A well-known company, one that traditionally targets men, sent me a catalog, and it’s clear from the cover that this company has decided to switch gears and directly target women. The headline on the catalog is “Her Point of View” and the cover art features an abstract illustration of a woman holding a dress. Interested, I opened the catalog to see what new products are available.
Imagine my distaste when I opened the catalog and saw the same products that appear in ALL their catalogs, with a few minor changes, evidently made to make the items appealing to women. For example, they have added photographs of landscapes, and lighthearted illustrations of fruit. Some of the products are now pink on the outside. The marketing spin has changed too: descriptions in the catalog include words like “whimsical” and “slim” and “stunning.”
None of the products have any meaningful features that would make them appealing to women. This company took their standard product line, which was developed years ago for corporate-type men, threw in some pink, marketed the line as “Her Point of View,” and expected us to start buying. Ummm, no thanks!
Let me tell you a story. When I first started momAgenda, I worked with an important day planner/journal manufacturing company. As the process got further along, I insisted on certain details, such as the layout with space for mom and 4 kids, and the colors on the pages, and the quotes, and the space for lists and vacation planning and all those other things that make momAgenda different. Long story short, this manufacturer decided to stop working with me. He thought we should just take his traditional day planner (one that was designed by a man about 50 years ago) and slap a pretty cover on it and we could all make money and go home.
Wrong. Women, especially women with kids, needed a day planner that would accommodate their crazy lives, and their need to manage multiple schedules in one place. Slapping a pink cover on a traditional product that was designed by and for men, wouldn’t help moms.
So when I see big companies trying to appeal to women by slapping on a big splash of pink, or by adding lighthearted illustrations of women drinking coffee together, I just want to throw something. (This is the point where my husband clears the room and removes all sharp objects from my line of vision.) Why is it so hard for companies to research women’s lives and needs and develop products that make our lives easier?
As a friend on twitter pointed out, there is a bright side, which is that their loss is my gain. Our business exists to make women’s lives easier, and to the extent that big companies don’t do the same, we will continue to be successful in our little niche.
What about you? What do you think about the way big companies target women with superficial details rather than products that could meaningfully help women?
What you’re describing I refer to as the “pink it and shrink it” philosophy of many manufacturers. Paco Underhill’s new book What Women Want: The Global Marketplace Turns Female-Friendly describes how brands are finally realizing they have to rethink everything to win female consumers. Congrats on being one of the companies that truly gets it. The world needs more like you.
It’s sort of the same problem I have with a lot of the Breast Cancer Awareness marketing. They slap a pink ribbon on it and think that women will just snap it up. Never mind how it’s made, the quality of the product, or whether it’s even actually useful.
The thing I like about my MomAgenda (the brown one, by the way, not the pink one) is that I can use it in a way that works for me. I’ve tried {big-name planner company redacted} planners, but found it just didn’t work for my life, even pre-kid.
I don’t want pictures of dresses, or landscapes, or necessarily even pink. I want something that works for my life. I want a company that listens to what their consumers want, and does more than just pay lip service to that. That’s why I don’t mind paying a bit more for my MA – you listen to your customers and try to provide what’s needed. Not just something with a pink flower on the front.
I’m glad to know I’m not the only woman who doesn’t whip out her credit card just because she saw something pink. I’m actually less interested in something if it comes in four different shades of pink and white. I hate buying things “for her” that are junk on the inside, but pink on the outside. Like you said, they take junk, slap a cover on it and call it a day. I’m the mother of a little boy. And when I say little boy, I don’t mean just a cute little kid. I mean a tough toddler that thought the funniest thing in the world would be to bring mommy a “present” in the form of a grub worm and watch her shriek and go grab the Dial. Yeah, I need something more than “pink” to get my attention.
Love that you totally get this!
Awesome post!
Bravo
xoxo -Kel
I couldn’t agree more! Don’t get me wrong, I’m all about a “pink” something over a “white” something, however creating the same product, painting it pink and then charging more really gets to me. Now we all know someone who has had a battle with Breast Cancer but Whimical Fruit or a stunning landscape is hardly a product worth promoting. Which leads me to the next question:what percentage ofthr proceeds of the sale of the item are they donating? Don’t talk about it, be about it.
This year my life seems to have gotten more complicated. My oldest daughter started Kindergarten. My younger daughter is in Pre-K five days a week and I have my two year old son with me at home. I decided that the calendars on the computer, and on my phone, are not enough. I need something on paper.
I ordered my first momAgenda and *hope* that it will arrive today. It was a stretch for me to justify the cost in this time of very tight budgets, however, I decided that this was the only agenda that I would try because it really does seem “mom friendly”. These companies that cover the real issues in pink really need to take a clue from women like you who get it. It’s not enough to change the color and expect to change the function. Your products look good even on line (I have yet to see them in person). I can’t wait to order the large School Years organizers for my children.
Thanks for all of your hard work.
This article made me feel guilty that we made your site pink. Cough.
But we were pretty comfortable with it, because the product’s focus goes far beyond the color. Here’s hoping other companies remain clueless!
One of the many reasons I love this company. It’s not about jumping in on a marketing niche by ‘feminizing’ something, but rather working to provide products that genuinely consider and address the lives modern women lead, and that includes managing a home and family. THANK YOU.
#Although a few other non-neon/pastel/leopard print options would be soooo appreciated. ;# I’m all girl, but I’m a bit understated.)