Ready, Aim, Fire!

Being a female with sometimes dangerous shopping habits who will one day be (gasp!) in her 40-somethings, I am very intrigued on seeing how marketers may try to target me in the future. I was provided with the strategies to reaching and learning about the "baby-boomer" women of today (http://publications.mediapost.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=27667). While strategies may change in 20 or so odd years, I am sure some of the tactics used today will still be valid when I am pushing the big 5-0. How may marketers catch me in 20 years or how are they catching my mother right now??

First, women are chatty, everyone knows it. I am. So, many products rely on female word of mouth to get the exposure they need. While this is still the case today, the use of the Internet is changing marketing strategies. The article states, "While word of mouth remains in the mix, busy women are connecting on the Web, looking for kindred spirits to inform their buying decisions." Therefore, women are purchasing goods online more often or scoping out the Web for the newest and latest products. They are also talking about goods online, as well. Therefore, you need to appeal directly to the women and they will then do the rest, Yvonne DiVita, author of "Dickless Marketing: Smart Marketing to Women Online" (love the title, by the way), states: "If you put it in front of Jane, whatever the product is, she'll get it in front of the person who really needs it," DiVita says. So, catch boomer women off-guard while they are online. It could be the best place.

You also need to have a strong story line and strong way of being credible to boomer women, according to the article. Sounds like Seth Godin again to me! There are more 40 to 50-aged women in the U.S. than ever before and presenting them with the "next best thing" will get women talking and then get them buying. Knowing this, marketers speak directly to women and make them see a distinction in the product that sets it apart from similar products. You need to give boomer women the products that they "don't have to make an appointment for," and are not prepared to see. Sounds like it could be...yes, this may indeed be the case...

It is...ta-da! Product Placement! Throwing a product with a unique story behind it into the women's face or in a place where it is not expected (in a soap opera family room, on a talk show desk, in a chick flick cafe) may indeed get women talking or considering to check out the product. Women are gaining control these days and marketers are seeing this. So, find them, aim at them, and take fire. The shot will strike them and victory will follow!