The She Spot: Why Women Are the Market for Changing the World—And How to Reach Them
By Lisa Witter and Lisa Chen

I can usually divide my library of business books into two categories: those that tell you why you should be doing something and those that tell you how to do it. That isn’t the case with The She Spot—it is a book that could be placed in both camps—giving readers a true understanding of why women are such powerful influencers and also the tools for making a real-world connection with them. This book goes beyond just talking about women as consumers and shows how they affect social change—from politics and policies to non-profits. It isn’t surprising to see the book have such a strong emphasis on social change. After all, its authors are executives with Fenton Communications, one of the largest public interest communications firms in the country. Recently co-author (and new mom with another on the way) Lisa Witter spoke with Patti Minglin about her new book and how women are leading change in the world.

Minglin: Why did you decide to write this book at this time?
Witter: The idea for this book has been sitting in my head for quite awhile, but it wasn’t until I found my co-author (Lisa Chen) that things really started to move. We wanted to create a book that was relevant, but also fun and memorable—with loads of take-aways. We seemed to hit “the she spot” when we launched it. Soon after we were published, Hilary Clinton had become the first female to be a strong, viable candidate for the office of U.S. President. There was a lot of conversation about the affect of the female vote—especially among African-American women who some felt would be choosing between siding with their gender (Clinton) or race (Obama). Then, after Obama became the Democratic nominee, the Republicans announced Sarah Palin as their vice presidential choice. This political race has been all about the female voice and our book has been used as a resource for those trying to figure out what women really want.

Minglin: The format is great—I love that each chapter has “take-aways,” the “notes” section in the back and the detailed index. You really don’t see a lot of business books go to such lengths for their readers—why do you think this format works best for the type of content you are discussing in this book?
Witter: As researchers, it was our intent to teach readers what we know, but also show them how these facts relate to real world situations and case studies. We give you the facts about why women do what they do as well as show you how top brands have used those facts to create successful campaigns and marketing strategies. Again, we wanted everyone to be able to take-away something and use it for their own brand missions. The format was created to make it easy for readers to use the information. We realize everyone is busy and doesn’t always have the time to sit down and read an entire book in one sitting. Our hope is that readers will find it helpful—and will be able to come back to it again and again.

Minglin: In doing the research and/or writing, did anything surprise you? Did you discover something about women that you didn’t realize before you started this process?
Witter: A couple of things surprised me. First, when I started talking to older women about the differences between men and women, they became very nervous. They had spent a great deal of their lives fighting for equality and didn’t really like to think of us as different—or unequal—in our thinking and makeup. They had what I like to call “gender blindness.” It was difficult to convince them that there really are differences—and by recognizing the differences, we are actually showcasing our strengths. The other surprise was just how powerful women have become in the consumer space. I instinctively knew this, but in doing the book, I was able to get real facts to back up the instinct.

Minglin: With the political season upon us there has been a lot of conversation about micro-targeting which lends itself perfectly to your chapter on segmenting the women’s market. You mention a lot of different segments, but to just give us a taste of your book, what two or three segments do you find to be the most intriguing for brands today?
Witter: There are a lot, but here are a few that standout:
Single Women—I find this is one of the most misunderstood segments. Brands often stereotype this group—underestimating their true financial power and influence. They fall into what I like to call the “Carrie Bradshaw Trap” which can insult women not flatter them. Marketers need to dig deeper to find out what truly affects a single woman’s thinking and purchasing decisions.
African-American Women—There was a study that found African-American women give more non-profits, but are asked less. Brands fail to really understand the African-American woman and create communities that give her an opportunity to connect with others. She is looking to be part of a community that is much larger than her individual self and brands need to respond to that.
Boomer Women—The sheer numbers of Boomer women should give brands reason to dig deeper into this group. They are politically active and looking for opportunities to affect change. One of the reasons they seem to be siding with Obama instead of McCain is his overall message of hope. That resonates with Boomers—they want to hear “I think I can” instead of “the sky is falling.”

Minglin: I think it is always interesting to ask authors what other things they are currently reading. What is on your reading list at the moment?
Witter: As the mother of a toddler with another one on the way, my reading time has really diminished. I am a big fan of political blogs and keep up with financial analysis—especially gender perspectives on the current financial and political situations. I was also given a book by a friend of mine that is a wonderful read, What Got Here Won’t Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful. The focus is on the various shifts we need to make as we continue moving forward with our careers. We never stop learning, growing or changing.

Minglin: What a great message for all of us—there is never an opportunity for us to be stagnant—professionally, personally or socially. Maybe that will be an M2W® E-ssentials’ book review in the near future. Thanks, Lisa.

Want a copy of your own? Email me! We will randomly select one winner from all emails received by Friday, October 31, 2008 and send the winner a copy of The She Spot.