|
If it didn't yet seem official enough for you, the findings of the US Census Bureau "2005 American Community Survey," make it so: Unmarried people lead 50.3 percent of U.S. households, while married couples lead 49.7 percent....
Sure, the definition of single may be a gray area (some are co-habiting or partnered in un-official ways), but I think it's worth noting the bigger picture in those numbers. Things are shifting societally, and very few marketers have really taken notice.
I'm exploring the topic of solo women, in particular, for a writing project these days, and the marketing potential seems endless. Especially if you approach via "transparent marketing" - what my co-author and I wrote about in Don't Think Pink. (What's covered in the book really isn't only about the women's market, by the way - you can apply it to any market.) There are many ways you might reach unmarried women more effectively.
A quick "transparent" look:
First, marketers should narrow their focus (as so many have already set their sights on urban moms, for example) to a particular segment of unmarried women. Not all unmarried women out there are 25 and never-married with no kids - right?
Then, you have to take the time and make the effort to get to really know that group of single women, or "customer community," well. (Packaged food marketers were paying attention with the release of single servings, for example, but there's much to be done otherwise.)
And, you need to be joining their conversations and inviting/encouraging feedback right from the start... and so on, in order to understand their language, their dreams, and the nuances of their buying processes. (See Don't Think Pink for the remaining transparent marketing guidelines.)
When you lean in a bit with your magnifying lens, you might even see countertrends to the larger trend of, say, mommy-hood. Lots of the moms you want to serve may be divorced or separated, in fact. So, how does that change the way they buy? How amazed might they be if you reflected an understanding of that in your marketing - especially for big-ticket items (cars, appliances)?
Now, I am not suggesting that you advertise "cars for unmarried women, here," as that's not transparent or effective. Rather, I'm suggesting that there are subtleties that you can leverage - and only by really understanding your particular market of unmarried women will you find those.
Another example: what about all the very active, mature unmarried women out there? Do you approach them mainly as half of a partnership, or do you speak to the independent lives they are really living? There are huge financial service and travel industry implications when you take a closer look.
And, my personal favorite: single women and homeownership. I love the Leatherman all-in-one tools, for example, but I think I only know about them because of my years living in Oregon (the company is based in Portland). I see huge potential in transparent marketing to unmarried homeowning women for that product, and many other related tools and gadgets.
But, it isn't just about single women, because when you learn to market more effectively to us - solo men will also be likely to appreciate smaller servings of food and homegoods, more applicable house size/layout options, and many of the same things.
So, especially if you are happily living a more traditional, married lifestyle, and it seems like all your friends and associates are too - let this American Community Survey expand your marketing mind. There are a lot of us single people in the U.S. with money to spend who'd love to be considered more than a minority to your brand.
***
A recent article in the Dayton Daily News is worth reading if this topic is of interest. And, if you market a product or service and unmarried women are a focus, I'd love to hear what you are up to. Please email me at andrea @ learnedonwomen.com .
|
Comments
Those numbers shocked me a little.
Posted by: Katie | 10.02.06
Great post, Andrea. Back on July 5th my "DIY" post addressed this issue, but in a different way. In it, I cited how The Home Depot offers "Do It Herself" classes for women. I think that's a brilliant marketing strategy. While these classes are for all women--married, single, with or without kids, they will no doubt appeal to many single women who own their own homes out there. I can't help but wonder why more businesses don't market their products or services to this very important segment. It's not only short-sighted; it really doesn't take into account shifting (or shifted) demographics.
Posted by: Ted Mininni | 10.02.06
Great post, Andrea! Would love to check out your book, too.
Posted by: Kristen | 10.02.06
Here's Ted's "Do It Herself" post:
http://www.mpdailyfix.com/2006/07/diy.html
I agree about the Leatherman, Andrea. I'd actually be an ideal customer for one, but I only heard about it this past summer on a beach from a guy's-guy friend. He talked about it so lovingly...I couldn't help but think, "Why don't they market those to women?!"
Posted by: Ann Handley | 10.02.06
I agree, Ted.. those Home Depot "Do It Herself" classes hit the nail on the head (Uh.. I didn't really mean the pun, but there it is). I think I read somewhere that there were guys who attended those and really learned a lot too, proving that point about how when you market to the higher standards of women, you won't alienate men, you'll just serve them better too.
And, Katie.. I know those numbers are pretty shocking, but I guess they snuck up on us. The female pollsters who wrote, "What Women Really Want," pegged it when they cited "Singular Sensations" as their first women's trend to watch. There are more interesting stats within that book/particular chapter, if you have further interest.
Thanks for all the great comments! And, don't forget to let me know if you come across any related campaigns (that do a great job reaching unmarried women) or have personal anecdotes to share. I'm collecting all of it for my next book.
Posted by: Andrea Learned | 10.02.06
Great blog. I am married and my husband gave me a leatherman for Christmas about 8 years ago. I love it.
Here's a new and growing demographic: Married women who married for the kids and the so called American dream and realize their gay. I hate to cite Oprah but this show was fascinating. I have always wondered if some moms were gay even though they're married with kids. If this catches on there will be a whole new group of 'single' women
Living Two Lives: Married to a Man and In Love with a Woman
By Joanne Fleisher
Posted by: Tammy Strnatka | 10.03.06
Great point, Tammy. It always serves to dig a little deeper. Married women could be more "single-minded" in their shopping for a variety of reasons.
Posted by: Andrea Learned | 10.04.06
I'm just going to state the obvious here. If 51% of households are single wouldn't that be (1 individual) versus 49% being married households (2 individuals)? That would mean 2 out of 3 individuals are still living in married households? Then if 50% of those are men this would leave only half of the 1/3 single women households? My point is data can be skewed depending on what you're trying to communicate.
Personally, I think this reflects deeper change of social/religious awareness for individuals. We are no longer in the 50's or even the 90's for that matter. I feel perfectly happy living with the love of my life and see no reason the state or federal gov to be involved. Nor do I feel filing paperwork or having a large ceremony would deepen a relationship. My wife didn't feel the same way...
Joking aside, I think your points are well taken and hit the mark.
As a designer/consultant I constantly push the idea of owning 1 finite market and designing materials that speak to those individuals.
Technology is allowing market segments to shrink at a surprisingly rapid rate.
Wired nextfest did a spotlight on a new service that beams messages to your cell phone that directly correlate to your preferences and geographical location! Can you imagine being a single female in a public restroom being targeted for gender specific products? Text message coupons? It doesn't get any better then that. Or, does it get any worse then that? The future is the most beautiful, wonderful, terrible and ugly place.
Short case study:
Last year when designing fresh branding and marketing materials for a national carpet cleaning franchise I spent an afternoon secretly polling women between the ages of 25 and 50 at Lowe's and Home Depot.
I showed 5 color chips from the paint area and told them I was working on an interior project and needed some advice on which color schemes they liked. Over 65% chose the same scheme. Needless to say we used those colors as the main elements in the campaign.
Just my 2cents...
Posted by: Leroy Brown | 10.06.06