What Women Want - O Power
February 20, 2007
Short answer: whatever Oprah tells them they want. Women are very underserved in terms of appealing to what's important to them with a company's marketing efforts. A simple gesture, such as including a link to "Oprah's Favorite Things" on a website, can let them know that you are aware of them and their interests, which is much more than most sites bother to do. Why is that? Because the VAST majority of site designers are male, who are not in touch with their inner Oprah. Oh, sure, their wives or girlfriends watch whenever they can, and these guys may even watch along with them some or all of the time, but it's not top of mind for them when they work.
Some companies get this concept: last week (if memory serves), Oprah ran an episode about "The Secret", which I had never heard of. It's a DVD that's supposedly sweeping the country (but again, I had never heard of it), and now it's a book, too. The secret to being happy, rich, healthy, etc., and to summarize, it appears to be "The Power of Positive Thinking" in new clothes. My wife made we watch, my friends heard of it from their wives from Oprah, etc. And yesterday, on the main page of the Wall St. Journal's site, in the center box, was a blurb about "The Secret". Coincidence? Maybe. But more likely, it's that the Journal keeps up with Oprah, because her power, reach, and influence are probably greater than any woman's in history. Women dig her, and if you're smart, you will pay attention to what Oprah's telling women they should want. Because by the end of the episode, they will.
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