Learned On | gender, consumer behavior and sustainability

Learned On...

Sustainability Is More Compelling for Men With Kids

I’m pretty sure Johnson & Johnson did not intend for their ad campaign to explain why people start to engage with sustainability, but I’m certainly using their tagline that way. “Having a Baby Changes Everything,” was by no … Read on >

Business Wisdom: Conflict-Free Gender Balance

“I think we exaggerate the degree to which the sexes are mired in conflict.” – Nicholas D. Kristof

Americans, with help from “the media,” tend to exaggerate problems due to a) tradition – such thinking is embedded in our DNA,  and/or; b) sexy “sound byte-itis” – such thinking makes … Read on >

Engaging Conventional Thinkers With Sustainability

It’s difficult to change thinking in a society that has been both quite patriarchal and quite unsustainably-minded for some time.  Considered from an anthropological view, these sorts of things could take hundreds, if not thousands, of years to evolve.  But still (!) – especially in marketing – the consumers are … Read on >

Kimpton: When “Marketing to Women” Serves Men (Well)

If ever there were an example of how true, women-focused customer experience development and marketing efforts could also resonate with men, it might just be Kimpton Hotels.  Long considered a pioneer and best practice example in the field of marketing to women, specifically, this chain is now a mass market … Read on >

Does Sex Sell (Pistachios), Redux

Raise your hands.  Who finds the image of a dominatrix sexy?  Who might aspire to Levi Johnston’s sex life?  And, who in the world is most likely to care about “Greg Brady’s” reality show or his much too graphic displays and intimate discussions with his “super-hot” young wife (egads – … Read on >

Marketing to Women’s Best Kept Secret? Relationship Books

What makes women and men behave the way they do or say what they say?  This question gets to the “art” that gets neglected in the “science” of the marketing to women field.  Interestingly, if you boil this idea down to its essence, it starts to look like marketers are … Read on >

Who Is Your Marketing to Women Authority?

Who, or what, really sold you on the marketing to women (aka M2W) opportunity for your business, and does that sales pitch need to come from a man?  I could say I’m about to get up on my soapbox, but it is not that I’m angry about it – just … Read on >

Campbell’s Speaks to Men – and Women

A Brandweek story on the revamped marketing effort of Campbell’s Chunky Soup is a great follow up to my recent post about Blue Nile.  The soup category is one that, like engagement rings, represents a gender split when it comes to defining the core customer.  In the case … Read on >

Are Traditional Industries Marketing to Women or Men (or Both)?

There’s a fear that often comes up within traditional industries when they begin to consider delving into marketing to women: how will our male customers, who we greatly value, respond?  It’s a valid hesitation, but one a lot more companies need to get over.  Take jewelry site, Blue Nile, … Read on >

Global Women’s Causes: Is Everyone Paying Attention?

No doubt there will be many a blog post this week singing the deserved praises of the comprehensive coverage the New York Times Magazine gave women’s rights – with much note going to the new book by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn.  While there is nothing new about … Read on >