Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Women as consumers are different from men as consumers in so many ways! Men are more direct-driven to their destination goal, while women meander and enjoy the journey. Women are multi-taskers and jugglers trying to stay in control while working hard at many different things in their life. Importantly, they make over 80% of healthcare decisions either for themselves or a loved one

1. Involve women in "co-parenting" or creating your messages with you.



Informal, interactive and conversational marketing methodologies provide springboards for spontaneity to help create a more transparent, empowering and compelling messages your audience (women) hear and trust. This is one of the most effective marketing to women strategies. Remember, women love to share ideas, spontaneous feelings, dreams, fears and most of all information. Today's women are seeking information on-line and readily sharing what they read on-line as well as in health or self-help books, and women's magazines. In fact, women are a marketer's secret weapon for creating conversations that spark dialogue, inspiring others to consider a new product or service.

To create a dynamic exchange of information and ideas and to maximize spontaneity, host a "conversational marketing" forum in intimate and comfortable settings such as coffee lounges, retail outlets, spas and wellness centers, living rooms and restaurants.

2. Position your lifestyle, health or healthcare message in a woman's "peripheral vision."



Neither a full frontal attack nor splashy, expensive product or service-focused advertising will capture a woman's attention and loyalty. Marketing to women successfully requires a careful consideration of their beliefs and values. This includes:

• Identifying creative approaches to connecting with the social and community causes that are important to women

• Aligning your brand's essence and key messages to those social and community causes

• Reinforcing the role of a total wellness and lifestyle solution, rather than a product-centric or service-centric brand approach

3. Target women in "life stages", not "age stages".



Identify the life stages, your targeted women prospects are living in today. For example, your targeted women prospects may be in their fitness phase, -- the phase that usually takes place early in a woman's life when it's all about her own healthy body. Your prospects could be in their "family-centric" stage, which normally ranges from the early 20's to the 40's, when family comes first and children are growing, or she could be in the discovery stage which is more about the woman refining and expressing who she is. Or, your targeted women prospects may be a seasoned woman who is experiencing a surge in vitality in her love and sex life after 50.

4. Think mother-daughter bonding.

Strong intergenerational influences can be found between women and their daughters, and between women and their mothers. Information and advice, especially related to healthcare, is solicited. It flows freely from one generation to another. Reinforcing this idea, Medelia Monitor Research recently revealed that 64 percent of women surveyed talk with their mothers on a daily or weekly basis. More than 41 percent say their moms are their best friends.

About the Author

With an extensive background in healthcare public relations, marketing, advertising and medical education, Kelley Connors, President of KC Healthcare Communications, can help your company or organization create directo-to-women marketing programs that engage advocates and influencers. She has become widely recognized for her development of Real Women on Health! an interactive forum that helps companies spark dialogue with consumers, caregivers, patients and healthcare professionals, especially women. If you're a hospital, pharmaceutical company, medical device, or health and wellness company looking to secure market share and influence, go to http://www.kc-health.com and email kelley@kc-health.com