Is Your Ad Agency Missing the Mark?

A quick Google search will flood your screen with seminars, new business models, web sites, articles and blogs dedicated to the recently discovered art of marketing to women. The foundation being that 85% of all brand purchases (that’s nearly $2 trillion annually—more than half of the GNP) are made by women. And yet more and more conclusive research is revealing women are not swayed or influenced by the traditional branding messages. In fact, more often than not, women are turned-off by the very brands seeking to target them. The modern woman has become numb and indifferent to ads that speak to her husband, or even worse, her great aunt.

This is not at all surprising considering a measly 3% of advertising creative directors—the people in charge of communicating to purchasers—are women. Even the advertising industry award shows can’t argue the point. Less than 15% of the top honors are awarded to ads targeting women. It’s like some very valuable logic was lost somewhere in the last 50 years.

Change is on the Horizon
It’s been a very slow realization, but it’s finally happening. Established traditional agencies are seeking out the female creatives, new female-focused agencies are cropping up all over the U.S. and Europe, and even the huge, super-star ad agencies are adding entire departments dedicated to tapping into this gold mine of a market.

More Numbers Making News
Research tells us that 71% of women feel that brands only consider them for beauty products and cleaning products. Which is astounding considering additional statistics state the following:

• 94% the wealth acquired in the next four years, will be acquired by women
• 69% of household health decisions are made by women
• 74% of all NBA & NFL apparel is purchased by women
• 91% of new home decisions are made by women
• 81% of grocery decisions are made by women
• 60% of the online population are women
• 62% of all workers are women

Does this Mean Excluding Men? Absolutely not.
Improving your marketing doesn’t mean making it “for her eyes only.” That would be short-sighted to say the least. In fact, making your product more desirable to women will more than likely make it more appealing to everyone. Quite simply, if you connect with the intelligence and sensibilities of a woman, chances are good you’re message is effective across the sexes. Business owners, both male and female, should consider the fact this information is immensely valuable to every person wanting to thrive or, and in some cases, survive in today’s tenuous market place. Particularly in a fragile economy, advertisers should focus on trying to understand how women think and feel in order to expand their audience.

In other words, if you want your company to shoot for the stars, you may want to aim more in the direction of Venus.


Stephanie Holland, Holland + Holland CEO/Creative Director, is a serious marketing guru with an extremely thorough methodology and ever-present sense of humor to balance it all out. She has headed up Holland + Holland Advertising for 25 years.

In Her Shoes - How Should Marketers Speak to a Female Buying Audience?

It’s no longer a secret that women are ultimately responsible for the vast majority of consumer purchases—about $2 trillion each year to be approximate. So it’s no surprise brands across the board are vigorously targeting this valuable market. As we know from heaps of research, traditional advertising has been speaking directly to a male audience and ignoring (if not offending) women for decades. This is obviously a dilemma ad agencies are scrambling to solve. Thousands of talented creatives are now having to learn a new language of sorts, via seminars, books and a host of other methods developed to help them hone their tone.

Here are a few things to remember when vying for the attention of the female buyer:

• Relying on old research and typecasts is the fastest way to get a woman to ignore your message. Women have become numb to traditional advertising.
• Minor changes to copy and creative won’t work. Study how the modern woman thinks.
• Connect. Women seek out personal connections. They are interested in what brands stand for and how products may affect them day-to-day.
• Presentation must be pertinent, applicable and in context with their lives.
• Keep it real. Women have developed a kind of radar that instantly detects and rejects superficial selling techniques.

Women are indeed making the buying decisions, and have been for years. Not just for themselves, but for the entire family. Most marketers recognize the importance of getting this market’s attention. The smart ones are figuring out exactly how to do it right.


Stephanie Holland, Holland + Holland CEO/Creative Director, is a serious marketing guru with an extremely thorough methodology and ever-present sense of humor to balance it all out. She has headed up Holland + Holland Advertising for 25 years.

MYTH #2: Gender-specific advertising is a waste of marketing dollars.

MYTH: Gender-specific advertising is a waste of marketing dollars.

TRUTH: Bad Gender-Specific advertising is a waste of marketing dollars.

There is a Clear-Blue Easy TV spot running right now that blows my mind. It features the test-stick in mid-air, slowly spinning against a black screen. The first time I saw it, I had to do a double take, I thought it was some high-tech men’s razor. Not really the look that screams sensitivity. But wait, maybe the copy will save it. Nope. A booming movie-trailer guy comes on to say, “It has arrived. The next generation in pregnancy tests. It’s design breathtakingly simple, it’s circuitry incredibly precise. Without a doubt it is the most sophisticated piece of equipment you’ll ever, pee on.” Just as a stream of “pee” shoots from off-screen in super-slow-mo landing on the test’s tip.



Need I say more?

Stephanie Holland, Holland + Holland CEO/Creative Director, is a serious marketing guru with an extremely thorough methodology and ever-present sense of humor to balance it all out. She has headed up Holland + Holland Advertising for 25 years.

MYTH #1: Why target women? Afterall, men average a higher income than women.

MYTH: Why target women if men average a higher income than women?

TRUTH: Whether or not this is true, women are the ones making the purchases.

Studies continue to vary somewhat on who makes more. And averages tend to throw things off since income is not always an indicator of total wealth.

But none of that matters really, because even if a woman does not work, studies consistently show that she is making the buying decisions for herself and her family. So ignoring her is short-sighted to say the very least.

• 85% of all brand purchases are made by women
• 94% the wealth acquired in the next four years, will be acquired by women
• 69% of household health decisions are made by women
• 74% of all NBA & NFL apparel is purchased by women
• 91% of new home decisions are made by women
• 81% of grocery decisions are made by women
• 60% of the online population are women
• 62% of all workers are women
• 71% of women feel that brands only consider them for beauty products and cleaning products

Stephanie Holland, Holland + Holland CEO/Creative Director, is a serious marketing guru with an extremely thorough methodology and ever-present sense of humor to balance it all out. She has headed up Holland + Holland Advertising for 25 years.