Too Busy to Shop: Marketing to Multi-Minding Women

By Kelley Murray Skoloda

Research indicates that most women do it at least ten times every five minutes. What is it? Multi-minding--mentally juggling a complex mix of family, career, and self-care decisions at any given moment, with little time for commercial messages to seep into the mix. How do marketers reach women, who still make 85% of all consumer purchasing decisions? This book, based on research, interviews, and Kelley Skoloda's twenty years of leading-edge work in brand marketing with major clients, explains how to connect with multi-minding women, gain their trust, and tap into their purchasing power.

Multi-minding is a cultural phenomenon that is here to stay. A multi-minding woman, even if she appears to be relaxing in front of a late-night television show, reading a magazine in the pediatrician's office, or tackling a complicated analytic study at work, is at the same time thinking about and preparing for the other dimensions of her life. She's weighing the benefits of changing her 401k plan, plotting out her organic vegetable garden, ticking off birthday-party logistics, and longing for a neck massage. That's why one study shows women feel they are packing 38 hours of activity into a 24-hour period. But studies also show that most women feel marketers are ignoring their needs. That's a big mistake considering women spend $3.3 trillion annually on consumer products. Too Busy to Shop explains what marketers need to know about multi-minding--a word coined by Skoloda and Ketchum--and its implications for companies seeking to speak to women buyers. Besides theory and insight, readers get how-tos and action items designed to ensure women view their brands favorably and hear the marketing message. The book also contains insiders' views of some of the most successful marketing-to-women campaigns of recent times. In short, Too Busy to Shop helps marketers understand multi-minding in depth--an essential task if they want to reach today's overloaded female consumer.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0313354871
• ISBN13: 9780313354878
• Release Date: March 2009
• Publisher: Praeger
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.1" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Nobody Knows Better

Kelly Skoloda has devoted her career to uncovering and understanding the preferences and values of multi-minding women. And so it stands to reason that the insights shared here demonstrate a level of expertise that comes only with years of experience and achievement. If your company or brand markets to women, Too Busy to Shop is a must read.

A Resource for Multi-Minded Executives

A Resource for Multi-Minded Executives This book is an exceptional resource. As an owner of a business that markets to women, this book is the perfect answer for me as it is written for MultiMinded executives. It serves as a one-stop resource with factoids, insghts and opportunities for business and marketers of all sizes. I commend Skoloda's research and bringing these social, cultural, and financial purchasing shifts to the fore-front. Anne Fleming, President & Founder www.women-drivers.com

Not Too Busy to Learn from Kelley Skoloda

"The `niche' focus that executives are concerned about is, in fact, the primary consumer for many brands and businesses." As a young marketer, I will be certain to keep Kelley Skoloda's book handy as I assist current and future clients in their quest to tap into the burgeoning female economy.

Make Time to Read "Too Busy to Shop!"

Women buy 80% of almost everything, and Skoloda's book is an essential resource for those seeking to reach and influence them. Truly impressive in its scope, depth and insight, the book not only conveys an excellent understanding of women's lifestyles, but provides singularly clear and specific advice on how marketers in many categories can apply Skoloda's principles to multiply their marketing impact. The book is highly readable and belongs close at hand on every brand manager's bookshelf!

Don't be too busy to read Too Busy to Shop!

Kelley Skoloda has written a "must read" for anyone who wants to unlock the secrets to marketing to women. Women have gone from "multi-tasking" to "multi-minding" - which means it's more difficult than ever before to get our attention and keep it. Skoloda's book - full of informed observations, fascinating statistics, and insightful "to do's," should become the "bible" for any company or agency intent on capturing the focus of America's largest consumer audience.