EVEolution: The Eight Truths of Marketing to Women

Citation

Feldman Barr, T. (2002), "EVEolution: The Eight Truths of Marketing to Women", Journal of Consumer Marketing, Vol. 19 No. 1, pp. 74-82. https://doi.org/10.1108/jcm.2002.19.1.74.3

What a delightful read and an insightful commentary on women as consumers! In the most recent of the Popcorn “trilogy,” Faith Popcorn and Lys Marigold have focused our attention on a market that makes 80 percent of all purchase decisions today. Known in the industry as two of the best predictors of future trends, Popcorn and Marigold provide detailed information about the way women think and respond to marketing efforts. They examine women’s wants, needs and goals and elaborate on these in relevant detail that every business executive interested in his/her organization’s future should feel compelled to know.

Popcorn and Marigold build their book upon the premise that women are very different than men in multiple ways. In order to successfully sell to women, marketers must be not only aware of these significant differences, but thoroughly understand these dissimilarities and how they affect the way women respond to their organizations’ market offerings. Companies must take these differences into consideration as well when developing new products and servicing those products. EVEolution is the phenomenon of women‐directed change in the marketplace of the future, and it is a process which organizations must seriously consider should they hope to be successful.

The book is built on eight EVEolutionary Truths (p. 11) drawn from thousands of interviews with women conducted by Popcorn’s organization, BrainReserve. On completion of the project, Popcorn concluded something that she had long suspected: women are a neglected market with enormous economic potential. Not only do they make 80 percent of purchases, they head 40 percent of all households with assets of $600,000 or more, outearn their husbands in 22.7 percent of all dual‐income households, and buy 50 percent of all automobiles and computers sold (p. 7). This is not a niche market! Ignoring this market is risky at best. Successfully embracing this market requires information and understanding. Popcorn and Marigold provide important information and insights that encourage understanding.

The ten‐chapter book is an extremely easy read. Popcorn writes in a very conversational manner. She talks to you as if she is talking to one of her many well‐known clients. The book shatters some stereotypes of women (e.g. all women love to shop), and supports others (e.g. women love to talk), while at the same time, using these stereotypes as the impetus for changing the way organizations market to women. Chapter titles reveal the eight “truths.” Highlights from each chapter are provided here for readers to consider.

Chapter 1. “Connecting your female consumers to each other connects them to your brand.” Women shop differently than men do. They “join” brands, look for long‐term connections, and become intensely loyal. Providing the opportunity for women to connect to each other through your brand is a critical element in successfully marketing to women. Organizational Web sites designed to allow women to “talk” to one another are examples of how to accomplish this connectivity.

Chapter 2. “If you’re marketing to one of her lives you’re missing all the others.” Women are multi‐taskers, far more than most men. As a result, it is imperative that organizations understand the many lives that women lead, and help integrate them all through their products and services. Long‐term, loyal consumers have been gained by organizations and their brands that have been successful at helping women manage their complex and varied, multiple lives. These organizations become “indispensable” (p. 77). Think multi‐tasking and how your company might aid a woman’s organization of her multiple lives so she can succeed.

Chapter 3. “If she has to ask, it’s too late.” Organizations have to be proactive. They need to learn to anticipate women’s needs and wants. Women send lots of signals regarding their needs and wants but are unlikely to voice them directly. Organizations must be quick to pick up on these unspoken wants. Businesses must also anticipate needs and wants and create products to fulfill them long before women even know that the need exists. If they do not, they have lost the customer.

Chapter 4. “Market to her peripheral vision, and she will see you in a whole new light.” Women do not like “in‐your‐face” marketing. Marketing should be subtle, but not manipulative. It should be in the periphery of her multiple lives – there, in the background – when she needs it. Creating subtle “points of contact” (p. 114) that lead to an overall impression of your brand is the way to market to women.

Chapter 5. “Walk, run, go to her, secure her loyalty forever.” Women want convenience in their lives. According to Popcorn and Marigold, women no longer find shopping a relaxing experience. Therefore, anything that can be done to alleviate the need to go shopping will be a welcomed change. Make procuring your product or service easy!

Chapter 6. “This generation of women consumers will lead you to the next.” Women pass information along to their children. The next generation of loyal users of your product are the children of your current loyal users. And developing products for kids now, provides your organization with the opportunity to gain loyalty sooner. Popcorn calls it “brand‐me‐down” success (p. 162).

Chapter 7. “Co‐parenting is the best way to raise a brand.” Parenting comes naturally to women. Allow them to co‐parent your organization’s brands, products and services. Parenting is emotional. Encouraging an emotional attachment to your brand and your organization is a smart way to ensure loyalty. Include women in every aspect of business with your brand. Solicit, encourage, and then utilize their feedback. Listen to their suggestions. They then will share responsibility for your brand’s success.

Chapter 8. “Everything matters – you can’t hide behind your logo.” Women want to purchase brands that “recognize their needs, values, standards, and dreams” (p. 6). However, companies must look beyond their products, for women are far more concerned about the company behind the brand. A strong brand alone will not carry a company into the future. Women as consumers are concerned about the ethics of a company and its principles. They are not going to ignore the company’s polluting the environment, their use of child labor in underdeveloped economies, or the CEO’s marital infidelity. They are going to purchase from and be loyal to companies that reflect their own value systems and portray strong ethical standards.

Chapter 9. Provides an example of a company that is in desperate need of EVEolutionary progress. Popcorn highlights, or lowlights, Revlon as an organization which is suffering from a lack of understanding of their changing women’s market. The authors also provide ideas for how Revlon executives might turn the company around.

Chapter 10. Summarizes the eight truths, and identifies how Popcorn’s own organization has embraced and incorporated them into their corporate culture.

EVEolution is a fascinating look at women as consumers. It is a must read for everyone attempting to develop products and services for, and maintain professional relationships with, women.