Based on the number of emails I received in the past 24 hours from friends, family and colleagues, there should be no one in the free world (and beyond!) who hasn't seen the article in the Sunday New York Times, "What Do Women Want? Just Ask."


My favorite point? The "just ask" part of that title. It is as if marketing to women is considered something overwhelmingly complicated to get into, so brands choose to ignore it - in hopes that it is a fleeting "trend." But, we all know it is not. And, when you just start asking the women you currently serve "how are we doing?" or listen to/join their conversations, in general - it is AMAZING what you can discover!
By bringing the issue to the forefront -- the Times is almost as good as Oprah coverage...;-) -- and interviewing experts like Joanne Thomas Yaccato, Marti Barletta, Melody Biringer, and Jody Devere (and everybody else mentioned in the very thorough piece!), reporter Mickey Meece has helped plop the women's market opportunity front and center onto the desks of CEOs and Brand Managers who had, for whatever reason, been pushing it off to the side.
There is no denying it. Talking with women, and learning how to serve their higher standards, is not as hard as you think - and doing so will give you more insight than you could have dreamed possible.