From Publishers Weekly
Marketers have always honed in on women, the primary household consumers, but charitable and political organizations have long been less savvy. Target women to garner donations or votes, urge Witter and Chen; female consumers and citizens are not a niche audience but
the audience to reach and win over. Women's economic clout grows larger every year, and though they tend to be distrustful of the political process, they vote in large numbers and can tip elections. They are also characteristically altruistic, volunteering more significantly than men and contributing to twice as many charities. Since word of mouth is strong among women, women who care about a particular cause will bring in more contributors. The authors present their material efficiently and engagingly, tackling the motivation—both social and neurological—behind women's contributions and interest, and the methods to appeal to them, from news media to online. Bolstered with helpful chapter takeaway lists and concrete examples of companies that have successfully reached the female audience, Witter and Chen have crafted a thoughtful, helpful guide to nonprofit marketers.
(June) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From the Inside Flap
The She Spot
The secret to changing the world is hidden in plain sight. In fact, it's half the population. Women vote more, volunteer more, and give to more charities than men do. They control over half of the total wealth in America. Corporations have long recognized the growing power of women and have been targeting them for years. The She Spot is a practical and provocative primer showing how nonprofits and social change organizations can do it too.
Lisa Witter and Lisa Chen cite eye-opening research that reveals some surprising facts: women are less likely to trust politicians and politics as usual; African American women donate a larger percentage of their income to nonprofits than white women but get asked to give a lot less often; and in one poll only 7 percent of women identified "protecting reproductive choice," supposedly the women's issue, as a top priority for Congress. Building on insights like these, they identify and describe four core principles--care, control, connect, and cultivate--for designing messages that will resonate with women of all ages and backgrounds. And using case histories from companies like Home Depot, T-Mobile, and Kellogg's as well as nonprofits like MoveOn.org, the American Lung Association, and the Environmental Defense Fund, they explain precisely how to put these four principles into practice.
This book makes the case that simply painting your marketing campaign "pink" and calling it a day will miss the mark with most women. Witter and Chen show that connecting with women can help you connect with men too--think both/and, not either/or. You'll raise more money and recruit more supporters for your cause. In the end, those who hit the "She Spot" claim the power to create a better, brighter world for all of us.
"Chen and Witter turn identity politics on its head and show the path to winning social change campaigns. The path starts at the She Spot, but it doesn't end until they expose many of the common assumptions that have led too many well-meaning social change efforts astray. Whether you want to stop climate change or raise money for your PTA, here's your manual."
--Daniel Silverman, Director of Communications, The James Irvine Foundation
