Remember when women used to be viewed as a homogenous “minority” consumer marketing segment? That time has certainly come and gone, as evidenced by the money that car manufacturers, hardware stores, banks and cosmetic retailers, among others, have been putting into more narrowly focused, segment-specific campaigns.

Yet single women remain one of the most neglected consumer groups. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 46 percent of American women are single, a number that includes the never married (29 million), divorced (13 million) and widowed (11 million). These women spend lots of money on houses, travel, wine, books, cars, and technology. The problem is, they are being marketed to as if there were only one thing on their mind: finding a mate.

Washers and dryers are being promoted via singles events, real estate agents are assuming unmarried women are only interested in condominiums, and car salespeople are still looking over their customer’s shoulder in search of the real buyer — the husband. As Bella DePaulo points out in her book Singled Out: How Singles Are Stereotyped, Stigmatized, and Ignored, and Still Live Happily Ever After, the 21st-century problem with no name is “singlism.” And one of the biggest myths around, she says, is that single people are all single-mindedly seeking coupledom.

Invisible but Influential
Although single women are as unique in their backgrounds, influences, and buying habits as any other consumer group, there is one thing they would all like: visibility in the marketplace. Like mothers and baby boomers, single women desire to be recognized and appreciated for the economic influence they yield.

But unless you talk to them and explore their lifestyle, you’ll never really understand that being without a mate is not the overarching issue. It’s about brands letting go of dated assumptions and stereotypes. Just as integrated marketing campaigns now reflect moms as whole beings with many things to do in a day besides making their husband’s shirts white or baking cookies, brands must reflect the ways in which single women choose to live their lives, and how their lifestyle influences everything from parenting and housing to work style and politics. Here are three factors to consider:

1. Media buys. The only way to identify the most effective media buys is by getting to know this unique customer segment. Single moms typically have less time than anyone else to watch television, but they have more drive-time radio exposure and often listen to the new, more female-relevant talk shows. Single women also read specific blogs, visit Web-based communities as a regular source of connection, advice and support, and are more inclined to do research online.

2. Imagery. It should come as no surprise that depictions of traditional families are less relevant to single women, but some ad campaigns represent life as it often is today, like this past summer’s Ford Freestyle effort, which showed divorced parents on a day trip with their kids. Integrated marketing efforts that show women with friends having dinner, taking trips or exercising, among many other possibilities, will likely ring true with this audience.

3. Humor. Avoid using humor haphazardly, but when you discover a few key laughing points that speak to the women in this segment, you can make a positive impression. Consider the 18 arms a single mom needs on any given day, or the fun a group of mature single women may be having on a bike trip through Italy. What you want solo women to think is that your brand really understands the humor in a situation, as well as the life they lead.

The bottom line is that, whether it’s through never marrying, marrying later in life, divorce or widowhood, more women today are going solo for longer periods of their lives — and they’re more financially independent than ever before. “For the first time in history, unmarried women as a group have significant influence on the culture,” write Celinda Lake and Kellyanne Conway in their book, What Women Really Want: How American Women Are Quietly Erasing Political, Racial, Class, and Religious Lines to Change the Way We Live.

Brands that discover what’s important to single women and what a day in their lives is like stand the best chance of building long-term customer relationships. Single women should not have to place an ad to find you.

 – Andrea Learned, coauthor of Don’t Think Pink: What Really Makes Women Buy — And How to Increase Your Share of This Crucial Market (www.learnedonwomen.com)

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