The She Spot: Why Women Are the Market for Changing the World -- And How to Reach Them

A guide for nonprofits and social change organizations on how to tap the potential of the female market and why it helps.

The secret to changing the world is hidden in plain sight. In fact, it’s half the population. Women vote more, volunteer more, and give to more charities than men do. They control over half of the total wealth in America. Corporations have long recognized the growing power of women and have been targeting them for years. The She Spot is a practical and provocative primer showing how nonprofits and social change organizations can do it too.

Lisa Witter and Lisa Chen cite eye-opening research that reveals some surprising facts: women are less likely to trust politicians and politics as usual; African American women donate a larger percentage of their income to nonprofits than white women but get asked to give a lot less often; and in one poll only seven percent of women identified “protecting reproductive choice,” supposedly the women’s issue, as a top priority for Congress. Building on insights like these, they identify and describe four core principles—care, control, connect, and cultivate—for designing messages that will resonate with women of all ages and backgrounds. And using case histories from companies like Home Depot, T-Mobile, and Kellogg’s as well as nonprofits like MoveOn.org, the American Lung Association, and the Environmental Defense Fund, they explain precisely how to put these four principles into practice.

This book makes the case that simply painting your marketing campaign “pink” and calling it a day will miss the mark with most women. Witter and Chen show that connecting with women can help you connect with men too—think both/and, not either/or. You’ll raise more money and recruit more supporters for your cause. In the end, those who hit the “She Spot” claim the power to create a better, brighter world for all of us.

“Smart, engaging, and eminently useful, The She Spot puts its finger on how to score with the key drivers of social change: women.” —Arianna Huffington

“The authors present their material efficiently and engagingly, tackling the motivation—both social and neurological—behind women’s contributions and interest, and the methods to appeal to them, from news media to online. Bolstered with helpful chapter takeaway lists and concrete examples of companies that have successfully reached the female audience, Witter and Chen have crafted a thoughtful, helpful guide to nonprofit marketers.” —Publishers Weekly