying solely on the color pink to market gender-neutral products. And while we’re here, resist using cliché images like stilettos and purses to symbolize women (unless you're actually selling those products) and proceed with caution when using the word "ladies" in your messaging, especially if you are a historically "masculine" brand that's new to marketing to women. Depending on your tone, it may be viewed as outdated or even patronizing by your target customers. (If in doubt, test in research.) From a visuals standpoint, make it your goal to depict women actively rather than passively, and show diversity across multiple dimensions, from age and ethnicity to body type and lifestyle.
•  Include women on your marketing teams, both internally and with agency partners. Common sense? Yes. Common practice? Not necessarily. Gender is often a blind spot, even when a campaign or product is being created for a female audience. Research shows that gender-balanced teams lead to greater results. Diversity is smart business. 
• Audit your retail and distribution channels. Are women actively shopping in the places your product is sold? If not, you may need to expand into new channels for your marketing campaigns to be successful. 

There is no doubt: women’s consumer domination is here for the long term. Wherever you are in the journey, it’s never too late to engage the world’s most powerful consumers. 

A version of this article originally appeared in Forbes. To learn more, check out my books, Winning Her Business and Why She Buys, and follow me here on LinkedIn. Interested in having me speak at your company? Check out my programs at www.bridgetbrennan.com and get in touch at info@bridgetbrennan.com.