Marketing to women discussion - Tuesday 1pm

[carriemumsnet]

Hi all

We've been asked by a new specialist female marketing company www.prettylittlehead.co.uk to find out what women think of marketing that's targeted at women. By marketing they mean anything from radio/TV/ newspaper/magazine ads to direct marketing that comes through the door. We're not talking about marketing to children (that's a whole other subject) but more what brands you like and which you don't and why? What irritates you about the way companies market to you and which brands or products should be more aimed at women which currently seem completely focused on men. Do you think advertisers try and make you feel good or bad about yourself in order to flog their products to you? Who or what do you trust for advice on products ? (need we ask? ) There is of course no compulsion to take part in the debate/discussion, and as usual with online chats you can post your thoughts in advance, but anyone who joins in between 1pm Tues and 1pm Weds (to give all the night shift a chance) will be entered into this week's competition.

Hope to see you there

[hunkermunker]

Anything about formula?

[ellabellatheshoeseller]

As a mother I do get irritated with the pile of stuff I get through the door and throw away each day, it seems if you put your name down for one catalogue then the mailing list is automtically passed around...to anybody! I hate people who phone just when you are serving up tea to see if you want double glazing or whatever and they start by asking you your personal details and don't stop for a breath so you can't say - now is not a good time and it will never be a good time so go away! I am also now very wary of giving my email address out when I look at anything new as spam is very annoying and I would never look at anything or buy anything sent to me in this way. However, as a woman with a small business (children's photographer)I advertise all over the place and also send selected (quite arty - from the back so you can't see the childs face and they remain anonymous) pics though the post with my details (and with the parents permission of course) but I would be interested in what people think does work - I can't bring myself to do the pushy Ventue thing and am confused as have spent a fortune on ads in mags to find I have no calls and then spend 20 mins pushing cards through doors while my boys are in guitar lessons and this lead to four jobs! Most of my work has been through word of mouth for the past seven years and these are alwasy the best clients because they know they will have a good experience before they get to me so they are comfortable and relaxed in front of the camera. The NCT newsletter and B4 schl mag is always a good place and very cheap to advertise and a good read. It is a fine line because as a parent you think everyone's dishonest, making a fortune and out to take your cash and as small business person you feel cheated because all you wanted to do was your passion and make it work and offer a good service but make a living at the same time and had no idea that the majority of small businesses' fail not because they are not good at what they do but becasue in order to generate the mount of interest to pay for the best lenses, insurance, premises etc you have to become savvy about the net, advertising, networking and stuff you would rather not be doing. End of saturday morning rant, wrong day, no spellcheck ..oh well!! sorry sounds so bitter! Mostly happy but sometimes a bit angry Mum from Oxon!

[emankcin]

i usually trust long established brands where i know if i take something back their customer service would be tip top.

Quality truly does cost more with regards to clothes at least. IMO.

however i am suseptable to sales and 30% off etc.

via the internet i like when this manifests itself as a code.

i do notice internet advertising.

i hate offers via e-mail.

[emankcin]

am i in the competition for this week now?

[carriemumsnet]

well it was supposed to be folks who joined in from 1pm, but I'm sure you'll be back then won't you?

[carriemumsnet]

Welcome one and all and welcome to Jane from pretty little head. We just thought it would be interesting to find out what y'all think about being marketed to/ at (grammar?). My personal bugbears are the zillions of catalogues through the door - don't they think we care about trees? - and the way cars seem often marketed towards men, when in my experience women are the ones who either make the family car decision or have a big say in it... or is that just me?

Over to you

[UtterPigsty]

pink does not equal good for women.

[UtterPigsty]

ALso on adverts why do women at home always wera shirts open over t shirts.

[zubb]

Can't stand the number of catalogues through the door - for clothes / furniture / books etc - and thats just this week. I always put them straight into the recycling bin. Most annoying though are the constant credit card ones - and putting a pretty picture on teh card is not going to make me want it more!
Not sure how I have got on so many lists!

[lulumama]

marketing to women seems to presume we are obsessed with shoes, like pink, wear floaty white clothes, smile adoringly at our DCs all the time, and live in charmingly eccentrically 'messy' homes or perfect minimalism.

would like to see some reality!

or maybe they want us to buy into the unobtainable, perfect lifestyle dream!!

[zubb]

Thinking about adverts that are aimed at women I hate the ones that assume that as a woman I will hate sport / like things that are pink and fluffy, or will go skating while using a sanitary pad.

[Jelley]

"prettylittlehead" irritates me.

[prettyLH]

Hi, it's Jane here from PrettyLH. Why do you think they don't present reality?

[Lullabyloo]

lol lulu

[Rumpel]

I love the new Dove ads - real women who real women can relate to instead of airbrushed sticks.

Hate all the spam emails you get when you have to register on a website, hate all the excess fall out ads in magazines, endless catalogues and bumph through the door.

We all like discounts offers dont we?

My biggest bugbear is charities who send out heartwrenching information, with personal stories/horrid pictures of suffering children/animals etc to make you feel awful. In fact I actually stopped doing work for a particular charity because they sent me some of those letters - we all give what we can when we can.

Hate the Sheilas Wheels ad - enough to put you off as it is so irritating and everywhere!!!

Humerous ads are good - like the Cadbury choc drink one with the pool surrounded by men, Fern Britton and ryvita is a good one too. They make you smile.

[lulumama]

actually , jelley...me too

it is ironic , i should think ? ie don't worry your pretty little head about such things, little lady !


irked me too


sorry, am in a bad mood today!

[lucy5]

Must admit Jelley, I felt the same when I read it.

[MrsBadger]

I hate the fact that manufacturers try and make us think that (eg) the cleanliness of our loo, how our house smells etc is important to our identity as women, and that the worst thing that could befall us is that a friend comes round and thinks our loo is smelly.
I mean, really.
They're like 1950s 'for whites a mother can be proud of' ads.

Also that SAHMs wear outfit described below.

And that they think we think 'flu' are bacteria (think it's the Dettol ad, makes me so cross).

Actually thinking (slightly more clearly) about it, the most irritating things are

1. to be talked down to
2. to be shown an ideal and told we must aspire to it in order to be Proper Women.

Don't get me started on baby marketing stuff... the underlying message is always 'Buying this will make you a Good Parent' or 'If you don't buy this your child will suffer'.
Because obviously what new mothers need is more guilt...

[Lullabyloo]

it's very patronising

[carriemumsnet]

What about the Dove ad - when someone came up with the idea that if they portrayed "real" women we'd like the brand more - did that work for you?

[prettyLH]

It is meant ironically - we wrote a book called 'Inside Her Pretty Little Head' so we named the company after that. Sorry if it's irritating!

[Lullabyloo]

omg yes...the shelia's wheels ad is appalling....i thought it was a spoof ad when I first saw it

[carriemumsnet]

Sorry crossed posts... will be quiet for a bit

[Jelley]

Ireally hope it is ironic, but I still don't like it.

I put anything that I didn't ask for that comes through the letter box in the recycling no matter how nice the picture.
Agree with Rumpel on most things, but also dislike the humerous ads (admit that I may also be in a bad mood).

[MrsBadger]

Like the M&S one with the naked women running around, the Dove campaign made me think 'what a clever marketing angle', but it didn't make me buy their products. But I am a bitter cynic, and it was nice to see 'real women'.