* A Fresh Outlook on

*
Marketing to Women:
Moving away from the pull of the past and towards the push of the future.

A White Paper by:

Liliana Rodriguez, Franklin Street
Marketing, Richmond, VA &
Lisa A. McCluskey, Memorial Health
Care System, Chattanooga, TN

Have We Gotten it All Wrong?
Today’s rally cry is no longer why market to women, but how
to market to women. Because guess what: not all women are
the same, and it’s about time we try to find out who they
really are and what they really want. This may seem obvious,
but many marketers around the world still aren’t getting it
right. In industries such as automotives, home improvement
and electronics, marketers seem to lump women into one
category: the soccer mom who makes the majority of
household buying decisions. Same goes for healthcare: she’s
the healthcare decision maker of the household, but then
what? Why aren’t we delving deeper? Why aren’t we
rejecting stereotypes and actually trying to figure out the
different personas of women? Saying “women make most of
the household decisions” is not enough. We have to get to
know them and understand them in order to persuade
them. Because when it comes down to it, women want to be
taken seriously and have marketers understand their needs,
no matter what their age, income, education, marital status
or career may suggest.
Today’s Woman:
A Force to be Reckoned With
Marti Barletta, president of TrendSight and author of
Marketing to Women: How to Increase Your Share of the
World’s Largest Market, says, “Women are the no. 1
economic opportunity in America, the largest market
segment in the world, the chief purchasing officers of just
about everything consumer, corporate or small business—
and most importantly, there is no close second.”
Women control most of the consumer spending decisions
worldwide, and in the U.S. most of the corporate and
small-business spending decisions as well.
Household Income:
* Women bring in at least half of the income in 55%
of U.S households.
* In 27% of U.S. households, single women are the
sole earners.
* 30% of working wives earn more than their
husbands.
Consumer Spending:
* Women operate as the “chief purchasing officers”
in almost all households, and they are estimated to
make 80% of all household buying decisions.
* In addition to traditional female categories of
spending, women are responsible for more than:
* 50% of all do-it-yourself purchases.
* 51% of electronics.
* 89% of bank accounts.
* 80% of healthcare.
Corporate Spending:
* In corporations, they constitute 50% of managers
and professionals.
*
Women have accounted for 70% of all privately
held start-ups and small businesses over the last 15
years.
Women and the Internet:
* Women account for 60% of Internet users.
* They use the Internet to manage their lives, from
shopping to health and wellness research, to social
networking and paying bills online.
Word of Mouth:
*
Women are 3x more likely to share personal stories
with a friend than men.
*
64 million US women regularly share advice on
products or services.
*
25 million of them wield their influence online via
blogs and social networking.
These statistics clearly show that women cannot be seen
as a niche, but rather the majority of your audience. But
in order to truly connect with our women, we must delve
a little deeper. We must identify, understand and
appreciate their personas to help us create relevant
messages that will stick.
Marketers must understand that women are elusive.
Today’s woman is modern and confident, yet still holds
onto some of the traditions of the past. So while they
don’t want to be associated with the nuclear family of the
‘50s, they also don’t want marketers to assume they are so
modern that they don’t value traditional family roles.
Marketers must move away from the status quo and
towards a fresh approach that mirrors the attitudes and
thinking of the current female segment.
Past, Present and Future
To help us get to know the woman inside the mother,
wife, grandmother, caregiver and daughter, let’s take a
trip down memory lane and review who women were
then and compare it to who they are now.
The last thing a woman wants is to feel is pigeonholed into
a segment or stereotype. As Fara Warner, author of The
Power of the Purse, suggests, there is a bit of tension between
the past and the present. While women continue to hold a
stronger position in the corporate world and choose to be
single, they still hold onto some of the traditional roles and
responsibilities of the past. They cherish family and friends
yet push hard up the corporate ladder. They hope for the
engagement ring even though they may out-earn their
potential husbands in the workforce. Understanding this
natural tension between the past, present and future that
many women face is a big step towards brand loyalty.
1
Unfortunately, many marketers still hold onto a definition
of the nuclear family where men’s and women’s roles are
clearly defined. As we all know, we are entering into a
brave new world full of technological, social, economic
and environmental changes that aren’t conducive to the
nuclear family model of the 1950s. Our culture is one
1950s: Leave it to Beaver:
Ward and June Cleaver—
they represented the perfect
nuclear family. Back then,
80% of Americans
were married.
1960s: Gloria Steinem:
The ultimate feminist,
one of the first popular
culture “liberal” female
role models, proving
that women can work
and make it big in the
man’s corporate world.
* According to Business Week, in 2000: 50% of
Americans lived in non-traditional family structures
where the heads of the household weren’t married.
* Over 60% of women over the age of 16 worked.
* 78% of adults receiving long-term care at home get
their care from unpaid family and friends.
*
Women spend 50% more time providing care than
male caregivers.
*
48% of couples lived together unmarried.
So, what does all of this mean?
It’s no longer enough to know that women are the most
important consumers with a lot of money to spend.
It’s no longer enough to know that women influence
that uses iconic individuals to represent each decade of
change. Here’s an overview of the icons and the women
they represent. By reviewing them, two important points
emerge. One, not all women fit into the icon mold, and
two, we truly are a part of an ever-changing, often unpre-
dictable society.
1980s and 1990s: The Supermom
who could have it all: Career, mini-
van, children and a husband who
didn’t help around the house. Baby
Boom, Mr. Mom, and Working Girl are
examples of movies that epitomize
the Supermom.
2000s: Revolutionary
America: Taking the best
of what prevailed and
combining it with the
freedoms and greater
ideals of today.
80% of buying decisions.
And it’s no longer enough to know that 77% of women
make the healthcare decisions of the household, an
acknowledgement that often passes for an understanding
of the female healthcare market.
The future requires a deeper understanding of how the
trends in women’s social and economic status will
continue to transform women and the world around
them. Once we understand this, we can train ourselves to
think outside and beyond the “icon” of the decade and
be the leaders in how to attract women to a brand or
product.
2
5 Strategic Indicators to Help Gauge What Women Respond To
Not only is it important to review the female personas of
* Show her emotion.
the past and present, we must also analyze the differences
in marketing strategies between the old and the new. The * company is achieving a greater good.
Show her how she can help others or how your

social and economic changes of our society directly affect

how we speak to women. These changes are often the
catalyst for why women’s roles and relationships change,
therefore affecting their attitude towards a retailer’s service
or product.
Following are five simple ways to weigh the strategic
indicators of the past and present and help you put
yourself in the shoes of the elusive female.
4. Old Way: Quantity / New Way: Quality
Because of advances in social and economic freedoms for
women, they are a bit elusive. They are who they want to
be; their personas are no longer defined by the once
idealistic June Cleaver. They make informed decisions on
product and services based on their individual interpreta-
tion of a better quality of life.

* Don’t emphasize the “do more, buy more, be more”

mentality.
* Women
1. Old Way: Ideal / New Way: Real
want a quality experience with every
Instead of emphasizing idealistic portrayals of women’s
product or service. Show her how to simplify life so
bodies as model-thin (with no context for women who
she can relish in the quality of her life.
weren’t size 2 or 20-years-old), the new way emphasizes
beauty as an internal expression, with all body types and
all ages welcome. 5. Old Way: Features / New Way: Purpose

* Show
Don’t assume women are OK with a smaller version of a
emotion.
* Immerse her in your brand through context.
man’s product. At the same time, they do not want to be
Talk with her, not at her.
*
pointed out as “unique.” Today’s woman wants a service
or product to both function as she hopes it will and be
safe and purposeful for her and her family.

* Women
2. Old Way: Control / New Way: Power
Ignore the stereotype for the 80s and 90s that all women
are harried, harassed and in search of timesaving tools.
*
The new way castes women as the CEO of the household,
who exercises the power to make informed decisions for
*
herself and her family. These decisions are made both
with her heart and her mind.
do not want to feel like you’re selling them
a smaller or pink version of a man’s product or
service.
Don’t boast to her with fancy facts and figures, she
won’t make an emotional connection.
Like men, women base 85% of their decisions on
emotional factors.

* Allow the marketing to empower her to make the

best decisions.
Using these five observations can help evaluate if your
strategy to reach women tends to pull your audience back
* Recognize she makes decisions both rationally and
emotionally.
towards attitudes of the past or push them towards the
new and improved way of evaluating their lives.

3. Old Way: Fear / New Way: Hope

The old way emphasized fear and guilt tactics to cajole
women into purchasing products and services, such as a
fear that she isn’t beautiful enough or isn’t providing her
children with nutritious meals. The new way offers
women options for improving their lives through products
and services. Also, women appreciate and connect with
corporate responsibility; they find hope in companies that
are doing their share of improving and sustaining
today’s world.

* Fear and guilt tactics do not work; in fact, they

alienate women.
* Give her options for improving her life through
products and services.

3

So Who’s Doing it Right,
and How Do They Do It?
As mentioned before, most healthcare marketers have only
touched the surface of marketing to women; most don’t
think beyond the concept that 80% of women are the
healthcare decision makers. But don’t worry, we aren’t too
far behind some of the best marketers to women.
DeBeers quickly picked up on the trend that women in
America were staying single longer, either because of a
successful career, or because social and economic changes
over the past 50 years have allowed them to realize that
they do not need to marry in their early 20s. They can
focus on careers, travel, and personal passions while
looking for Mr. Right.
In 2003, DeBeers launched the Right Hand Ring campaign
that reached this persona perfectly: women are powerful,
independent and financially able to buy themselves a
diamond ring, yet they maintain and hope for traditions,
like the love of their life presenting them with an
engagement ring. The right hand ring represents empow-
erment and success, while the left hand still represents
love and commitment.
Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty is another great example
of how a company used the right strategic indicators to
connect with women. The campaign talks to women in a
real way giving them hope and confidence both in their
own beauty and in the Dove products.
Nike launched NikeWomen in 2001, a campaign and
cultural shift that changed the way we perceive female
athletes. They realized female athletes are feminine, but
tough, and they wanted their running shoe and sports
bras to perform the way they do. Nike began to develop
products build for a woman’s body, and went away from
creating a pink version of a successful man’s running shoe.
These companies have been successful in marketing to
women because they looked beyond the stereotypes and
typical gender roles that have been popular for decades.
They were not afraid of taking risks to try to capture the
elusive female audience. The strategic indicators men-
tioned above are in line with how DeBeers, Dove, and
Nike found relevancy with women. For some, the product
needed to be changed; for others, the product had been
around for decades. It was just a matter of speaking to
women in a real, honest way.
What’s interesting is that even the leaders of the industry
hadn’t been doing it right—it’s only been five or so years
since they’ve broken through the status quo. This is good
news for healthcare marketers­—we are not that far behind.
Here’s a closer look at some of the leaders in marketing
to women.
DeBeers
Today, 60% of women are in the workforce and a growing
number of them are choosing to stay single and live
alone. These changes in women’s economic and social
status have provided them with many choices and
opportunities that were once off-limits. While today’s
woman is strong, independent and financially stable, her
ties to traditional roles that once defined her as wife and
mother remain. Now, women decide when, how and if
they work in a family or career or both.
Once DeBeers realized that women hold onto American
Family traditions (marriage in particular) but lead
independent, career-minded lives, the outcome was
remarkable.
DeBeers couldn’t keep advertising the “I love this
woman” man-on-one-knee engagement ring commercials
without alienating the group of women who were
choosing the path of career and single life. However, at
the same time, DeBeers could not risk alienating the
traditional women by switching gears completely.
Creating the Right Hand Campaign tapped into both
audiences. The ads so clearly spoke to both sets of
women—those who longed for the left hand engagement
ring and those who had the means to give themselves a
diamond ring but were still traditional enough to want a
man to give them the engagement ring.
The right hand ring was created with diamonds, of
course, but DeBeers made sure the right hand ring stood
out. The styles of the rings are vertical, instead of the
traditional horizontal shape. They also sport clusters of
diamonds as opposed to the traditional solitaire. A
woman wearing a right hand ring epitomizes a confident,
successful female who lives in the moment, yet respects
the values and traditions she grew up with.
A diamond is forever, whether it’s on the right hand or
the left hand. However, DeBeers’ thoughtful campaign
moved beyond a generalized statement or stereotype. It
captured the essence of how the changing social, econom-
ic and technological world affects their core and most
important audience.
By moving towards talking to women in a more inclusive
way that demonstrates both power and honesty, DeBeers
is able to talk to both female audiences they seek to
connect with. In fact, their honesty with audiences on
both sides of the diamond fence (traditional and indepen-
dent) allows the message and the product to stick with
both. From a woman’s perspective, finally, someone
understands who they are and what they want.
4
Results:
* By 2004, women buying diamonds rose by 11%.
* By 2005, the right hand ring became a $4 billion
market.
Example of DeBeers Right Hand Ring print advertising
of the Campaign for Real Beauty focused on public service
announcements and awareness of body and beauty image
issues with young girls. Dove’s mission is clearly defined
through its initiatives like the Self-Esteem Fund, which
helps educate and motivate girls with eating disorders and
low self-esteem. It openly admits that its own industry is a
big culprit of putting body image pressure on young girls
today. Small portions of every Dove product sale go
towards educational workshops around the country,
helping young women uncover their true beauty, feel
happy with themselves and ignore the narrow view of the
rest of the beauty industry.
The Web plays an enormous role in the Campaign for Real
Beauty. The microsite features an entire viral campaign
with mini movies, testimonials, ways to volunteer for the
self-esteem fund and tips and advice from both real
women and experts.
Results:

Dove
* Dove’s strategy was so out of the box that it
benefited from free publicity. $4.6 million in media
was generated from free press coverage alone.

*
Dove took a risky approach to reach women by taking a
By 2004, the firming lotion sales exceeded forecasts
stab at its own industry, which continues to feature
by 110% (includes both U.S. and Europe).

*
20-something models with unrealistic body images. Dove
Website visits:
*
realized that although women may want to “lose 10
4.5 million users have logged on since 2005.
*
pounds” or “hope for blemish-free skin,” the use of
The average length of stay is 5 minutes.

*
unrealistic models in advertising was not resonating with
The average number of pages viewed is seven.
the target female audience. Women today do not
associate beauty with the Barbie mold of the 50s. And,
more importantly, a product does not define how Examples of Dove’s print advertising campaign
beautiful a woman is. Today beauty is individuality,
honesty and openness.
Dove began to feature real women in its advertising as it
launched the Campaign for Real Beauty in 2004 to widen
the narrow definition of beauty the industry had set. Not
only were women of all sizes and ages, with imperfections
and blemishes, on all Dove’s new advertising, they were
all shown in their underwear. The women featured are
clearly comfortable with their imperfections and proud to
display those beauty marks, which become a mark of who
they really are.
Dove’s advertising also pointed out that all its beauty
products are tested on “real curves.” Women connected
with this campaign because they saw themselves in these
women; they reminded them of their sisters, friends and
neighbors, and with that came a sense of loyalty, comfort
and familiarity.
Women connect more with a company that provides
them hope—either for their family or for the larger
community. Another reason why Dove has been so
successful reaching women is because of its commitment
to social and corporate responsibility. The second prong

5
NikeWomen a look at some of the leaders in healthcare that have begun
It wasn’t until 2004 that Nike realized women athletes to pave the way towards female consumer brand loyalty.
and sports fans were not like male athletes and sports
Mount Carmel Women’s Center, Ohio
fans. Women did not want a pink version of a man’s
This spot opens up with a montage showing real women’s
running shoe or athletic apparel. They weren’t idolizing
breasts—fully clothed, of course—and pokes fun at breasts
professional sports teams the way men did, and they
being the most gawked at and talked about body part in
certainly didn’t want to be seen as girly, petite female
the history of humanity. It uses humor and lighthearted-
athletes playing men’s sports.
ness to talk to women about the importance of breast
Nike finally approached young female athletes with a health screenings. Instead of scaring women into getting a
“feminine but tough” strategy. Shoes and apparel were mammogram, this spot tells us the facts in a real way, the
tested on real women’s feet and bodies. Nike figured out way girlfriends might talk about breast health to each other.
that women still wanted a fashionable look with quality It uses honesty and humor to relay a hopeful message that
and purpose—it had to keep up with their endurance and this health system offers breast health excellence.
physical performance.
Nike is also in the middle of launching NikeWomen retail
stores across the country. Women no longer have to walk
to the back of a Nike store to find the women’s section.
These stores will be solely dedicated to meet every female
athlete’s needs and desires.
Following is an example of a print ad that succeeds in
targeting the “feminine but tough” females by speaking to
them in a real and accurate way that depicts who these
young, powerful female athletes really are. This ad is
Nike’s way of letting these women know Nike finally gets
what they want.

Park Nicollet Health System, Minneapolis, MN

This ad for the system’s breast center focuses on real
women with real issues. This campaign not only gives
a nod towards the busy multi-tasker, but takes it a
step further to offer a convenient solution for how she
can quickly squeeze in a mammogram. Unlike the
clinical or scare tactics approach, this ad shows that the
health system understands who she is and what she
So How is All This Relevant to is hoping for: a health solution with a meaningful and
Healthcare Marketing? easy-to-grasp purpose.
It’s important to get inspiration from marketers outside
of healthcare, because let’s face it—women form loyalty
and brand recognition with retailers much more often
than they do with a healthcare system. As we study the
non-healthcare industries that are marketing to women
well, we can incorporate strategies that have been
successful in building relationships with these women
and begin to turn the tables on healthcare brand loyalty.
Looking at our 5 strategic trends (Real, Control, Hope,
Quality and Purpose), we can apply the new ways of
marketing to women across all industries. Now let’s take

6
Martin Memorial Health Systems, Florida
This campaign demonstrates a lighthearted, yet
informative approach to serious ailments such as stroke,
cancer and heart disease. The health system researched
what women were used to seeing from their favorite
retailers— color, patterns, attitude and imagery, and
incorporated fresh, modern elements into its service
line and event marketing.
This fresh approach speaks to women in a real way, the
way she would to her best girlfriend. By showcasing pow-
erful, confident, real women and providing useful health
and wellness tips, the target audience gained a sense of
empowerment.
This resulted in trust, loyalty and the establishment of
this health system as the women’s choice in the area. Mar-
tin Memorial also saw a 25:1 return on investment from
its event marketing campaigns.
7
Key Implications About the Authors
1. Talk to your women Liliana Rodriguez is the account supervisor at Franklin
* They know what they want and if you ask them,
they’ll help you.
Street Marketing in Richmond, Va., a full-service market-
ing agency that specializes in healthcare marketing. She

* Informal, “feedback groups” with women provide

spring boards for spontaneity. They can help you
create more transparent, empowering and
compelling messages that your female audiences
want to hear and will trust.
has extensive experience in developing integrated,
strategic marketing initiatives targeted to women and
baby boomers. She also oversees the agency’s customer
relationship management services.

*
Before Franklin Street, Liliana lived in New York City
Remember that today’s women seek information
and worked on marketing and advertising efforts for both
and readily share what they have read in health
Columbia Business School and the American Museum of
or self-help books, women’s magazines and on
Natural History. Liliana has been a guest lecturer at
the Internet.
Virginia Commonwealth University’s Undergraduate
2. Debunk stereotypes Healthcare Marketing and PR class, as well as received

* Appreciate how quickly our social and economic

environment changes. The changing environment
makes the female market more elusive. That’s why
it’s essential to stay on top of female consumer
trends to avoid getting wrapped up in stereotypes.
3. Focus on purpose, not features
recognition for marketing campaigns from Aster, Addy
and Virginia’s Society for Healthcare Marketing and
Public Relations. She is a graduate of Boston College,
Carroll School of Management.
Liliana can be reached at Rodriguez@franklinstreet.com.

* Women want to be in control of their healthcare

destiny, and they are hoping your brand will help
Lisa McCluskey is vice president of marketing and
communications at Memorial Health Care System in
them find the answers they are looking for. Chattanooga, Tenn. Prior to her recent promotion, Lisa

* By positioning your brand with a wellness and life-

style solution rather than just a product or service-
centric approach, you are building her trust because
she sees you understand what is important to her.
4. Always evaluate how you talk to women
was director of marketing and communications for
Martin Memorial Health Systems, the largest health
system on Florida’s Treasure Coast. She oversaw a team of
marketing and public relations specialists, graphic
designers, and marketing reps that build the system’s

*
brand while growing share of market. Her strategic tiered
The ever-changing social and economic trends will
approach to physician marketing aligned physician
effect how she responds to your product or service.

*
practice building with corporate goals resulting in more
Remember and refresh the “new way” of reaching
than 30 percent overall increases in charges.
the female audience.

* Talk to her with honesty and openness. An effective communicator, Lisa has received the

* Show her how your product or service can provide

her and her family hope towards achieving a
international Award of Excellence in the Communicator
Awards competition for Martin’s community magazine,
healthy quality of life. For Your Health. She also led her team to recognition by
Aster, Apex, the Service Industry Awards, Florida Public
Relations Society and AdFed for her campaigns.
Parting Thoughts Lisa has a Masters in Business Administration from Nova
Women are the majority consumers for all things
Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., and a
healthcare and non-healthcare. We can no longer assume
Bachelor of Arts from Marycrest International University,
as marketers that knowing a common statistic about
Iowa.
women means we really know them. We must study and
talk to women in order to know what they want, and Lisa can be reached at Lisa_McCluskey@memorial.org.
more importantly, how they want to be marketed to.
If you have comments or a story to share about marketing
to women, we would love to hear from you. Email us at the
addresses below.

8
Acknowledgments
Marti Barletta. (2006). Marketing to Women: How to
Understand, Reach, and Increase Your Share of the World’s
Largest Market Segment. Chicago: Kaplan.

Emma L. Carew. (June 14, 2008). “New Medical Ad

Focuses on Speed and Convenience for Patient.” Star
Tribune: Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn. (http://www.
startribune.com/business/19933084.html).

Jenny Cordina and Shubham Singhal. (June 2008).

“What Consumers Want in Health Care.” McKinsey
Quarterly. (http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/Health_
Care/Strategy_Analysis/What_consumers_want_in_
health_care_2145).

Pam Danziger. (2006). Shopping: Why We Love It and How

Retailers Can Create the Ultimate Customer Experience.
Chicago: Kaplan.

“Internet is the Essential Medium for Women.” (June

2007). Burst Media Online Insights. (http://www.
burstmedia.com/assets/newsletter/items/2007_
06_01.pdf).

Kelly McCormick. (May 6, 2008). “Gender Bender:

Motivate Your Sales Force to Sell to Women in Four Easy
Steps. (http://www.managesmarter.com/msg/content_
display/sales/e3iaa484be5224a3bf42428bffd3dac0951
?imw=Y).

Michele Miller and Holly Buchanan. (2007). The Soccer

Mom Myth: Today’s Female Consumer: Who She Really Is.
Why She Really Buys. Austin, TX: Wizard Academy Press.

Fara Warner. (2005). The Power of the Purse: How Smart

Businesses Are Adapting to the World’s Most Important
Consumers-Women. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Ethan Watters. (2003). Urban Tribes: A Generation

Redefines Friendship, Family, and Commitment. New York:
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