We market to women, and although that may seem like a small niche to reach (it’s not, read here), marketing in general can fall on deaf ears if any of these common brand messaging mistakes take place:

1. Not speaking to customers’ values: companies too often build messages around their products, not what’s most important to their customers. Align your message with their values for the most success.
2. Relying too heavily on buzzwords: Gamification? Clickability? Using buzzwords on a campaign that is targeting your customer can backfire in two ways – your customer doesn’t know what the words mean or they are so overused that the words don’t have an impact anymore. It is better to just stay away from them.
3. Failing to make your messages portable: Make your messaging simple yet effective so word-of-mouth can carry it on. Think of boiling it down to 2 sentences and use that as a central theme throughout all marketing materials.
4. Forgetting to excite: You are excited about your marketing message because you probably came up with it. However, many customers are on auto-pilot when shopping, making decisions, etc. so stand out and excite your customer in a new way.

Bring success to your new marketing campaign by avoiding these common marketing mistakes. If you need help marketing in the Knoxville area, give us a call today at (865) 249-8371.

Throughout this blog, we’ve talked about some pretty crazy things being marketed specifically to women (here and here). Well today is no exception. Nestle has come out with a premium, high-end water bottle called Resource.

Trying to compete with the Fiji waters and Smartwaters of the world, Resource is what Nestle calls its first domestically-sourced, premium brand of still water, meaning it is noncarbonated and pure. Larry Cooper, Resource’s group marketing manager, said the ideal consumer is a trendy woman with a higher income around 35 years old. Sounds like they know what they want!

The ads show the bottle of water in lush woods and claim that it has 100 percent naturally-occurring electrolytes and 50 percent of the bottle is recycled plastic. To promote this new brand, Resource will be featured on the reality show Project Runway and endorsed by the Today Show’s Bobbie Thomas.

So what do you think about another seemingly gimmick product being marketed to women? Will you try it?

FletcherPR is a national communications firm that specializes in reaching women through the power of media. Headquartered in Knoxville, TN, we are a full-service agency providing strategic public relations, social media and marketing communications services to our clients throughout the U.S.

It is that time of year again! Everyone is giddy because finals are over and graduation is here. The world is yours for the taking, which can be either a frightening thought or an empowering one.

Use this time wisely. If you already have a job lined up- kudos to you! That is not an easy feat in today’s job market. If you are still looking, don’t be discouraged. There are still plenty of opportunities if you stay persistent. Either way, we have compiled a list of 5 digital skills every college graduate should have.

1. Be proficient in email. No matter what service you have used or will use, email is going to be a part of your everyday work life. Get a handle on the type of email provider your employer uses- Microsoft Office, Gmail, etc.

2. Be prepared. If you don’t already know it, learn Excel, Powerpoint and Word because your boss will expect that you know how to use them. The last thing you want is to be given an assignment due in an hour and you have no idea what you are doing.

3. Be web savvy. It is highly likely that you are a little more adept at using the internet than your boss (not always, but usually). Prove it! Show your skills through strategized Google searching, using Wordpress or sharing your knowledge of what is out there in the “world wide web.”

4. Be socially driven. You’ve grown up with social media as a part of your life so it should come second-hand to you. Step up and help your employer or clients with their social media. It can be used to grow followers and reach more people or to advertise and build brand awareness.

5. Be different. Use this time to learn something new online to make yourself stand out. Do you know how to code? Are you an expert at SEO? Whatever interests you, research it and show how you are different.

Good luck to all who are graduating! This is an exciting time in your life. Who knows, maybe we will be seeing one of you soon.

FletcherPR is a national communications firm that specializes in reaching women through the power of media. Headquartered in Knoxville, TN, we are a full-service agency providing strategic public relations, social media and marketing communications services to our clients throughout the U.S.

What's that you say? Mom bloggers want to work with PR professionals? AND there is a study to back it up? Excuse us while we do a little happy dance in our office.

Most of what we do here at FletcherPR involves marketing to women. We understand “her” voice and know what it takes to reach female consumers. In recent years, mom bloggers have emerged as a formidable force in the digital stratosphere, and we've adjusted our strategy to best target this niche.

According to the study, 93 percent of mom bloggers are willing to work with PR people, and they all accept samples. In addition, almost 78 percent want product for review every time to provide honest and transparent coverage. They also like to give it away to their audience, which we’ve found to be highly beneficial. Giveaways often translate into multiple posts, social media interactions and increased engagement with your brand.

If you're thinking that working with mom bloggers is a waste of your time and your product, we encourage you to think again. Whether you specifically target women or not, we live in a digital age and mom bloggers can help generate revenue.

Oh, and one last tip – no one likes to be called “dear blogger,” so personalize those pitches.

FletcherPR is a national communications firm that specializes in reaching women through the power of media. Headquartered in Knoxville, TN with staff in Nashville & Los Angeles, we are a full-service agency providing strategic public relations, social media and marketing communications services to our clients throughout the U.S.

We’ve spoken before on the facts that men fill up a large part of the tech bubble. Women aren’t seen as the coders and engineers; they are seen as, well, the publicists and fashion designers. Frankly, we are over this stereotype and want to shed some light on tech companies that are marketing to women.

Venture to Silicon Valley or CES and we’ll bet you can count the number of women working for these male-dominated tech companies on both hands. Why is this? The Mark Zuckerberg’s of this generation have taken all desirable jobs, and that is the quintessential employee/entrepreneur right now.

According to a Kauffman Foundation analysis, women are actually more capital-efficient than men, and have lower failure rates than those led by men. If that doesn’t convince you, in the U.S., 140 women enroll in higher education for every 100 men, they earn more than 50 percent of all bachelor’s and master’s degree and the increase in the number of engineering degrees granted to women has grown almost tenfold.

We hope that this educates, inspires and empowers you to take on the world! After all, you’re a woman.

FletcherPR is a national communications firm that specializes in reaching women through the power of media. Headquartered in Knoxville, TN with staff in Nashville & Los Angeles, we are a full-service agency providing strategic public relations, social media and marketing communications services to our clients throughout the U.S

We are working hard to overcome the stereotypes for working women. Men dominate the workforce, and have done so for many years, making it difficult to reverse the mindset that many people already have. Many traditional male-dominated fields are now marketing to women, such as finance, engineering and technology.

Are you a woman starting a career in one of these fields? Or do you just work mostly with men? We have some tips for working women:

• Find a mentor – it can be intimidating starting a new job, so find someone who has the experience to help you.
• Be confident – regardless of gender, people who carry themselves with confidence get noticed more.
• Have an edge – your edge gives you strength, sets you apart and shows the men that you mean business.
• Learn from successful male counterparts – we hesitate to say this, but if you are going into a male-dominated field then that is the way of it. Heed their advice.
• Want it – nothing in this world comes easy, but if you want it, go for it.

Many women just need a little boost of confidence and power to tackle male-dominated companies. More power to you, sister!

FletcherPR is a national communications firm that specializes in reaching women through the power of media. Headquartered in Knoxville, TN with staff in Nashville & Los Angeles, we are a full-service agency providing strategic public relations, social media and marketing communications services to our clients throughout the U.S.

If you’re a woman and a business owner you may often feel like you’re expected to be Super Woman. FletcherPR is presenting an informative workshop by Kevin Kragenbrink, business coach with Estrada Strategies, to talk about overcoming this. Join us for an evening of networking with other women business owners, and find out how you can achieve more of a work/life balance.

Did you know that heart disease is the number ONE killer of women? February is heart health month, and we want to change this statistic. According to the American Heart Association, 43 million women in the U.S. are affected by heart disease, and it is the cause of one in three women's deaths every year.

It is important to take the time every month, but especially this month, to talk to the women in your life about heart health. This year AHA’s slogan markets to women with Take 5 to Tell 5. So take five minutes out of your day to tell five women you care for about the risks associated with heart disease. Even the symptoms of heart attacks are different for women than for men.

Knowledge is power, and there are many things we can be doing to protect our hearts. First, be aware of the symptoms and risks for women. Second, eat heart-healthy foods like broccoli and salmon. Finally, exercise regularly to get your heart pumping and your blood flowing.

Remember, this month, take 5 to tell 5. You can bet we are.