Dell's Della Debacle an Example of Wrong Way to Target Women†

For Starters, Stop Thinking of Them as a Niche Demo

Advertising Age, May 25, 2009 — Hearing that Dell had launched a female-targeted microsite called Della last week triggered my "Is it a gag?" reflex — the suspicious reaction to a bit of marketing too extreme to be real. Yet upon arrival at the site, there they were: all the ridiculous "women's advertising" clichés you could imagine in your wildest feminine-products-commercial fantasies. But it wasn't a gag — not intentionally, anyway.

"Female Fever"

Trendwatching, August 1, 2007 — Women. The Mega Niche. The under-served market of all markets. And so on. Just consider the fact that women, who comprise just over 50% of the US population, make over 80% of the consumer purchasing decisions (and in case you're wondering, consumer spending accounts for two-thirds of US GNP). Consulting firm A.T. Kearney estimates that women determine 80 percent of consumption, purchase 60 percent of all cars and own 40 percent of all stocks. No wonder some companies have FEMALE FEVER these days. Oh, and there are more numbers and insights galore on Trendsight, Rethink Pink, Marketing To Women Online and BlogHer.