Reaching the female consumer is an art form that brands such as Starbucks, Neiman Marcus, and Target have mastered. And because of it, they’ve reaped category leadership, sales, and even a cultish customer loyalty.

Unfortunately, a significant number of companies — primarily those in service industries with a rich history of focusing on and marketing to men — still miss the boat when it comes to speaking to their female customers, says Kaira Sturdivant Rouda, author of Real You Incorporated:8 Essentials for Women Entrepreneurs (realyouincorporated.com). The reality is that the female consumer is increasingly charged with making large household financial decisions. And when she isn’t solely in charge of those decisions, her opinion is still weighed heavily by her partner. Relationship marketing professionals who don’t actively and purposefully reach out to women, Rouda contends, are therefore failing to target the most important consumer segment.

As a marketing professional and, more important, a 40–something female consumer, Rouda explains how companies across industries can reach women like her through powerful branding:

Lead with inspiration, not condescension. “I see through sales gimmicks and sales pitches, so don’t bother with them,” Rouda says. “Instead, find fun, creative ways to grab my attention. Capture my imagination. Inspire me. Create powerful visuals that I would want to rip out of a magazine and hang on my wall. Send me email campaigns that make me smile and that I would want to forward to my closest friends. Help me relate to your company by creating an inspiring brand to connect with. Accomplish those goals in a powerful way — you’ll earn my respect and my business.”

Be bold. Be innovative. Be different. “There is nothing wrong with retro, but there is something very wrong when marketers fail to evolve with consumer trends,” Rouda points out. “There is something drastically wrong when marketing continues to appeal almost exclusively to men, as it does in some industries — and continues to reinforce the concept that men drive financial and purchasing decisions, when research shows they don’t. Women do. The old saying, ‘That which does not evolve perishes’ also applies to marketing. From Coca–Cola to Volkswagen, brands that evolve and differentiate themselves are the ones that strike a chord with me. They ultimately win my business and gain my trust.”

Respect one’s time — and keep your promises. “The most innovative, inspiring campaign in the world won’t mean much if you don’t commit to saving me time — it’s my rarest treasure,” Rouda says. “Make sure that a compelling component of your brand promise will result in more time for me; then deliver on that promise. In addition to traditional channels like advertising and direct mail, make use of your customer service personnel, Internet presence, and physical office space. Let me see your brand — who you are as a company — in every channel I touch. Do all this and I’m your customer for life.”

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