Aaron Baar, a writer for Media Post News’ Marketing Daily, called a couple of weeks ago to get my opinion on the newest Virgin Mobile TV spots. At the time, I had not yet seen them, so he gave me a link to the “Shopping” one shown above. At first glance I had very little to say. I did agree that it must be about “guy humor” because there was no connection for me, whatsoever. But to be honest, I simply didn’t get it.

So, I watched it again. Still, no connection. What I do get is that they are saying women never shut up. And… so much so that they take their mouths off and leave them running when they lay their phones down. Creepy!

Then I did a search for the rest of the campaign. After watching the other two spots, I disliked the concept more. Even the production value “as the women take their mouths off” looks like something you would see on COPS when they don’t show the face of a minor or they are covering an inappropriately exposed body part.

The forced attempt at humor left the ads confusing, convoluted and not at all funny. As a matter of fact, the more I tried to understand the ads, the creepier and more inappropriate they became. They talk about having affairs with married men, open wound infections and chewing someone else’s unidentified gum. Plain wrong, disgusting and gross.

Who are they talking to?
According to Baar, these ads are specifically targeted toward the 18-34 female. I think they completely missed the mark. Admittedly, I do not fall into the 18-34 female age range they were aimed at, so I decided to ask others how they felt. To date, I have found no females in that age group who even remotely like the ads. I haven’t even found guys that like them.

So, is it just me? Check out the other two below. I’d love to know what you think.

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Stephanie Holland is President and Executive Creative Director for Holland + Holland Advertising, Birmingham, Alabama. Working in an industry that is dominated by men, she is one of only 3% of the female creative directors in the country. Stephanie works mostly with male advertisers, helping them successfully market to women. Subscribe to She-conomy by Email

“Consumers are turning to mobile, online and social media during their entire holiday shopping experience,” said Stacy Janiak, Deloitte vice chairman.

And what will they be looking for? Deals, gift ideas and wish lists. This is a great opportunity for brands to engage with women. Make sure you are on her wish lists and implement clever ways to have her share your coupons.

According to e-Marketer, Deloitte found that, overall, 17% of consumers would use social media during their holiday shopping this year. And just over one-half of that group was ages 18 to 29.

Deloitte found even more consumers—19%—plan on using the mobile channel for their holiday shopping. Most will be looking up store locations, and 25% plan to make a holiday purchase over mobile.

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Stephanie Holland is President and Executive Creative Director for Holland + Holland Advertising, Birmingham, Alabama. Working in an industry that is dominated by men, she is one of only 3% of the female creative directors in the country. Stephanie works mostly with male advertisers, helping them successfully market to women. Subscribe to She-conomy by Email

“Today many retailers find that their most immediate issue is working their way back out of discount-driven brand-price erosion.”

This really shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone. Learning that consumers were seeking lower prices, many marketers hastily responded with what they “assumed” that meant to women. Companies simply offered discounts, coupons and slashed pricing with little regard to their brand, but more importantly with little understanding of women. As a result, companies have devalued their brands and will now have to spend a great deal of money to restore it.

They weren’t hearing what women were truly seeking – a friend or a partner who would empathize with them through the stressful and challenging recession. I am not suggesting that reduced pricing is not part of the solution, but brand value must be communicated consistently and how the savings are delivered creates the fine line between compromising your brand and winning the short-term purchase as well as the long-term trust and loyalty of women. A January 2009 Marketing Week study conducted by HPI about the effects of the Recession on women, revealed:

• Brands need to communicate they are on women’s side
• Brands need to balance messages with both optimism and empathy
• If you’re a premium brand you can’t suddenly claim to be cheap, but you can make sure they understand the value you offer in terms of the quality of the brand

Highlights of Chris’ article including his suggested steps to slowly return to profitability are noted below. I would add: ALWAYS keep the female in mind. It could help you prevent discounting mistakes other companies have made, or even speed the brand rebuilding process.

Most companies did a fair amount of discounting damage in 2008 and 2009 to merely survive. While this strategy addressed an immediate, sometimes dire, business situation, brands also taught the consumer to wait for a discount. Many brands have set new low-bar expectations for the consumer on what a good price, good deal and good offer is. And while 2010 will certainly not be the year we “get back to normal,” it is the year that many brands have to rethink their discount and pricing strategy to slowly return to higher profitability.

Step 1 – Assess the damage.
For instance, your best consumers have changed their buying patterns in frequency and/or average ticket, eroding short-term and likely long-term lifetime value. You have probably lost some of your best consumers to lower-value competitors, and you’ve grown your base of deal seekers.

Step 2 – Determine where the opportunity is to retrain, reactivate or acquire.
There are five typical segments of consumers ripe for testing your way out of discounting.

1. Loyal consumers
2. New consumers
3. Mid-level consumers
4. Lapsed “best” consumers
5. Prospects who look like best consumers

Step 3 – Develop a comprehensive testing plan to determine how best to increase profit margin and long-term value by segment.
Begin to test retraining these consumers by evolving the offer strategy to determine where the optimal point of response versus margin comes into play. Changing customer behavior takes some time and patience to achieve; be patient.

Step 4 – Learn, evaluate and optimize.
Make  sure you measure everything as you are testing different strategies.

Brands will need to rethink their offer strategy from one purely of discount to one of a price/value balance, with the emphasis on relevant value that will, in turn, justify a premium. It’s not a new challenge, but overcoming it after significant erosion will be a key lever to increased profitability. The good news is, it’s a strategy that can be tested, targeted and optimized — starting today.

For the complete AdAge article, click here.

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Stephanie Holland is President and Executive Creative Director for Holland + Holland Advertising, Birmingham, Alabama. Working in an industry that is dominated by men, she is one of only 3% of the female creative directors in the country. Stephanie works mostly with male advertisers, helping them successfully market to women. Subscribe to She-conomy by Email

Brands and Women are Partners in Gaming and App’ing

The study investigated how brands and women intersect during social media gaming and app’ing and found brands are an important partner:

• 97 percent of women prefer to earn virtual currency through either winning more or accepting a branded offer – versus paying for it with “real” money
• While they game and app quite regularly, only one in ten women have actually used “real” money to purchase virtual currency; of that, 85 percent have spent under $100 in their gaming and aping activities – ever
• Of women who have signed up for branded offers to get more virtual currency, 67 percent found the offer useful
• 37 percent of those women chose the branded offers based on “content”; 17 percent went for offers with free products or services

“As brands seek relevant and natural ways to shake hands with women via social media, the gaming and application marketplace holds tremendous potential to integrate in a consumer-friendly, meaningful way,” said Matt Wise, President, Q Interactive. “Women seek a partner to support their entertainment, which is exceptionally important given their busy lives.”

The Modern Gaming and App’ing Woman is Competitive, Social and Loyal

The study also establishes a picture of the typical woman engaged in social media games and applications:

• 85 percent of those surveyed use five or less games and/or apps regularly, indicating an inclination to be loyal to a handful of favorites; approximately 15 percent regularly invest in six or more games/apps at a time
• More than half (57 percent) are earning/spending virtual currency daily
• Introduction to new games and apps rest heavily on word-of-mouth: Nearly three-quarters (74 percent) got involved in a game or app due to “a recommendation” by family or friend or because they “noticed a friend or family member’s score”
• 95 percent utilize virtual currency primarily to “gift” and/or advance games
• In interacting with games and apps, 57 percent feel virtual gifting – for example, giving a bag of virtual makeup from Sephora – is as meaningful as real life gifting

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Stephanie Holland is President and Executive Creative Director for Holland + Holland Advertising, Birmingham, Alabama. Working in an industry that is dominated by men, she is one of only 3% of the female creative directors in the country. Stephanie works mostly with male advertisers, helping them successfully market to women. Subscribe to She-conomy by Email

I love this video! It’s actually a couple of years old, but it very cleverly shows how disconnected male advertisers are when it comes to understanding the female consumer and where to connect with her. As a matter of fact, I think it rings more true today than ever before. Although it’s humorous format is entertaining, the message is very serious:

The female consumer is breaking up with brands, and she is trying to tell advertisers why. Listen to her.

We don’t talk anymore. You’re doing all the talking.

We’re not exactly having dialog

You’re saying you love me, but you’re not behaving like you love me. It’s not genuine.

I’ve changed and you haven’t.

We don’t hang out in the same places anymore.

You’re not listening to me.

If you knew me, you’d know I don’t care anything about that…

Guys, be very careful not to assume she is breaking up with your brand because of the recession. It could be because you simply are not listening to her.

Looking for a long-lasting, trusting relationship, in this rapidly changing market? Then make an effort to know who the female consumer of today is, believe that she reacts differently than men, understand her, and know how to connect with her on the Internet.

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Stephanie Holland is President and Executive Creative Director for Holland + Holland Advertising, Birmingham, Alabama. Working in an industry that is dominated by men, she is one of only 3% of the female creative directors in the country. Stephanie works mostly with male advertisers, helping them successfully market to women. Subscribe to She-conomy by Email

I love this AT&T TV commercial! I have no idea what the media buy is, but I know that I have only seen it when I am watching sports. I am assuming that’s because of the focus on Tyler Hansbrough, the former North Carolina basketball hero who was recently drafted into the NBA by the Indiana Pacers. But this spot is strong even if you don’t know who he is. Don’t get me wrong. Having Tyler further his heroic persona by finding the dog in the end is very touching and a definite bonus. But the concept alone is a winner.

Not only is it very appealing to women, it reveals the power of social networking at it’s best. People are communicating and connecting together to solve a problem and quickly. Looking deeper, it shows how even celebrities can be a part of an online community, making them more transparent and approachable.

Hopefully, I have missed this spot running on channels that are either more mainstream or even geared to women. If so, major kudos for not assuming it is only sports related. If not, AT&T is missing a huge opportunity for an alley-oop.

These are my thoughts. I’d like to hear yours.

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Stephanie Holland is President and Executive Creative Director for Holland + Holland Advertising, Birmingham, Alabama. Working in an industry that is dominated by men, she is one of only 3% of the female creative directors in the country. Stephanie works mostly with male advertisers, helping them successfully market to women. Subscribe to She-conomy by Email

The Center for American Progress explains that the report will combine the work of economists and academics to address the consequences of women’s more prominent economic status in the institutions that matter most in American life including government, business, faith, education and health.

So, how does this affect marketing to women, other than the obvious?

Lauren Zalaznick, the president of NBC Universal Women and Lifestyle Entertainment networks, said that NBC will also be releasing results of a complementary study, conducted by GFK Roper, into consumer behavior of women.

Zalnznick promises the study includes “eye-opening information” about women’s buying power and its impact on “advertising and the marketplace.”

Preliminary results already released confirm a good bit of what we already know:

• women are playing a much larger role in buying big-ticket items such as cars and high-end consumer electronics than they were a decade ago.
• women are playing bigger roles in family financial planning and buying stocks and bonds

While I am anxious to learn of some exciting new research, I think that for the most part, it will likely confirm more of what we already know. So, I believe that the most important take-a-way here is that it is becoming more and more mainstream knowledge that companies must “market to women.”

As that competitive edge begins to dull, your ability to connect effectively with women will need to be sharpened more than ever.

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Stephanie Holland is President and Executive Creative Director for Holland + Holland Advertising, Birmingham, Alabama. Working in an industry that is dominated by men, she is one of only 3% of the female creative directors in the country. Stephanie works mostly with male advertisers, helping them successfully market to women. Subscribe to She-conomy by Email

The study also noted that in an economy where price means everything, retailers who already have a presence on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter are one step ahead of getting in front of these women.

• Women with children at home are more likely to use Facebook (60.3%),  MySpace (42.4%) and Twitter (16.5%) than average adults (50.2%, 34.4%, 15.0%, respectively),
• Additionally, 15.3 percent of moms maintain their own blog.

“Retailers who aren’t engaging customers through social media could be missing the boat,” said Mike Gatti, Executive Director for RAMA.

I would also add that when price means everything, it becomes even more imperative for companies to find their differentiation points as well as understand how women now define value. Engaging with women online is an excellent advantage. The many channels of social networking fulfill women’s needs for relationship and conversation and together converge with all five stages of the buying process per Marti Barletta: kick-off, research, purchase, ownership and word-of-mouth.

Other findings include:

• These days, women with families will spend where they feel their money is best spent – it’s no longer strictly about loyalty, and quality and value are not as synonymous as they used to be. One brand of laundry detergent might be the best on the market and have the most reputable name, but if the other brand offers more washes in a smaller bottle—saving the planet at the same time—mom is going to pay attention.
• When it comes to actually getting these busy women’s attention, there’s no guarantee that a piece of mail will end up in hands for which it was intended, and a coupon for 20% off any instore purchase could accidentally get thrown away or put in a pile and quickly forgotten. While TV is an important luxury for mom, the days of relying on television have given way to internet ads, paid search methods, Facebook and email campaigns.
• Technology has played a large role in where mom eventually shops, what she buys and how much she spends on any one item. At the same time, these are the same women who are more likely to tell their friends about a good (or bad) shopping experience, if a certain product is on sale and whether they would recommend a certain restaurant.
• It’s important for retailers to keep up with what these women want, because more than likely they are not only talking about it, they are tweeting about it, blogging about it and posting it as their Facebook status.

You can download a copy of the study as well as raw data here.

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Stephanie Holland is President and Executive Creative Director for Holland + Holland Advertising, Birmingham, Alabama. Working in an industry that is dominated by men, she is one of only 3% of the female creative directors in the country. Stephanie works mostly with male advertisers, helping them successfully market to women. Subscribe to She-conomy by Email

So it only makes sense that as women flood to the Internet we strategically find ways to meet them there and not only make sure they are aware of our brands, but bond with them through conversations made possible with Web 2.0 technology. Right?

Well, for some… yes. But most male marketers still want to see the proof. That is, as with anything new, there are leaders and there are followers. And now a report, “Measuring the Social Engagement of The World’s Most Valuable Brands—Who’s Most Engaged?” provides great news for both: affirmation and reward for the leaders as well as evidence and direction for the followers.

According to this collaborative study conducted by Charlene Li of The Altimeter Group and Wet Paint, engagement can not only be measured, there is evidence that financial performance correlates with level of engagement. Meaning, it’s *not* just about starting a Facebook page. In fact, it’s all about the multi-channel, deep-and-wide engagement initiatives companies use to connect with women.

Research conducted on the world’s top 100 most valuable brands revealed a surprising conclusion: While much has been written questioning the value of social media, this landmark study conducted by the Altimeter Group and Wet Paint has found that the most valuable brands in the world are experiencing a direct correlation between top financial performance and deep social engagement. The relationship is apparent and significant: socially engaged companies are in fact more financially successful.

Key Findings of the Study:

1) Depth of engagement can be measured.
As the number of channels increase, overall engagement increases at a faster rate. Engagement differs by industry.

2) Brands participating in the social space fall into one of four engagement profiles.

MAVENS – These brands are engaged in seven or more channels and have an above-average engagement score. Mavens not only have a robust strategy and dedicated teams focused on social media, but also make it a core part of their go-to-market strategy.

BUTTERFLIES – These brands are engaged in seven or more channels but have lower than average engagement scores. Butterflies have initiatives in many different channels, but tend to spread themselves too thin, investing in a few channels while letting others languish.

SELECTIVES – These brands are engaged in six or fewer channels and have higher than average engagement scores. Selectives have a very strong presence in just a few channels where they focus on engaging customers deeply when and where it matters most.

WALLFLOWERS – These brands are engaged in six or fewer channels and have below-average engagement scores. They are still trying to figure out social media by testing just a few channels. They are also cautious about the risks, uncertain about the benefits, and therefore engage only lightly in the channels where they are present.

3) Financial performance correlates with engagement

• The findings revealed that there is a financial correlation showing companies that are both deeply and widely engaged in social media, or MAVENS, surpass their peers in terms of both revenue and profit performance by a significant difference.

”The most socially engaged companies typically enjoyed revenue growth of 18% on average over the last 12 months, while the least socially engaged brands saw revenues fall 6%.”

• The study also showed that social media reach alone may have a positive impact: BUTTERFLIES enjoyed significantly stronger revenue returns than SELECTIVES or WALLFLOWERS.

Why? Because more touch points can present a ripple effect, inducing viral marketing, boosting brand recognition and driving sales volume.

• SELECTIVES delivered higher gross and net margins, suggesting that deep engagement in a few channels can be a rewarding and effective social media strategy. Focusing on depth over breadth present an opportunity to better understand the customer, react quickly to customer demand, and improve satisfaction – which in turn generates pricing power and drives business success.

Key Take-aways:

• Engagement via social media IS important — and we CAN quantify it.
• It pays in both revenue and profits to engage meaningfully in social media. Emphasize quality, not just quantity.
• To scale engagement, make social media part of everyone’s job.
• Doing it all may not be for you — but you must do something.
• Find your sweet spot – it is better to be consistent and participate in fewer channels than to spread yourself too thin.

For more information check out ENGAGEMENTdb.

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Stephanie Holland is President and Executive Creative Director for Holland + Holland Advertising, Birmingham, Alabama. Working in an industry that is dominated by men, she is one of only 3% of the female creative directors in the country. Stephanie works mostly with male advertisers, helping them successfully market to women. Subscribe to She-conomy by Email

I have highlighted some of the key findings below, and you can read more at The Harvard Business Review as well as an overview provided by the authors, or you can just buy the book.

In summary, the book overwhelmingly substantiates the massive spending power of women as well as reveals how companies continue to fall short in meeting the needs of these women through their product designs and the marketing messages of their products. But another point that seems to be driven home repeatedly is how women want more “time.”

According to Women Want More, “Above all, women want “agents of leverage” – ways to find time, save time, free up time. And when women find a product or service that truly meets those needs, they can become brand apostles.”

Essentially, women are more stressed out, have less time than ever with overlapping priorities, yet they still don’t want to give anything up. Companies that find ways to truly leverage her time, find solutions and become her supporter will be the winners.

But Be Wary
Because so much attention has been placed on “time” [and rightfully so], I suggest you be very careful to resist the inevitable temptation to remind the female market that she has no time in your advertising messages. Taken literally, [and they are already doing it] companies tend to focus on the problem and not the solution.

So, don’t tell her she doesn’t have enough time.
She already KNOWS that.

Don’t portray her as perplexed, anxious and frazzled.
You are actually implying she is presently not doing a good job.

And please don’t tell her she can or deserves to spend more time with her kids.
She feels guilty enough as it is.

Don’t continue to hammer on the problem. Everyone will be doing that. You need to offer time-saving “solutions.” You will need to think like a woman.

Leslie Wexner, founder and chairman of Limited Brands, and one of the most successful marketers to women, says, “You can’t sell to women like they are men wearing skirts.”

Connect with her emotionally. Understand her needs. Be empathetic. Become her partner.

Noted in the book, women need the following, so remember don’t tell her what she already knows:

• Time – give it to her
• Love – ask how she feels
• Family – support her
• Relationships – commit to her
• Community – engage her

So, where do you start?
According to Marti Barletta, author of “Marketing to Women” and CEO of TrendSight Group, “The optimistic message [from marketers], all the ‘You deserve it’ stuff, is completely wrong right now. What is right is saying, ‘You’re smart. You can handle this. You can make the right decisions, and here’s how we can help.’” (via Advertising Age)

And, as I was quoted in Marketing Week, “Brands need to communicate that they’re on women’s side.”

Based on the few  findings below from Women Want More: How to Capture Your Share of the World’s Largest, Fastest-Growing Market, I have a feeling this book is a MUST read for anyone serious about effectively connecting with the female market. But BEWARE: do not implement the findings like a man wearing a skirt.

• Women now drive the economy representing the largest market opportunity in the world.
• As this recession abates, women not only will represent one of the largest market opportunities in our lifetimes but will also be an important force in spurring a recovery and generating new prosperity. The rewards for companies that do understand what women want and are able to serve them well will be enormous.
• Globally, women control about $20 trillion in annual consumer spending and have $13 trillion in total yearly earnings. In five years these numbers are expected to be $25 trillion and $18 trillion respectively.
• Yet despite all this spending power, women feel undervalued and misunderstood. They are pressed for time and stressed out by products and services that don’t meet their needs.
• Although it would be foolish to ignore or underestimate the female consumer many companies do – even those that are confident they have a winning strategy when it comes to women.
• They have too many demands on their time and constantly juggle conflicting priorities—work, home, and family.
• Few companies have responded to their need for time-saving solutions or for products and services designed specifically for them.
• Three-quarters of the people who have lost jobs in the current recession are men.
• The number of working women in the United States is about to surpass the number of working men.
• Many companies continue to market mostly to men and fail to explore how they might meet women’s needs.
• Women feel vastly underserved. Despite the remarkable strides in market power and social position that they have made in the past century, they still appear to be undervalued in the marketplace and underestimated in the workplace.
• Companies that can offer tailored products and services – going beyond “make it pink” – will be positioned to win when the economy begins to recover.

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Stephanie Holland is President and Executive Creative Director for Holland + Holland Advertising, Birmingham, Alabama. Working in an industry that is dominated by men, she is one of only 3% of the female creative directors in the country. Stephanie works mostly with male advertisers, helping them successfully market to women. Subscribe to She-conomy by Email