Beyond default: marketing for women

When it comes to aiming drinks specifically at women, the marketing hinterland is a minefield, where overkill can be disastrous and subtlety is often the safest route, reports Phil Mellows.

They may constitute half the population, but it seems it's hard for those who sell drinks in pubs not to think of women as some sort of strange niche market.

Traditionally, of course, the pub has been a male domain. All that's changing now. It has to if pubs are to survive. And it raises the chal-lenge of providing drinks that women want.

Al "Pub Landlord" Murray has a simple formula: a glass of white wine or fruit-based drink for the lady, and like all great comedy there's a grain of truth in that. But there must be something beyond the default drinks, mustn't there?

The trick may be to create brands that appeal to women — but in a subtle way that lets them discover it for themselves. Repeated attempts to market a "woman's beer" have fallen flat, while women themselves have been quietly getting a taste for cask ale and, according to one new report, have their own "secret society" of shandy drinkers.

On the other hand, there are brands that seem to be able to get away with an explicitly girly image.

One things's for sure. Marketing to women is a minefield. So what advice do the experts have?

Kate Waddell is managing director for consumer brands at brand strategist Dragon Rouge and has some basic rules when it comes to marketing traditional men's products and categories to a "clever, savvy consumer group" such as women.

"In today's world there are few male-only bastions left. Women are as likely to enjoy a beer, drive a fast car or enjoy a cheeky kebab — quite simply, modern woman in general feels she is the equal or better of modern man. 

"Say it's 'not for girls' and today's women view this as a  call to action!

"The key to success in getting it right with male brands in a female world appears to be to avoid stereotyping, treat your audience with respect and to give them a reward or privileges for their 'womanhood'.

"Crucially, you have to demonstrate, through targeting, that the brand understands their mindset and lifestyle and show how the brand can enhance or change things for the better."

Applying these "rules of engagement" to some real examples highlights something about the route to success — and failure.

Chicago Town's launch of a new line of pizzas for women, for in-stance, treads too close to stereo-typing for Waddell.

"The strategy is evident — Chicago Town is about full-on, big eat pizzas that your average 'lady' may not be able to manage. But can it work?   

"The jury is out, but I feel it falls into stereotyping and also risks eroding what Chicago Town stands for."

Magners over ice, though, is a positive example of showing women it's a brand that understands their mindset and lifestyle and that it can change things for the better.

"The elegance and subtle shift of serving a cider on ice allowed women to be part of the male pint-drinking fraternity without suffering huge pints of warm beer. Genius," says Waddell. "Early evidence suggests that Crabbie's ginger beer will have similar success. Critically, the brand is appealing to women without alienating men. This is surely the way forward."

Cider​

Other cider brands have, of course, sought to introduce women to the category through less subtle methods, chiefly by adding a range of fruit flavours.

Aspall's Peronnelle's Blush, for instance, is a take on kir, blending blackberry liqueur with cider to create something pink — but sophisticated.

Heineken UK is more aggressively emphasising the "female appeal" of its Jacques Cider with Fruit with its biggest investment in the brand to date.

The summer marketing programme promises women the opportunity to experience a stylish, girly summer, with sampling events in fashion stores, hair stylists and at London Fashion Weekend in September.

Drinkers are being invited to soirees at the Jacques Townhouse in London's Fitzroy Square, a "stylish, girly haven" hosted by songstress Sophie Ellis-Bextor.

BenefitCosmetics host a Powder Room, where beauticians are on hand to offer a free lash couture, and party-goers have access to a range of vintage clothes and accessories to dress up in before posing for a professional portrait to be posted on Facebook.

Yet for marketing consultant Gemma Teed, this all misses the point. If you want to sell to women you have to create and develop "brands that target a particular need-state or occasion".

"There's no such thing as a 'typical' woman and, more importantly, few women would define themselves primarily by their chromosomes," she maintains. "I have a real issue with drinks brands that display their feminine credentials so overtly they might as well be flogging Tampax.

"Carlsberg's fruit spritzer Eve is a prime culprit — from its name and flowery packaging to brand ambassador Louise Redknapp, it clearly positions itself as 'For Women', while missing out on helping the target audience understand why, when and where they might best enjoy the drink. It's basically a feminine version of Yorkie bars — but without the irony."

Carlsberg counters that it has already enjoyed success with the brand and marketing strategy and is on target to hit 5,500 listings by the end of the year (see Women & beer feature on page 58 for more on Eve).

Teed, however, looks more favourably on Blossom Hill wine's Summer Perfectly Served ad campaign.

"It concentrates on the brand's suitability as an accompaniment to alfresco occasions, focusing on refreshment and drinkability without ramming its female-friendliness down anyone's throat.

"Even better, the campaign's imagery focuses on couples and groups of friends, making ordering a rosé less a statement about femininity and more about raising a glass to the pleasures of summertime."

Women have been drinking Martini for an awful long time, but targeting women explicitly is a relatively recent move by the brand, according to marketing controller Sharon Reid.

This summer Martini Bianco & soda is being positioned as a drink to share with friends at lunchtime or before dinner with Italian nibbles and is targeted at 25 to 34-year-old women looking to have a fun night out while staying in control.

"Martini is drunk by men and women alike in Europe, but in the UK we have got new insights into women that have led us to focus on them more specifically," explains Reid.

"Targeting women doesn't mean using stereotypes, but offering them a solution or a product that fits their specific needs and lifestyle. We have great insights about what busy, modern young women look for and we try to make sure we offer them something that's relevant.

"Ultimately, the same marketing rules apply to both genders, but women naturally respond better to the emotional benefits of a product and we try to engage all the senses when possible, for example when carrying out sampling, and talk to them in different ways.

"We also found that women in our target market are more concerned about the impact of drinking on their health. They have reached a point in their life when they sometimes want alcoholic drinks that taste great, enable them to have a few drinks with their friends, but also let them stay in control.

"This is not about cutting out the fun, but controlling their alcohol intake in order to stay looking and feeling beautiful."

Purity Brewing Co is successfully exploiting a growing opportunity around women and cask beer. It has been a learning experience for marketing manager Kirsten Smith. "We don't do anything in particular to 'target' women. When it comes to real ale, showing favouritism in marketing strategy towards one sex risks alienating another. And we don't believe our female consumers want pink fluffy packaging, they just want good quality. They are infor-mation seekers who don't want to be patronised."

Difference​

Smith has, however, noted that women behave differently to men in their approach to Purity's ales.

"Women enjoy research