Sears Targets the Multidimensional Woman

There are many sides to a woman and brands that succeed with their marketing to women efforts are those that discover new ways to keep their products and services relevant to a woman’s life—whatever that life may be.  Sears appears to be tapping into the multidimensional woman with their new campaign, “The Many Sides of Me.”  “The Many Sides of Me” represents the next step in the company’s strategic effort to transform its Softlines businesses and emotionally re-engage women in the Sears brand.  “We have executed against a range of initiatives tied to our strategic pillars that have improved our relevance to customers, including engaging them on a personal level,” said Scott Freidheim, executive vice president, Operating and Support Businesses, Sears Holdings. “With this launch, we’re on a path to ‘Feminize, Energize and Digitize’ the Sears soft side brand positioning.”

This message may sound a bit familiar to those who attended last April’s M2W®.  During the conference, we gained insight into the brand journey of Memorex.  “In 2008, Memorex set out to reposition the brand and develop a deeper connection with an often-forgotten target in the consumer electronics category—women,” said M2W® presenter Jess Walton, brand director, Memorex Consumer Electronics.  “We invested considerable time improving our understanding of how electronics play a role in the lives of women and their families which led to new, innovative products and key marketing strategies.”

For Sears, “The Many Sides of Me” campaign allows women to express their ever-evolving “me’s” while the campaign highlights how women achieve their own unique style by offering an assortment of strong and versatile pieces that become an essential part of their wardrobes.  Sears has tailored its fashion assortment to match how women move seamlessly through their dynamic lives.  The aspirational nature of the platform will evolve throughout 2011 to include additional fashion-driven Softlines categories in order to meet the dynamic needs of today’s consumer.  As an extension of “The Many Sides of Me” print campaign in key September fashion issues, the brand is also collaborating with leading titles Vogue and Lucky and will be featured on their digital shopping platforms. “In the past, Sears has asked women to come to us to see our Softlines offering, but the essence of the new campaign is that the digitally engaged fashion customer wants those first looks to come to her. Mobile is one of the many ways we are reaching out directly to the customer wherever she seeks inspiration and ideas,” said Henson. The collaboration will enable customers to shop and buy Sears Fall fashion merchandise on the Vogue Stylist and Lucky at Your Service apps for the Apple iPhone—another trend we heard about during M2W®’s Pre-Conference Workshop on mobile marketing and social media.

Shopbop.com Launches Service for Global Customers

Web-based fashion retailer Shopbop.com, a subsidiary of Amazon.com, recently launched Shopbop Global, a free service that enables customers outside of the U.S. to prepay import fees at checkout ensuring faster, easier delivery.  The new service is part of the online boutique’s commitment to serving its customers worldwide.  “We’ve seen overwhelming growth in our global customer base as women around the world turn to us for the latest fashion from established and up-and-coming designers,” says Shopbop head of international marketing, Karen Grajwer. “We’re thrilled to bring her this upgrade in service and will continue to seek new ways to improve her shopping experience.”

The growth of global has become part of mainstream marketing to women discussions as heard during several presentations at M2W®.  Fara Warner, Amanda Stevens and the Latina Marketing Brand panel all included statistics and research on how women are becoming an economic force throughout the world.  “New research from around the world reveals that we are entering a time of exponential growth for women as an economic, social and political force,” said Fara Warner, author of The Power of the Purse, during the 6^th Annual M2W®.  “No more are we looking at conservative, slow-growth gains for women in the marketplace, but huge leaps in power as the foundations we have built during the past 100 years serve as the catalyst for profound change in the 21^st century.”

Women Rate Top Auto Brands

Women-Drivers.com, a consumer review website that connects women to women-friendly car dealerships, recently released its semi-annual 2010 report showing the top auto brands as rated by women’s dealership reviews.  The report was created by tracking thousands of consumer reviews with regards to a woman’s purchasing, browsing and service experience at car dealerships throughout the U.S.  Top five overall brands of excellence include Mercedes, Jeep, Lexus, BMW and Chrysler.  Other categories and their top five honorees (a complete list is available at www.women-drivers.com)

Top 5 Brands for Purchasing Experience
Mercedes and Dodge (tied for first)
Lexus
Chrysler
KIA
Jeep

Top 5 Brands for Browsing Experience
Mercedes
Mazda
Nissan
KIA
Jeep

Top 5 Brands for Service Experience
Acura
BMW and Mercedes (tied for second)
Honda
Chrysler
Lexus

“Car manufacturers and dealerships that highly engage and support women during the purchase process are placing themselves in a strong position to convert more browsers to buyers, and, to get more referrals—all translating to increased sales. Credit the top performing brands; clearly these companies and dealerships are doing a great job with customer engagement “, says Anne Fleming, president & car buying advocate of the Women-Drivers.com.

MSLO Survey Shows Changes in the Way Women Cook, Shop and Eat

Hectic schedules and tighter budgets have changed the way consumers cook, shop, and break bread, according to an audience trend report from Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. The survey included 1,000 respondents over age 18.  Key findings include:

More Families Sitting Down for Meals at Home

• 65 percent of those surveyed enjoy a sit-down dinner at least five times per week.
• More than half the respondents sit down for breakfast at least five times per week.

Magazines, Websites, and TV Cooking Shows Primary Sources of Culinary Inspiration

• When it comes to recipes, media are more influential than word-of-mouth recommendations. Respondents cited cookbooks, recipe websites, food-focused magazines, and TV cooking shows as their resources for recipes—ahead of suggestions from friends and family.
• People are actively seeking mealtime ideas. More than one-third of respondents say they use recipes for inspiration more often than they used to.
• Over 60 percent of respondents say health and efficiency are the most important factors when considering a recipe.

Time-Starved Families Sharing More Mealtime Responsibilities

• Busy schedules have prompted families to divvy up everyday cooking responsibilities: 25 percent of women say cooking is shared among family members and that husbands are increasingly tying on the apron.
• Prep time is changing, too: 48 percent of those surveyed cook in larger batches to save time.

Consumers Are Savvier About Products They Buy

• Finding deals has become a source of satisfaction and even a passion: 81 percent of those surveyed say they are proud of budgeting.
• Although supermarkets are the leading source for groceries, 55 percent say they shop at multiple retailers to get better deals.
• Consumers are purchasing healthier products at the grocery store: 95 percent say they know what’s healthy for them, while 87 percent say they read food labels.