Marketing Supplements, Healthy Food to Women

"It's a woman's world" has never been truer than right now. In today's economy, women account for 85 to 95 percent of all household spending decisions and consumer purchases, leading some marketing experts to rename the nation's financial market the "she-conomy."

"Women are very easy buyers to target because they are probably better at consumer decision-making than men. And without a doubt, they can be very savvy and knowledgeable with this skill set," explained Scott Hagerman, president, Chemi Nutra and Chemi Pharma. "In addition, in many mixed relationships, women not only make most of the buying decisions, but they also manage the 'family' finances as well. So, in the final analysis, women are likely better consumers than men when research and comparative analysis are included in the buying process."

Focus on women’s health will be one of the biggest trends in the food and dietary supplements markets, according to a 2008 report from Business Insight. The report revealed women, especially those over 50 and post-menopausal, are a significant demographic and are likely the reason for the introduction of products aimed at mature women. Sales have reflected this large and growing demographic as functional foods and drinks in the weight control and beauty category grew 81 percent and the report stated marketing of dietary supplements is on the rise because of this.

"The market for women's health products that incorporate natural ingredients is growing dramatically," said Bob Green, president, Nutratech Inc. "This is primarily due to negative side effects from traditional medicines and the general consumer trend toward all things natural."

Hagerman concurred many traditional medicines often lack the quality and efficacy that natural products do and can often cause more harm than good, citing iron supplements as an example. "The current market for iron supplements is served by pharmaceutical and over-the-counter companies that offer iron supplements based on old iron sources and outdated formulations,” he said. “The majority of these products are not well tolerated, causing upset stomach, heartburn, constipation and often ending in withdrawal."

A 2007 national survey from ADM World found more than one-third of women have tried natural supplements to relieve menopausal symptoms and one-quarter said dietary supplements are their “treatment of choice.” In the poll of 1,258 women aged 40 to 55, a majority said they would like their health care professional to share more information with them about nonmedicinal methods for addressing menopausal symptoms and be open to discussions about natural treatments.

This push for clear information from women has affected the way companies market their products. "Because of their nutrition and health awareness, women are a very demanding audience, obligating dietary supplement industries to carefully take care over the elaboration of their products," said Karine Nardon, technical and marketing manager of the NAT'Life Division, Naturex. She stressed companies must attach the greatest care to the development of ingredients and products in terms of "quality, security and efficacy" so they can assuredly market their wares to consumers.

"As experts in our ingredients, we provide to our customer strong marketing, technical and scientific support in order to permit them to have all the information needed for elaborating their packaging,” Nardon said. “This information can be the description and history of the raw material, as well as technical and premium characteristics of the ingredient-concept. Women often correspond to well-read consumers: they are very aware of their health and how to preserve it. That’s why it’s fundamental to market supplements products dedicated for women with a specific approach combining security, efficacy and pleasure."

Currently, the biggest health concerns for women that dietary supplement companies are targeting are:

While women tend to buy for the family, they often neglect buying for themselves, noted Green. "Women are often the primary shoppers within a family—and therefore the key decision makers about products and brand purchases—so they're not difficult to market to in that aspect,” he said. “However, women tend to prioritize their family's needs and health over their own. They often put themselves last, so marketing products outside of the mainstream can be very challenging."

By way of example, Green said, if a company wants to market a weight loss supplement, "companies have to emphasize the health implications of weight gain and obesity—not just appearance issues—and highlight self-care as a means to better care for others. It's hard to be an effective family caretaker if the woman of the house is plagued with even one of the health issues brought on by excess weight."

Aside from educating women on the potential effects health problems can have on their bodies, companies must mold their look and voice to the woman shopper.

Hagerman noted: "Consumer-buying research has shown that women not only are primary purchasers of dietary supplements, but they are also major overseers of most natural product buying. So it behooves marketers to design packaging, literature and messaging to appeal to these buyers. It has been shown that celebrity endorsement and testimonials are very effective promotional tools for women, and much more so than for men, who are usually more objective and comparative in their buying decisions."

He added other supportive means can help sell products, such as consumer-friendly Web sites that are up to date with research and promotional support, which can easily and inexpensively be provided to a prospective buyer.

Whatever methods are being used, effectively marketing products to women could help keep companies out of the red, and into the “pink.”