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Reaching Female Audiences Online

Why Brands Are Missing the Mark and What They Can Do About It

Two Funny Brains www.twofunnybrains.com

Introduction

Studies show that women feel brands don’t “get” themo Mindshare/Ogilvy & Mather reports that 91% of women feel misunderstood

by advertiserso A 2012 Insights by Marketing study showed that out of 11,300 female

respondents, 91% also felt brands weren’t marketing to them effectively.o That’s pretty significant when you consider that women comprise 85% of

consumer spendingo Not to mention, 42 million women are online or on mobile an average of six

hours a day and 22% of them shop online at least once a day


Case Study: Ore-Ida


Case Study: Dove


What’s the Difference?

Ore-Ida assumed that ALL women watch caloriesand that we will only eat a food if it’s low-calorie

Dove kept it real and hit upon a common theme/hot button for women: self-acceptance

Dove acted like a “person,” not an advertiser


Why are Some Brands Getting it Wrong?

They’re stereotyping women as “all the same” (i.e. we all like pink, we’re obsessed with dieting, we’re all moms)

Their brand messaging is not taking into account that women’s needs and expectations have changed. Time is our biggest commodity. We want products and services that make our lives easier.

They’re not getting that women themselves have changed: We are more educated, higher earning, and media savvy than ever before


Why are Some Brands Getting it Wrong?

Product and service advertising is now more about storytelling (to keep shorter, online-centric attention spans engaged) and brands remain too focused on traditional advertising

Some brands are too focused on their products and not on how the product can SOLVE a women’s problems (lack of time is number one)


How Brands Can Address the Challenges

Get to know the female audience authenticallyo Do some social media listening and interacting to get

a feel for the language and hot buttons.o Put together a focus group of bloggers or active social

media users and ask them questions directly. o Hire a social media insider who works and plays online

with your audience.

Focus on the contento Woman are smart. Don’t talk down to us. o Make us laugh or make us cry (i.e. make us FEEL)


How Brands Can Address the Challenges Keep the message simple

o Focus on one or two key messages.o Get to the point quickly. o Don’t focus on a long list of features and

benefits. Women want to know the value the product or service will add to their lives (how will it make our lives easier or better).

Be realo Act as if you care about the audience’s needs,

not as if your product is doing them a favor

Focus on life stage, not ageo Not all 35-year-olds are married or have

childreno Not all 55-year-olds are getting ready to retire


Reaching Women Online: Strategies Engage, don’t broadcast

o When you enter conversations online via Twitter or Facebook, “hey there!” and “I’ve got this great new product!” won’t cut it. Read their tweets and say something that shows you’re listening and not just butting in.

Consult the insiderso Bloggers and social media influencers are your quickest in to this audience.

They are part of the conversations and know what their friends are thinking. It’s not enough to have a young “social media” user on staff, you need the real deal.


Reaching Women Online: Strategies

Be authentic and transparento Too many brands still use social media as another

brand interruption channel and mask their motives.

Have women craft the messageo Pure and simple: women get other women.

Tell storieso Create social videos (i.e. Dove), not ads.


Know the Audience: Social Listening Strategies

Search Twitter hashtags for topics related to your company’s product/serviceo For example, #icecream or #doglovero Listen to what is being said

Google related topics and search “Blogs” for real feedback on products, ads, etc.o You’ll find bloggers who’ve written about your type of service/producto Read what they’ve written


Know the Audience: Social Listening Strategies

Use Twitter listso Create a Twitter list of tweeters whose

voice/tweets you value.o Engage with them by tweeting links to their

blog posts or commenting on their tweets without self promotion.

Like related Facebook pageso If you sell a natural food product, like a

“Healthy Eating” Facebook page and see what links are shared and what commenters are talking about


Final Recommendations

Don’t ignore women over 50Don’t sweet talk or condescendBring real women into the consultation/messaging stagePlan a beta launch of trusted online users who will give

you honest feedbackMake the message short, shareable, and memorable


Thank You!

Website:o www.twofunnybrains.com

Twitter:o @twofunnybrains

Email:o [email protected]

Phone:o 213-810-9077

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