Radio News South Africa

Courting the lucrative women's market

Tom Peters has made a fortune teaching American marketing managers how to communicate with women. This mostly male-dominated sector still fails to understand the basic tenets of persuading women to invest in a particular product or brand. Unfortunately, when it comes to marketing to South African women, local marketers are often also in the dark - this time not Eskom's fault!
Courting the lucrative women's market

The overriding trend for 2008 is based on experiential branding.

Brands need to inspire an emotional response. From small coffee shops to big chain retailers, the need is to provide a unique experience if they wish to court and keep their customers.

Sheer sensory experience

When lately, if ever, have you walked into a local retailer and been bowled over with the sheer sensory pleasure of the experience? Whether this experiential factor is real or perceived, it simply must be there.

Women make 92% of all decisions regarding home and family, representing the overwhelming target market for most lifestyle-related products. Women, generally, are attracted to a shopping experience rather than the simple act of purchasing. They need to be drawn into a dialogue and not talked at, and that is when they are most receptive to any sales proposition.

In a medium-overtraded and message-overloaded environment, print advertising no longer delivers the desired return when it comes to response-driven advertising, of which declining circulations and ad revenues are a testament. And yet so many marketers continue to accept mediocrity from their print advertising: “Who cares if they don't have the necessary pull-through as long as we're creating brand awareness - right?”

Wrong!

So, how do you reach women?

Meaningful, relevant and measurable

Comparatively, US marketing managers commit a significant slice of their annual branding budgets to highly sophisticated live events that aim to engage their target audience in ways that are meaningful, relevant and measurable. More and more women are attending shows, workshops and networking events that deliver the multidimensional experience they look for. Women are often happy to visit their favourite coffee shop three times a week - not for the coffee but for the environment that makes it conducive to meeting and socialising with friends or colleagues.

Once the relationship is established through an experiential show, workshop, coffee shop or retailer, this can be supported by interactive media such as television, radio and by clever online and digital promotional mechanisms.

It is this mix of media that works: the experience, the dialogue and the word of mouth via digital networks that equals significant reach per rand investment, brand loyalty and bottom line growth.

Creativity, commitment and integrity

Live and interactive experiences require creativity, commitment and integrity from a marketing team. Mr Goodwrench is a US-based nationwide car service centre franchise that participates in women-focused experiential shows, inviting women for coffee and a free car inspection - yes, they even do minor repairs at these workshops and events at no cost! Isn't it obvious which company those women will use when their cars need a repair?

Here are some other good examples from American companies which have seized the opportunity:

Hotels that have women-only sections and have communal dining areas and a bar; an airline that uses only stay-at-home mums to sell their budget seats; and then there is Her Depot, a hardware store dedicated entirely to understanding and delivering on what women.

It's time to make the connection - it's all about the integrity of the experience!

About David Wolstenholme

Exhibition director David Wolstenholme is the CEO of SE Shows & Events and responsible for launching both The Women's Shows in Cape Town and Johannesburg, as well as the Natural & Organic Products Exhibition. The Women's Show debuts this year in Johannesburg at the Sandton Convention Centre, 25 - 27 April 2008. Go to www.thewomensshow.com or contact SE Shows & Events on tel +27 (0)21 671 0935.
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