We’ve all seen the innovative advertisements touting the rejuvenating effects of skincare products or the must-have wardrobe accoutrements for the summer. Teeming with well-designed graphics, interesting content and engaging voice-overs, these streamlined visual masterpieces attract targeted audiences—namely women—and keep them coming back for more. Dori Molitor, CEO of WomanWise, a consulting firm specializing in marketing brands to women, shares her insights about marketing to this ever-evolving consumer base: women.

Q: Why is it important for people and companies to understand what it means to market to women? Why focus on women specifically, and what impact do women have on today’s brands?

Dori Molitor: The biggest challenge for marketers today is women’s indifference to their brands. There is growing irrelevance of perceived parity products and undifferentiated brands. There no longer is information overload because she has basically just stopped listening.

Most marketers say that they’re targeting women and recognize that women are the chief purchasing officer for the household, and yet there is this huge gap. She is buying 93 percent of everything, and yet, 85 percent of women will say that they do not feel understood by marketers.

Add to that the economic downturn. Harris published a survey finding that 63 percent of people feel that they are savvier since the financial crisis. If you look at those who rated themselves as savvier, nearly 70 percent feel marketers haven’t adjusted their marketing to keep pace.

An insufficient understanding of women is the fundamental reason for marketing failure today. We’re solving for that, in part, by specializing in insight mining and using that knowledge to develop and shape businesses.

Q: Can you tell me about the founding of WomanWise? Why is this consulting firm important to businesses of all types?

DM: Twenty-four years ago, when I started the company, we were all about integrated marketing and helping brands to have that one, single voice. All of that changed about 14 years ago, when I was working on a rebranding assignment for SnackWells cookies. During that assignment, I had a transformational moment that forever changed my business and my life.

We were doing ethnographic research in people’s homes, and I saw first-hand the passion and emotional connection that women had with this silly box of cookies. They were actually hoarding and hiding these cookies behind cereal and pasta boxes to keep them away from their children and their husbands.

We recognized this change in the world, with women having more authority and decision-making power in the workplace and yet nothing had changed at home.  She was struggling in her efforts to redefine priorities—and it really came down to this box of cookies being a first step of permission to do something for herself.

Based on this insight, we recommended that SnackWells become the brand that would act on behalf of women of all ages. This revolutionary platform for the late-’90s led to an integrated strategy that supported women and girls through a series of intellectual, physical and spiritual initiatives.

For the first time in the business world, I felt as purposeful and energized as I did during my earlier years working as a legislative assistant in Congress. My efforts were positively impacting women’s  and girls’ lives, and the brand was seeing double-digit growth.

Q: How has marketing to women changed over the years?

DM: Marketers have pretty much always recognized that women are the primary purchasers of the household. It’s only in recent years, however, that they have come to realize that it’s her subconscious emotional drivers that determine why she buys what she buys. In fact, cognitive scientists estimate that between 85 percent and 97 percent of the work the brain does is unconscious.

To be successful at meeting women’s needs it’s important to dig deeper to uncover the cultural, sociological, psychological and gender factors that drive their behavior. At WomanWise we’ve spent nearly two decades inventing and re-inventing projective insight tools that allow us to uncover their subconscious motivators to behavior.

Q: You conducted a study called the “American Dream” in 2011. Tell us more about this study and what you learned.

DM: In a 2011 study by Xavier University, 55 percent of Americans said they have lost trust and confidence in our country. Yet, 63 percent of Americans are extremely confident, or fairly confident in their ability to reach the American Dream. We wanted to understand, “Why the contradiction?”

Our multi-generational study of 800 women across the U.S. revealed that the dream has not gone away, but it has changed. As we struggle with global conflict, economic uncertainty and bloated personal debt, what really matters has changed. The ideals women are advocating today really go back to our founding fathers’ original vision— the pursuit of happiness.  Her need for independence, equality, humanity, putting family and community first, freedom to choose, making a difference and paving her own destiny, all circle back to what the people who first came to this country were seeking—the dream of a better, richer, and happier life for all.

And it doesn’t equate to an endless AmEx credit line or a McMansion at the end of the block.

This shift in values and perspective creates a rare opportunity for business to fundamentally change how women feel about their brands. It’s an opportunity to demonstrate that she matters and to take the consumer/brand relationship to a higher, purpose-driven level. To get there requires an understanding of her craving for “me, we and higher purpose.”

Q: What are some common mistakes you see companies make when attempting to market to women?

DM: The biggest mistake I see is that marketers often assume marketing to women means painting the brand “pink,” as recently evidenced by the launch of “Chick Beer” and Dell’s “Della” computer line.

It is important to understand that women want everything men want—she just wants more! She’s more detailed-oriented, cares more about more things, considers a company’s ethical business practices when making a purchase, and holds businesses to a higher standard when it comes to doing social good.

Bottom line, if you meet women’s expectations, you’ll exceed men’s.

Q: Why did you enter this area of marketing to women?

DM: When I made the strategic shift to focus on marketing to women, my whole business – my life – moved to a higher purpose. Marketing to women is my profession, my passion and my cause.

I have found a platform to integrate my business expertise and my personal passions.  Through our efforts, women’s unmet needs, desires, concerns, fears and emotional triggers are more deeply understood by business and marketing leaders. We bring “her voice” to the business strategic decision-making table. In the end, our clients have a competitive advantage because they have more meaningful relationships and relevance in women’s lives.

Q: What are some key things you’ve learned about women, and the way they think and how that impacts their purchasing decisions?

DM: What drives women’s ideals and purchase behavior evolves as the world around us changes. Today we’re living in conflicted and uncertain times, and confidence in institutions is at an all-time low. Women are moving forward in a new era of responsibility. She expects business to be a force for good in society, not just an engine for profit. They expect the same of themselves. She’s seeking ways to make a difference and to bring more meaning in her life.  It’s a principle we call, “me, we, higher purpose.”

Q: If you could provide one piece of advice about marketing to women, what would it be?

DM: It’s important for marketers to understand that women don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it. That’s where we can help business leaders get to the higher level of answering that question of why and bringing that more relevant engagement and connection with women.

Discovering why women were hiding SnackWells cookies contributed to both a successful product repositioning and a professional turning point for Dori Molitor, CEO of Minneapolis insight consulting firm WomanWise.

The discovery inspired Molitor, a consumer goods marketing veteran, to transform her general consulting firm into WomanWise, which specializes in marketing brands to women.

Molitor, during research that included in-home observation in the late 1990s, noticed women stashing SnackWells packages behind pasta and cereal boxes, hiding them from children and husbands.

This hoarding behavior, in contrast to their more typical role as nurturers, came as the women reported getting more authority and responsibility in the workplace but seeing little change at home, Molitor said. The cookies, she said, represented the women’s “first step of permission to do something for herself.”

From a branding perspective, Molitor recommended that SnackWells act on behalf of women through an integrated strategy that included a variety of self-esteem-boosting initiatives, a move that she said contributed to double-digit growth.

From a professional standpoint, Molitor saw her business expertise and personal passion for women’s issues merge in the SnackWells project. She narrowed her firm’s focus to “insight mining with women to shape and grow business” and in 1998 began operating as WomanWise. She had launched the firm in 1988 after working in marketing at General Mills.

“The opportunity was that if women were more deeply understood, they’d have far more personal fulfillment from their brand relationships, and in the end our clients would win because they would have a more relevant connection and engagement with their target consumer,” Molitor said.

Girlfriend Groups
WomanWise clients include Fortune 500 companies such as Land O’Lakes, Ameriprise and Pfizer, Fortune Global 500 companies such as Novartis and Nestlé and local dairy company Old Home Foods. WomanWise has seven employees, all of whom have worked there 10 years or more, and calls upon any of a dozen or so contractors to scale up for specific projects.

During this recession clients have not cut back because they increasingly realize that “women buy everything” but often feel marketers don’t understand them.
The economic meltdown, however, has accelerated changes in women’s attitudes, as reflected in an “American Dream” study WomanWise conducted last year. The hallmark finding? A renewed sense of responsibility in their own lives and in their expectations of businesses and government, Molitor said.

WomanWise uses proprietary methods to gain insights into the subconscious behavioral drivers that create emotional connections between brands and women. Rather than sterile focus groups, WomanWise does this through Girlfriend Groups — social gatherings in home-like settings where small groups of women who are already friends or acquaintances who express their feelings through a variety of exercises.

The firm distills common themes that emerge from groups conducted around the country and internationally to identify opportunities for brands or companies, and works with clients’ internal marketing teams or external agencies to develop strategies.

Darrell Wakefield, associate marketing director at LEO Pharma in New Jersey, said insights from WomanWise fueled a campaign that helped Femara, a breast cancer drug, gain market share a couple of years ago when he was at Novartis Pharmaceuticals. The campaign featured women breast cancer patients aspiring to regain control of their lives and their domestic leadership role.

“Their insights were unique, refreshing and extremely robust,” Wakefield said of WomanWise’s findings. “It was so refreshing and eye-opening to see how we could get patients to respond.”

Jim Maffezzoli, senior director of marketing at Pfizer headquarters in New York, said the company was very pleased with the outcome of a global research project with post-menopausal women that WomanWise recently completed. “We were able to get some insights that we were able to turn into several concepts for drug development, for developing a new medicine,” Maffezzoli said.

The expert says: James Heyman, associate professor of marketing at the University of St. Thomas’ Opus College of Business, said Molitor has succeeded in developing a way to find nuances that help brands appeal to a number of women’s higher-level motivations simultaneously. Those motivations — relational, self-esteem, self-actualization — occupy the top levels of the pyramid representing Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.

“We’re in the persuasion business,” Heyman said. “The fact is, women have no persuasion defense when a message is hitting her on so many levels. It’s kind of a foregone conclusion, what’s going to happen.”

(Of course men wouldn’t have defenses either under similar circumstances in different market segments, Heyman pointed out.)

“The reason she is finding them is she is looking for them,” Heyman said of the nuances Molitor is able to perceive. “That’s the brilliant piece, that is what is setting her apart.”

The American Dream has not gone away, but it has changed, according to a recent multi-generational study of 800 women across the United States conducted by WomanWise. Women are recalibrating their dreams, moving away from a sense of entitlement and moving toward the pursuit of happiness and personal choice.

You may recognize yourself in what was uncovered:

Women today are more realistic and less idealistic. Visions of the classic suburban home, 2.5 kids and being financially supported by a successful husband are a thing of the past. Women today are more self-reliant and independent.

Our American Dream is to have the same options as men. We expect equality and won’t let anyone tell us we can’t do something because we are women.

The Golden Rule and moral compass are very strong. Women are taking responsibility for making the world a better place, with 97 percent rating community service and giving back as moderately or extremely important to a happy and fulfilling life. The American Dream is less about needs, and more about deeds.

Faith, spirituality or religion are important in our lives. Friends and family are what matter most. It’s less about having things and more about the people in our lives giving us personal fulfillment and joy.

Individuality reigns. Society no longer dictates how women should live our lives.

We’re feeling responsible for speaking out and gaining support for the things that matter most. We’re joining with other like-minded women to influence change in the world.

Taking care of our health and wellness is our No. 1 priority. More than ever, we realize that true happiness lies within, and it all starts with loving ourselves first. It’s about following our dreams and passions, and never settling.

The pursuit of happiness for women today doesn’t equate to an endless AmEx credit line or a McMansion at the end of the block. Women are looking for the freedom to choose, to make a difference and to pave the way to our own destiny.

Women today believe that business has an obligation to bring about social change. We are attracted by the idea of being a part of something that makes the world a better place. For businesses it’s no longer about the “what”-your brand’s features, benefits and promises. It’s now about “why”-why your brand is relevant to our self-discovery and empowered world.

Women want to join together with shared ideals and values. We’re looking for people, ideas and brands that we can trust. We want to feel that we’ve made a difference.

Dori Molitor lives in Wayzata and is the CEO of WomanWise, a consulting firm that specializes in marketing to women. www.womanwise.com

Dori Molitor, the boss at WomanWise, says her annual survey of 800 American women confirms a three-year trend of females who are fed up with corner-office greed, corruption and partisan gridlock in Washington and St. Paul.

“We do this proprietary study for ourselves,” said Molitor, a former marketer at General Mills who now works with client companies to understand the evolving views of women and how to position their brand-name products.

“Women care more about things such as global warming and sufficient funding for education,’’ said Molitor. “We found that women were angry with all the greed and self-focus of the perpetrators. And they were angry with big business and government for letting it happen… It threatened them, their families and the country.’’

She said women also are taking responsibility to improve things one child, one school, one neighborhood at a time. “That sense of responsibility is elevated with women,’’ she said. “It is reflected in how she spends money and who she supports [politicially].”

That explains in part the 2010 backlash against Target and Best Buy when the male CEOs decided to spend shareholder dollars supporting Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer, who is perceived as an enemy of gay rights and environmental issues at a time when a majority of women want a cleaner economy and support alternative families.

“Women understand the collective power of their voice, particularly on the Internet and through social networking,” Molitor said. “They are exerting their influence.’’ The 800 women surveyed were from all generations, races and economic classes. Women will pay up if they think companies support the right things. Molitor points to General Mills and its theme of “nourishing lives” through nutritious foods, starting with cereals and its emphasis on healthy lifestyles and the venerable “Boxtops for Education” program. Many women would rather collect 250 box tops, worth $25, and donate them to a school, than write a check for $25, she said.

Molitor, 54, also cited Levis, traditionally a male brand, that last year decided it wanted to be the most-loved jeans for women. They built their program around a “Curve ID,” which basically results in three body shapes for Levi styles “and they got the product right and revolutionized the category. And they also have launched a program called ‘Shape what’s to come’ around women support and mentoring.’’

Molitor says some women also are critical of their own pasts “… getting wrapped up in all that materialism and entitlement and credit cards and ‘guiltless debt’ and a better life that they thought was also always wrapped in a bigger house… She’s saying all that didn’t make me happier. She wants more meaning and purpose. She wants to make a difference.”

I read the study out loud to two female colleagues in a coffee shop. I immediately receive a couple of nods and yeps.

The study? A survey conducted by Woman Wise – a consulting firm that specializes in marketing brands to women – about American women’s attitudes and behaviors today.

Who Is This Modern Woman?
Woman Wise’s study found that the modern woman is “calling the shots,” for herself. She is a woman with a new outlook on life, career, family and love: she may choose to be married, or be content to remain unmarried. She supports her partner and family, but also expects support in return.

She feels the “responsibility to speak out and gain support for the things that matter most to her.”

At the time, I was also reading Liz Mundy’s biography of the First Lady, and thought, well this is interesting because our own First Lady could be labeled a modern business woman. Her husband calls her “the boss.” She is said to be an extrovert. A doer. A woman who likes to be in charge. A modern day woman with an old-fashioned idea of family, but one who dislikes cooking. She takes care of her family, is protective of her daughters, loves and supports her husband, but expects his support in return.

“What I notice about men,” the First Lady said in an interview to the Chicago Tribune, “is that their order is me, my family, God is in there somewhere, but me is first. And for women, me is fourth, and that’s not healthy.”

During her husband’s campaign, she was one of his senior advisors and also his stand-in. Colleagues have commented that their marriage is a “real partnership,” and to the public, this is clear. It is said that when they first were married, they were a tag team: making speeches at each other’s behest, inviting each other to sit on panels, etc. They share the same academic background and public service passion.

Some may say that it’s no wonder then that they managed to do what most couples dream of doing:
take over the world.

What She Looks For In A Mate
Remember the days when most women would simply wait for prince charming and the white picket fence? Well, not so much so these days.

The study reveals that when the modern day business woman looks for a mate, she wants a “champion in her corner.” She no longer looks for a “man to complete her but a partner to complement her life.”

How She Handles Love
Loaunn Brizendine’s research of the female brain, gives some insight. Brizendine’s studies have shown that the modern female is more careful than her male counterpart, within the first few weeks or months of a relationship. She uses her “emotional nuance in tone of voice, eye gaze, facial expressions,” to try and tell the difference between reality and fairy tales.

Brizendine, a neuropsychiatrist and founder of the UCSF Women’s Mood and Hormone Clinic, conducted brain-imaging studies of women falling in love. She saw more activity in the areas of “gut feelings, attention, memory circuits; ” making this modern female slower to confess to being in love.

Admit it, you’ve probably heard it a few times, “I like him…a lot…but I’m not sure about him yet.” Or something like, “Yes I do want to go on that trip with him but I need to feel him out first.”

And the first lady was no exception either. In an interview with Mundy, one of Mrs. Obama’s colleagues talked about what she noticed during the first stages of President and Mrs. Obama’s courtship, “she was falling hard. But was always cool…she was not falling all over him.” Friends say that she was wary of smooth talkers and wanted to make sure that he was the real deal.

Could it be possible that the modern business woman analyzes her man like she would a new career move or a new business? It would probably take a new post to try and decipher this possibility I suppose.

The Conclusion
For now, I found this interesting point from the study: the modern business woman wants to “make a difference, pave her own destiny,” have a partner who loves and supports her, and friends and family she can count on.

I say it’s this simple: she no longer needs the big suburban mansion; she can make do with a condo in the city if it allows her the business and personal freedom she needs. She doesn’t need multiple credit cards, her own paycheck will work just fine. She doesn’t need to call just any good-looking smooth-talker her man, she wants an authentic and confident man she can call partner.

But it’s possible that you’re a modern business woman with a different view. Or a modern business man with something to say. So I’m curious, what do you think?

STAR TRIBUNE – Hidden treats yield clues in marketing to women. read more

FOX TV NEWS – New study shows how women’s values have changed over the past 10 years. view interview

FORBES – The Modern Business Woman and Love: she was surveyed, this is what she had to say. read more

Testing

When our Founding Fathers established the Declaration of Independence in 1776, they highlighted “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.” Sadly, in our current state of global conflict, economic uncertainty and bloated personal debt, it’s been declared that the American Dream is dead.

But is it really?
In a recent study by Xavier University, 55% of Americans said they have lost trust and confidence in our country. Yet, 63% of Americans are extremely confident or fairly confident in their ability to reach the American Dream.

Why the contradiction?
Think about it. Aspirations over the decades have changed. It goes back to the “new frontier” when men and women sought the Wild West; to FDR’s social reform of The New Deal and establishing social security; to escalating aspirations of the 50’s and 60’s when television shows like The Honeymooners, Father Knows Best and Leave It To Beaver seduced Americans into a new pride of suburban life – including home ownership, cars and sending their kids to college. Then there was the introduction of credit cards in the 70’s and our country’s willingness to take on debt. Clearly the evolution to that basic American Dream has morphed. Add to that, Reagan-onmics, deregulation, and ad campaigns that emphasized, “Because I’m worth it.” Since, the 1990’s and 2000’s continued access to easy credit and out-of-reach mortgages.

Until it all came crashing down.

Now what?
This is a monumental shift in history. A time when Americans are redefining what the American Dream looks like and what it means.

To uncover the reality of what’s really happening, we set out to examine American women’s attitudes and behaviors about the future of the American Dream, and the opportunity for brands to play a more meaningful role in women’s lives.

What we discovered…The dream has changed.

Or has it really?
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THE WHITE PICKET FENCE HAS VANISHED

Don’t fence her in.
Women are redefining what achieving the American Dream means to them and it doesn’t include the white picket fence. Visions of the classic suburban home, 2.5 kids and being financially supported by a successful husband have become a thing of the past as women today become more self-reliant and independent.

Realism not Idealism.
Women are paving their own way and defining what their lives will be. Her independent attitude and sense of purpose means she is in charge of her destiny and her dreams are her own – not someone else’s. Her vision is one of realism not idealism as more and more women feel being grounded with a great career and sense-of-self takes precedent over rushing to the alter and having a minivan in the garage.

The proportion of married households in the United States is currently 49.9%, a 36% decline from 1950. (2010 Census Bureau)

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“PRINCE CHARMING” NEED NOT APPLY

Labor – no longer just in the delivery room.
Women are now benefitting from the courage and persistence of earlier generations when the fight for equality began. Today, women are more educated, there are more women in the workforce, and they have more economic and professional power than ever before – being recognized as some of the brightest minds and boldest leaders in politics, economics and business. As a result, they are an equal force in contributing to household income and household decisions.

A “champion” in her corner.
She’s redefined the traditional “Ozzie and Harriett” role of husband and wife. When it comes to marriage, she no longer needs a man to complete her, but rather a partner to complement her life. She wants a husband who is in her corner, who shares life’s ups and downs and is her equal in every way – diapers and all!

Women account for 51.5% of all workers in high-paying management, professional, and related occupations. (Dept. of Labor)

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RE-TRENCHING: BACK TO BASICS

Simple is better.
As the swelling material appetites of Americans explode, along with their debt-to-income ratios, women see the critical importance of getting back to basics. Faith and spirituality are giving her a sense of solace and a respite from today’s uncertainty.

All the right stuff.
Friends and family are what matter most. It’s less about things and more about the people in her life that give her personal fulfillment and joy. Love, friendship, and keeping those you love close to you are what matter the most, and provide her with more satisfaction than anything money can buy.

Despite the reality of more women in the workforce, married women are spending 21% more time/wk and single women are spending 57% more time/wk with their children than they did in 1965. (Changing Rhythms of American Life, Bianchi and Robinson)

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A SENSE OF HUMANITY PREVAILS

Less about needs. More about deeds.
Poverty. War. Global economic meltdown. The world has been spinning out of control. Women are taking responsibility for making it a better place. She’s re-setting the moral compass and getting things moving in the right direction with kindness, honesty and a sense of community.

It’s not just saying – it’s doing.
Her need for giving back and being socially responsible has never been stronger. There’s a higher standard to be set for
showing compassion, volunteering and doing what’s right – and it starts with her!

Despite the personal hardship in our recent economic recession, the volunteer rate in the United States has increased 2.5%. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)

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THE FREEDOM TO CHOOSE

She can go her own way.
Individuality reigns. She feels that society no longer dictates how she should live her life or the path she takes to get there. Achieving the American Dream is having the freedom and control to pursue her goals and ambitions – finding her own path to happiness – at her own pace.

Not our mothers.
Generations of women have paved the way for women to realize that while it’s not easy to balance career and family, it is
possible to “have it all” (if she wants it). It’s no longer career VS. family, it’s career AND family. She is the one calling the shots, deciding what’s right for her future without feeling the pressure to compromise between education, career or family anymore.

• 30% of Americans have never been married – the highest in 6 decades.*
• The number of stay-at-home moms dropped last year for the fourth year in a row to 5 million, or roughly 1 in 4 households.*
• American women have surpassed men in gaining advanced degrees for the first time in history.*
*2010 Census Bureau

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REALIZING THE POWER OF HER VOICE

Lost, but now found.
Women have found their voice and have the resolve to use it. She strives for a sense of identity that reaches beyond the supportive, traditional roles of being a mother, a wife or a daughter. She recognizes the importance of knowing who she is and what she needs to be happy.

Hear her roar.
The ongoing rise of women’s authority and increasing social media outlets, help feed her empowerment and spread her
influence. She not only feels the need, but also the responsibility to speak out and gain support for the things that matter most to her. Along this quest for creating a life of meaning and purpose, she is banning together with other like-minded women to influence change in the world.

Women spend 30% more time (in any given month) on social networking sites than men. (comScore, Inc., 2010)

——————————————————–
LOVE THYSELF

The possibility of me.
More than ever, women realize that true happiness lies within, and it all starts with loving herself first. It’s about following her dreams and passions…and never, never settling!

From me to you.
Her own health and wellness is her number-one priority. She understands she has to take care of herself before all else. By achieving inner confidence through a balance of her mind, body and spirit, she has the strength and self-assuredness to nurture and share her life with others.

——————————————————–
WHAT IT ALL MEANS

Back to the future.
The ideals women are advocating today really go back to our Founding Fathers’ original vision…The Pursuit of Happiness.

Yes, things have finally come full circle.

Her need for independence, equality, humanity, putting family and community first, freedom to choose, making a difference, and paving her own destiny, all circle back to what the people who first came to this country were seeking…the dream of a better, richer, and happier life for all.

And it didn’t equate to an endless AmEx credit line or a McMansion at the end of the block.

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THE OPPORTUNITY FOR BRANDS — ME, WE, HIGHER PURPOSE™

This shift in values and perspective creates a rare opportunity to fundamentally change how women feel about brands. It’s an opportunity to create a sustainable competitive advantage by demonstrating that she matters and taking the consumer/brand relationship to a higher, purpose-driven level. To get there, it comes down to three things: “me, we, and higher purpose.”

Taken together, these three ideas point to the future of marketing and endless opportunities for innovation and business success.

ME. First, we need to re-think the intensity of the relationship our brands have with women. It’s about getting to a deep, aspirational desire or need.

The magic of “me” can be found in a deep dig with the consumer, while also understanding where our brands fit in that world. We call this the Emotional Truth™ — that one, single, subconscious, emotional trigger that’s most relevant to our brands in her life.

When we connect with women at “me”, we’re letting her know she’s appreciated and we’re on her side. From a marketing standpoint it’s a shift from “what” to “why”. It’s no longer about features, benefit and promises. It now becomes more about why the brand is relevant to her self-discovery and empowered world.

WE. The “we” is about fulfilling her sense of belonging. She wants to have a feeling of one-ness, a feeling that she’s part of something larger than herself — both with other people as well as with a brand. We can accomplish this by joining together in shared values and shared ideals.

This is a big shift for marketers because it moves the relationship beyond “us” (the brand) and “them” (the consumer) to become “we.” But if we want her to join us, we have to begin to see ourselves as equals. We need to get to a place where we are at one with her, working toward the same goals, and sharing a sense of being part of something we — and others like us — care about.

As the brand we become the enabler of the conversation, not the center of the conversation. We need to blend into the background because that’s a key part of this sense of belonging.

In fact, the consumer is not in the middle of the conversation, either. It is the idea — the sense of fulfillment — that’s in the middle of the conversation and we are all equal in moving that forward.

Doing so requires patience. We have to give up control, stop thinking about ordinary business issues and think about the benefits we’re bringing.

In the end, this creates the strongest kind of loyalty because we are standing for something she wants to belong to and be a part of.

HIGHER PURPOSE. Having a “higher purpose” fulfills her desire to make the world a better place. This is a fundamental desire and it will continue to grow. Women today are desperately seeking ways to find greater meaning in their lives.

She is looking for people, ideas and brands that she can trust, intimately. She is open to joining with brands that are transforming communities, society and the world. Brands that care.

She wants to feel that she’s made a difference in the world. And she’s looking for places she can do that. If your brand can help her fulfill that desire, she will want to be part of it. She will reach a higher purpose and fulfill a deep need for meaning in her life. From a marketing standpoint it requires a shift from focusing on a transaction to bringing meaning in her life.

The deeper the “me” is and the stronger the “we” is, the more powerful is our ability to achieve higher purpose. They’re linked and it’s all based on an Emotional Truth. So, ask yourself, what is the Emotional Truth for your brand?

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ABOUT WOMANWISE

WomanWise is a full-service insight consulting firm specializing in marketing brands to women. The firm was founded in 1988 with an ambitious vision to create Brand Enthusiasm™ and drive purchase. Nearly 15 years ago we realized that our passion and strengths had succeeded in breaking new ground in what decidedly became our specialization – marketing brands to women.

WomanWise’s unconventional insight approach to discover the subconscious behavioral drivers that create emotional connections between brands and women has fueled unprecedented client results and gained the firm international recognition. Our diverse client experience includes Novartis Pharmaceuticals, Land O’Lakes, Pillsbury, UnitedHealthcare, Dunkin’ Donuts and many other leading brands.

WomanWise services include:
• Women’s Market Segmentation
• Female Target Dimensionalization
• Women’s Insight / Shopper Insight
• Social Media Observation and Insight Mining
• Innovation Platform Development and Exploration
• Brand Platform, Positioning and Identity
• Entrepreneurial Business Idea Generation and Planning
• Creative Strategy and Holistic Marketing Communications
• Speaking and Marketing to Women Workshops

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ABOUT THIS STUDY

Methodology
• Proprietary online survey with close-ended and open-ended questions
• Secondary research and literature review

Who we Talked To
• 800 women across the country
• WomanWise Panel™ Database and Research Now™ Online Panel

What we Set Out to Better Understand
• What is most important in women’s lives today?
• How do women define the American Dream today?
• Do women think the American Dream has changed? If so, how?
• What words of advice do women have for future generations about finding happiness and fulfillment in life?

Secondary Research and Literature Review
• Economic Mobility Project Study – March, 2009
• Second Annual State of the American Dream Survey™ – Xavier University, March, 2011
• The Power of the Post-recession Consumer, John Genzema and Michael D’Antonio (Y&R’s Brand Asset Valuator Study) – Feb, 2011
• Cone Cause Evolution Study – 2010
• Re-thinking the American Dream, Vanity Fair – April, 2009
• The Epic of America, James Truslow Adams – 1931
• Changing Rhythms of American Family Life, Bianchi and Robinson – 2007
• U.S. Census Bureau – 2010
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics – 2010
• comScore, Inc., Report – 2010

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What women value and seek from their brands has changed. Let us help you uncover her subconscious motivators to behavior and define your brand’s unique opportunity space to fulfill her craving for Me, We, Higher Purpose.™

WomanWise LLC
Waterford Park
505 N. Hwy. 169, Suite 175
Minneapolis, MN 55441
952-797-5000
womanwise.com
dmolitor@womanwise.com

© 2011 WomanWise LLC
Me, We, Higher Purpose principle, Brand Enthusiasm and Emotional Truth are trademarks of WomanWise LLC

“When you think of daytime TV,” says Wesley Hyatt, author of The Encyclopedia of Daytime Television, “do you think of anything else besides talk shows, soaps and game shows?” Well, you might have to. The big hit shows that defined afternoon viewing will soon be gone forever. Most game shows bit the dust years ago, and now the other pillars are falling: The Oprah Winfrey Show is airing its final episode on May 25, and soon after, ABC will cancel two of the last soap operas, All My Children and One Life To Live. Hyatt told Maclean’s that shows like these “were dirt cheap to produce and generated enormous profits” in their heyday, but that heyday “ended around 20 years ago.” The afternoon show — providing emotional conversations or soap antics, aimed largely at stay-at-home women — has been huge since the beginning of TV, and on radio before that. Now it may be going the way of variety shows, VCRs and the Liberal party.

Of all the things threatening to tear the daytime world apart, the end of The Oprah Winfrey Show is arguably the most damaging. It means not only the end of a successful show but the end of what Hyatt calls “a pop culture phenomenon, one of the biggest events not just of TV but mass media.” Advertisers on her finale are being charged $1 million per 30-second commercial, the highest rate for a series finale since Everybody Loves Raymond in 2005. And Oprah has the kind of worshipful fan base that’s usually more associated with pop stars than TV celebrities. Tanya Lee, a Toronto woman, got into the news last December by starting an unsuccessful Facebook campaign to bring Oprah to Canada, even trying to get in touch with President Barack Obama: “Canadian Oprah fans,” she says, “I worked very hard on your behalf. Even though it did not work out, at least you know that I failed miserably.”

The only person left who has that kind of power is Judy Sheindlin of Judge Judy, who recently beat Oprah for the title of most-watched daytime personality, and who just signed a new contract to continue through 2015. But Judge Judy was launched in 1996, and no one else has come along who can step in once she leaves. As Hyatt points out, “there have been people proclaimed to be ‘the next Oprah’ going back to the 1990s, such as Ricki Lake. They never turned out that way. As much as I admire Katie Couric,” who is considering doing a daytime talk show after stepping down from CBS News, “she’s not going to be that person.”

Soap operas used to have the same pop culture power that Oprah did, often influencing prime-time shows by pushing the boundaries of the subject matter that TV could deal with. But in the last 20 years, the average viewership of soaps has fallen by 80 per cent. Christine Fix, editor of Soap Opera Fan, told Maclean’s that the cancellation of One Life and All My Children marks “an unfortunate beginning of the end of an era that has entertained viewers for generations. Hell, there hasn’t been a new soap opera created since 1999, which doesn’t bode well for the industry.” The few remaining soaps aren’t safe either: TMZ floated a rumour that ABC might cancel its last soap, General Hospital, to make room for a show for Couric.

Why have there been so few big daytime hits since the launch of The View in 1997? There are some obvious culprits. Cox says that the death of the soap “dates back to the 1970s when women began working outside the home in greater numbers.” Even the people who are staying at home may not be watching television now, because they’ve been captured by that evil scourge of television, the Internet. In an article published by Business Insider in 2010, Tod Sacerdoti wrote that the true soap opera killer was Zynga, a company that provides interactive Facebook games and thereby “turned casual online gaming into social gaming.” Why would people follow the adventures of strangers when they could spend the day having adventures with people they know online?

Still, the stereotype of the Internet destroying TV doesn’t completely fit the facts. According to Ad Age magazine, the number of people watching television in the daytime hasn’t actually fallen. In fact, when DVR playback is taken into account, there are a few more people watching TV in the daytime than two years ago—if only because more people are unemployed. But few of them are watching any one program in the numbers that used to flock to the big soap operas.

Instead, they go to ad-supported basic cable. Some of these viewers prefer reality shows, which Fix calls “real-life soap operas that seem to fill the need for escape that soap operas once cornered the market on.” Others gravitate to people who give them useful advice, like the personalities on networks devoted to food or fashion. Dori Molitor, head of the consulting firm WomanWise, told Maclean’s that today’s woman wants “entertainment with meaning and purpose, that can contribute to what she cares about,” meaning that a show is more likely to catch on if it has “a piece of entertainment in it, but there’s also a piece of practicality.” Apparently today’s viewers get this sort of practicality from people who criticize bad makeovers and messy houses.

The big networks seem to understand this, because part of their new strategy is to compete with cable by offering shows with practical advice that stay-at-home people can use. Brian Frons, head of daytime TV for ABC, told the Los Angeles Times that the network is dropping the escapism of soap operas in favour of “information” that will allow viewers to “take an active role in changing their lives.” So ABC soaps will give way to The Chew, a food program that tells health-conscious viewers how to find food that won’t kill them, and The Revolution, where Tim Gunn (Project Runway) dispenses fashion and makeup tips. These shows may take a few viewers away from specialty channels—and they’re much cheaper to produce than soaps, or talk shows with big-name hosts.

But cheap, quickly produced shows can’t have the kind of cultural reach that the big talk shows, game shows and soaps did. Hyatt points out that while many cable daytime shows are doing well enough, few of them are huge hits, and he thinks that’s because “too many of them look cheap and have a limited scope. Laugh if you will, but even a game show like The Price is Right lavishes attention to every detail of each show, and that’s reflected in the ratings for the final product. This is another reason why cable hasn’t taken on doing daytime soaps—it requires an investment of time, care, consideration and money that most outlets are reluctant to allow on a daily schedule.”

One person who’s already discovered the limitations of cable is none other than Oprah Winfrey. She was supposed to be transferring much of her energy to her cable channel OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network), which recently launched in both the U.S. and Canada. But OWN has not done well since it began, and Winfrey has found herself trying to calm down advertisers who aren’t getting their money’s worth from her channel: first by assuring them in a press conference that things will get better once “I get to devote my full attention to OWN,” and then by removing the CEO of the entire network after only a few months. “Cable can have some power but not really rival the reach of the big daytime shows,” Hyatt says, and Winfrey’s self-imposed exile to cable could turn her into a niche product, similar to what happened to Conan O’Brien when he went from late night on NBC to late night on cable.

That might be why soap actress Cady McClain, who will reprise her old role on All My Children in one of its last story arcs, told Maclean’s there’s still a place for the simple, inexpensive option of regular daytime TV: “Not everyone can afford Internet, the rising costs of cable, or even a computer. But somehow, most people manage to get a TV. That factors into why daytime reached a mass cultural consciousness: the simple accessibility, five days a week.” But even if Oprah decides that cable is too small a world for her, it may be too late for her to go back to her mass audience, which is starting to drift away. Even her biggest fan: “I work a lot,” Lee says. “I do not have time to watch as much daytime television as I used to.”