Branding Campaigns to Women

by SueTaggart

New products are the lifeblood of the natural products industry, but in the quest to discover the next "best selling" new product, most companies have not focused on what is needed for the longevity of a product--branding.

When there is very little to differentiate the content of one nutritional supplement from another, strong branding is the deciding factor at point of purchase. In a consumer driven industry, smart marketers will pay very close attention to consumer trends and base their brand messages on what consumers are looking for--real product benefits and valid reasons to believe in the brand.

Consumer trends shift periodically, and they have changed at an accelerated rate in 2002. The events of Sept. 11 certainly made people stop and think about life. A new trend in consumer behavior has emerged--people need to feel connected with the brands they buy. Their purchasing decisions are evolving to reflect their values and beliefs. Quality is more important than quantity, and value is more important than price. Consumers want to feel good about the brands they buy, and developing brand loyalty strengthens company's relationships with consumers. As in every good relationship, time and commitment are crucial. Successful companies must be devoted to producing a quality product with authenticity, especially in marketing to women.

Because of the purchasing power of women, particularly when it comes to health and wellness products, companies in the natural products industry are uniquely poised to build significant brand equity with their women's formulas. However, it's not enough to simply develop a women's line and run slick-looking ads. Women don't just buy brands, they join them; they buy with their hearts as well as their heads. While women will make a logical decision, emotion and intuition have an effect on their purchasing choices. Multi-million dollar ad campaigns aside, unless you connect with a woman on all levels, you will not build brand loyalty in her.

Building a successful women's brand begins by understanding and addressing her needs. One example is the way Rainbow Light has used a strong, focused brand message--"Feel the Difference"--to establish a clear positioning that women can relate to. The company has built a brand that women have learned to trust with its commitment to producing high quality products that live up to the expectations of their customers.

When women trust a brand, they are predisposed to trying other products from the same manufacturer. Women who feel good about buying a brand are customers for life.

There are many factors that go into a successful women's branding campaign. Using all the education tools available can help with customer outreach. Launched less than a year ago, Becoming Inc.'s branded menopause product, Oöna, was positioned to improve the lives of women. Without a big marketing budget, Becoming Inc. built a relationship with its customers via education, public relations, promotional outreach programs and a community-based Web site. These marketing vehicles were specifically designed to address women in and around this stage of life. The branding campaign has already built significant equity for the product as it directly addresses women's concerns and needs.

Marketing to women will continue to be an important trend as women purchase the majority of consumer goods and make the majority of health care decisions. So how does a raw material company, many steps removed from the consumer, build brand awareness?

In a marketplace where commodity items equate to lower price, the one way to raise the bar is to develop proprietary, patented ingredients that stand up to scrutiny. The process is lengthy, costly and often frustrating, but in the long run it provides a strong competitive edge by building consumer loyalty. A patented ingredient that has good scientific data is an effective starting point for launching a brand-building campaign to women.

Women give their business to companies that provide them with the information they need to make intelligent purchasing decisions. Women tend to trust products that they have read about in a magazine, seen in an ad, or learned about from the Internet or local health food store.

By building relationships with their key customers, raw material companies can become strong marketing partners in the branding process. Inter-Cal's Ester-C® cooperative national advertising campaign has built significant brand awareness for Inter-Cal and the many companies that use Ester-C in their products. This successful brand was built one step at a time: Ester-C first gained name recognition in the natural products industry, and then brand loyalty with health food store consumers.

Understanding your consumer, particularly when building a brand for women, is key. When targeting a female consumer, never "shoot first and ask questions later." Consumer data should be thoroughly researched and seriously considered before launching any products.

Women become more health conscious as they age, and become increasingly interested in natural health care. It is projected that the number of women over 40 will grow to 73 million by 2010. Natural product companies have the opportunity to gain loyal female customers for life by creating a branding strategy that addresses a woman's needs and sensibilities. 

Sue Taggart is the president of ADinfinitum (www.adinfinitumny.com), a lifestyle and natural products marketing group. Founded in 1988 and incorporated in 1992, ADinfinitum has been branding and promoting natural products for more than a decade.