Book Review: Why She Buys

One of my favorite past times is devouring case studies. I’ll stay up late gorging on white papers about successful public relations or marketing activities. I consider them a buffet of knowledge and hope. Hence the book review on Why She Buys, cooked up by Bridget Brennan.

According to her website, The Wallstreet Journal touts Brennan’s book as, “essential reading” and Fortune Small Business states it’s “required reading for anyone burdened with a Y chromosome.” Funny, I didn’t know any of that. I picked it up on a trip to the library with my son. The kids’ section is adjacent to where they keep the business books. Every two weeks I scan the shelves quickly and grab one on the way to the checkout. That’s my reality of going to the library with a three year old. I say this because it’s an appropriate story that would fit well into her book.

I felt empowered and validated by the title, and better educated and equipped by her case studies. To understand how and why women make or influence 80 percent of the purchasing decisions in the household is to understand the economy and successful marketing.

My favorite morsels from this book are:

• The Lexus customer service model is one to be emulated. It’s not only the car; it’s the way the company and the employees exceed customers’ expectations in order to develop long term relationships. Isn’t that what women want most of all – longstanding, meaningful relationships?

• The research that Proctor & Gamble puts into their products is phenomenal. They actually live with their customers to see how their products are used - the challenges, shortcomings and benefits. You can’t get that kind of information from a survey, or even a focus group.

• Bluefly.com was smart to have a non-management employee blog about the reality television show Project Runway and then tie the episodes into their product line. The employee was an actual fan of the show and stayed away from corporate jargon. It was more like reading a post on your friend’s Facebook page than a company’s blog.

Potential readers should think of Why She Buys as a guide to the elusive core of what makes women tick – those hungry for this kind of information will find this book worthy of their time and money.

5 Ways to Improve Your Chances of Getting Media Coverage of Your Event

Getting on the ten o’clock news is easy for violent crime offenders and dead-beat politicians, but for the rest of us – it’s a challenge. I often speak to clients who are frustrated about the lack of attention they receive from the press. Most news stations won’t attend a fundraising event unless their anchor or reporter is hosting, but there are other ways to ensure your event newsworthy or at least news friendly.

Consider the following and make yours an affair to remember, or should we say cover:

1. Time - Be sure your event is held at a desirable time for the media to attend – early breakfasts and late dinners won’t get you coverage. Consider an 11 a.m. start time during the week. Wednesday is generally the best day for the media. Newsrooms operate 24/7 and they generally have more staff on the clock midweek.

2. Attendees – Securing local politicians and celebrities helps your press release get pushed up to the top. You’ve proved that you mean something to somebody.

3. Visuals – Secure something visual for your event. For example, ground breakings and dedications are not desirable because there isn’t much to see. I once planned a ground breaking where we unfurled a banner that was 30 feet in length from the top of a building. Rather than just shooting people turning dirt, news cameras got to see what the future building would look like on a grand scale! This visual got us great coverage.

4. Relevancy –How relevant is your event to recent local news coverage? Try finding an angle that relates to what is being written in the headlines. For example, if you are a non-profit, your organization may have a month in which its cause is recognized – i.e. October is breast cancer awareness month. Private companies should consider tying into latest trends – i.e. the economy.

5. Research – Search your cause or industry online and see how others have gotten coverage. What makes headlines in Atlanta or LA could also make the news in DFW.