What’s in store for 2010? Each year, MTW asks marketing experts and analysts to peer into their crystal balls and predict what will be important to women. Along with an underlying optimism, the notable themes that emerge include:
• Fashion will merge with functional brands (think jewel-encrusted headphones);
• Marketers will start paying attention to Baby Boomer women;
• “Tweeters” bump bloggers as the defining voice for moms.
Blogging Is So 2009
Mommy bloggers have become an extremely influential group, especially among advertisers and brands seeking their approval. But it appears their moment has peaked, say marketers and consultants speaking with us. For one, there are too many of them. Also, the Federal Trade Commission has announced blogs that review products, as most mommy ones do, must offer a disclaimer stating whether they are receiving free samples or have received payment for posting. These new guidelines will undeniably change the relationship between bloggers and readers.
Come 2010, there will be a significant shift from mom blogger product reviews to more intimate mom engagement, especially via events known as Twitter parties. So far, moms have hosted Twitter events with themes ranging from swine flu vaccinations to more specific promotions for products or services.
The November 9th Twitter party hosted by BSM Media and Zhu Zhu Pets, for example, drew more than 9,000 tweets between 7 p.m.-8 p.m. with the #zhuzhupets hashtag. The event, inviting moms and their children to answer trivia questions to receive one of 30 Zhu Zhu-related prizes, resulted in Zhu Zhu Pets being one of the top trending Twitter topics of the day.
The New Normal
As companies adjust to the “new normal,” either by decreasing marketing budgets or adjusting to consumer spending patterns, they will think of new ways to do more with less. One method will result in masculine-type brands aligning with feminine-type brands, akin to the Phillips Electronics and Swarvoski deal that produced jewel-encrusted MP3 earbuds.
“Companies will find ways to leverage their brand equity in non-competing categories,” says Female Factor’s Bridget Brennan. Fashion will drive most of these alliances. For instance, BSM Media’s Maria Bailey expects to see more companies follow Dell’s lead in teaming with nail lacquer company OPI for color laptops and HP’s deal with fashion designer Vivienne Tam for a special edition netbook.
Spotlight Turns To Baby Boomers
Despite baby boomer women being one of the fastest-growing demographics, they have been largely ignored by marketers. “There’s been some progress, like Ellen DeGeneres and Cover Girl or the Dove campaign, but those campaigns have come and gone and now have receded from our memories. We are still not seeing enough done by financial services, insurance, or pharmaceutical industries to reach these women,” says Brennan. “My hope is that there will be more sophisticated marketing.”
There have been recent strides. For instance, new websites and online communities, built by firms such as Humana, Aetna, and Amgen, are paying attention to and spending money to reach this group, says Stephen Reily of Vibrant Nation, a social networking community for women over age 50. He adds that these efforts will likely be infused with empowerment. “After a long decade that began with 9-11 and ended with the current recession, women have lost faith in institutions, but gained confidence in themselves. Marketers will succeed if they acknowledge that women grow stronger no matter what happens to them.”
Star power, however, tends to be ineffective for this audience. “Celebrity endorsements are worth less than ever for women, but marketers can successfully use celebrities who have experiences that other women can relate to,” says Reily. [Marketing/Advertising]
Contacts and Connections: BSM Media, Maria Bailey, Co-founder, 2335 E. Atlantic Blvd., #300, Pompano Beach, FL 33062; 954-943-2322, x2; maria@bsmmedia.com; www.bsmmedia.com.
Female Factor, Bridget Brennan, Founder, 5217 N. Wayne Ave., Chicago, IL 60640; 312-371-4895; bridget@femalefactorcorp.com; www.femalefactorcorp.com.
VibrantNation, Stephen Reily, Founder, 111 W. Washington St., #100, Louisville, KY 40202; 502-589-7655; stephen@vibrantnation.com; www.vibrantnation.com.
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