Why did that question come up? Because the woman asking it felt marginalized by the commercial she was talking about…and she was astonished that anyone in today’s market wouldn’t understand that woman buy a LOT of cars, hence…the bikini clad babes just weren’t doing it for her.

Therein lies the reason for this blog, for Michele Miller’s blog, for my blog, for all the books on marketing to women, and all the attention given to this topic. Marketers still don’t get it: more than 80% of the goods and services in THIS COUNTRY are bought by or influenced by, women. Of all ages, interests, and mindsets.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, when you market to a woman, you are marketing to all of her friends and family. But first, you have to identify and understand HER.

I think blogs are excellent examples in themselves, since different types of readers are drawn to different types of posts. I’ve been experimenting myself lately, trying out different writing styles and topics to register reaction (has to do with the direction of my next book). It’s amazing (and sometimes even predictable) what will ring someone’s bell, while ticking another person off.

Believe me – I’ll be banging the “marketing to personas” drum for a very long time. And while it took me a little longer than 6 hours to figure out everything there is to know about marketing, I still feel I’m ahead of just about everyone else… except us geniuses!

And, I go through the whole rationalization process about once a month re why the Mini-Cooper would be a great purchase, with different reasons, down to it’d fit better in my garage. Oh so logical, and ultimately oh so impractical. My boring old Jeep heap is long paid for; I don’t drive it that much since I don’t have a commute (and can walk to many things in my area); haul a lot of stuff, including huge bags of soil and rock; and I can still fit it in the garage. But, I know if I ever test drive one of those little darlins’ (especially the convertible model with stick shift), I’ll be hopelessly lost and will throw ‘em the Jeep keys with nary a backward glance…so, I avoid driving by the M-C dealership…;-)

There are a lot of smart marketers who understand not all women think alike, don’t have the same needs/values, and will not respond to the same message. But there are still MANY marketers that think of “women” as a small niche. (even in cases where they are the majority of their customers) Yes, it’s very important to understand the differences between men and women. Absolutely. That’s step one.

Step two is – among the women you are trying to talk to, what are the differences? That’s something I still see many marketers struggling with, in theory, and even more so in practice. How do you speak to different segments of your female consumers? OR, as we say at FutureNow, how do you speak to different personas?

Pearce asked for a specific exmaple – I have two women friends who own Mini Coopers. One fell in love with it for its minimalistic qualities. She is big on eco-friendly/green products and feels the Mini is a perfect reflection of those values.

My other friend thinks its a sporty fun look and a great drive. It matches her individualistic values and image of herself. She likes it for the “status” driving a BMW vehicle gives her.

Two women bought the car for very different reasons based on very different value systems.

I think it’s important for Mary and all of us to continue pounding this drum. It’s still too easy, and too common to see marketers treating all women as one “segment.”

Here’s the great thing about blogs – if I’m boring you – you don’t have to read it. And several of the posters over at GrokDotCom (including Holly who co-wrote The Soccer Mom Myth) read and recommend my blog. So, it’s a matter of choice and personal taste. I read and link to their posts – they read and link to mine, as do several other marketers, such as Michele Miller (co-author of Soccer Mom Myth). I find it helpful to read others perspectives and examples even when I already understand, for example, “always be optimizing.” Helps keep the ideas fresh and makes me more valuable to my clients.

Good for you if you got in six hours what many don’t ever get.

As for my being frustrated with poor marketing – I’m a marketing troubleshooter so my audience is people who want to learn, look at things differently and grok different perspectives. And, I also learn from fellow bloggers and commenters.

Good luck with your web business.

I want to reiterate that I again intend no hostility. I have been in marketing for less then 6 months. It took me less then 6 hours to understand how not targeting specifics is a waist of time. With that in mind I find it hard to see how others don’t understand that. It seems your experience greatly differs so I can see how you would be frustrated by poor marketing.

I can not be the only one who reads your blog, has read “The soccer mom myth” and reads Grockdotcom.com. So maybe I am not the only one who has heard that message too many times. As a suggestion maybe you can spice it up with example’s so you get the same message across from a different angle. Take for example Bryan Eisenberg, he is always preaching, “Always be optimizing” but it never feels like he is saying that.

And one more thing which I hope you don’t get to annoyed with. What if your audience are those who already understand that message. Just something to think about.

Thanks for commenting.

“Marketers worth their salary know…” Well, actually, there are many marketers that cost big money and don’t produce results (both in a company and as contractors).

And, many don’t know, particularly if they don’t “do marketing” for a living – that’s why people like me – and Holly Buchanan and Yvonne DiVita and Michele Miller and Andrea Learned…and, and, and…write about the same thing “over and over.” (same goes for people like Tom Peters, Seth Godin, and the crew at The Future Now.)

I’m not suggesting that “marketing to women” is wrong or evil. What I’m saying is you can’t generalize. It is “small groups” with which you can be most effective. Many don’t make that step from the general to the specific. They do a few lazy things like paint a product pink or surround it by babies in an ad and consider it “done.”

And, I just gotta ask, You say, “Now if your message is that you should not consider groups like women or men then I am strongly confused.”

What other groups are there???

P.S. Your comment reads a lot like splogging – but I’m giving you the benefit of a doubt.