Lea Woodford interview - leveraging the brand loyalty of the female consumer
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You know, when we talk about customers or consumers today the term consumer can mean a lot of different things. It's B2B and B2C and segmented by demographics and psychographics and more. Of course, one of the most influential, if not the most influential driver of purchasing decisions is the group that actually constitutes more than 50% of the population. Today on the podcast I'm talking to Leah Woodford, the founder and CEO of the SmartFem media group, about understanding and leveraging the fierce brand loyalty of the female consumer.
David Avrin: Thank you so much for tuning in to the podcast you know what I think i've said it before that one of the great things about having my own podcast, of course, is that.
David Avrin: I get to interview, who I want to, I have the great fortune of being a guest on a lot of other podcasts we talk customer experience and what's changed in the world.
David Avrin: But I loved having the insight of other brilliant entrepreneurs and others, but now i've sort of.
David Avrin: been around the orbit of Leah Woodford for a lot of years and very familiar with the work that she does with smartphone media and she has her own TV talk show in her own magazine, and everything else as well, but i'm excited today to talk to her, because I want to talk about.
David Avrin: With all the changes in the world and what's influencing the buying behavior and influencing the the new products and the things that are really coming down the Pike and, of course, if anybody.
David Avrin: I guess we can't make any assumptions, but for myself being married and and being the son of somebody actually as a mom how many people have moms out there, hitting people I guess that's most everybody.
David Avrin: We know who makes a lot of the decisions but it's different today it's not just around the household decisions it's around corporate America and it's right everything so i'm thrilled to have.
David Avrin: Leah Woodford with us here today i'll do a quick introduction and will greet her officially formally.
David Avrin: She is the chief executive officer and founder of the smart femme media group it's full service digital marketing and advertising company.
David Avrin: smartphone was created as a result of her many years as a publicist calmness, and a radio and TV personality, she has extensive experience as a media personality and developed her own segments for ABC NBC CBS.
David Avrin: And fox networks she's also an online marketing and social media expert and shares the latest trends, to help companies move to the next level in our ever changing digital space, and of course she's also a phenomenal.
David Avrin: speaker as well, had many conferences around, so we have thanks for welcome to the show.
Lea Woodford: Oh, David i've been a fan, for a long time and it's nice to see you somewhere else besides a plane.
Lea Woodford: And yeah you want to play into again somewhere.
David Avrin: You know what that and here's The funny thing is that, and of course these interviews are a little bit evergreen but.
David Avrin: I said to my wife that that once covert is over i'm not going to complain about airplanes anymore and there's times when I feel like it, but to bite my lip but i'm so thrilled to be back on the road i'm so thrilled for all of us to be able to share wisdom and help build and grow companies.
David Avrin: face to face on the road, and so you tell us a little bit about your your life pre and post pandemic and what you did during the time and I really want to delve into your unique insights and expertise in terms of the female marketplace what some of those drivers are.
Lea Woodford: Sure well as you heard from my I won't actually read it, but yes i've been in the media, for a long time, but it's media traditionally was always very male dominated and when I decided to create my own company I realized, women are all the consumers and, depending on the sector.
Lea Woodford: I mean, healthcare, we make 92% of the decision, so it just made sense for.
Lea Woodford: me as a woman to create a media that would support women and also help women educate women so they can make.
Lea Woodford: Better buying decisions for their families.
David Avrin: And so, tell us about how you you structured your business because.
David Avrin: For a long time, I remember the magazine you do a lot of video work and now it's really more of a comprehensive media group tell me all the things that that entails, how do you what are all the vehicles in the in the venues that you use to to educate to get your message out.
Lea Woodford: Well, like everybody else I use a lot of social media, but I am still an old school media girl I love books I love magazines I love the tangibility and.
Lea Woodford: When digital came out it, you know it was great, and we all jumped on the bandwagon, but it still doesn't have the cache of a real book or something tangible so when the technology emerged a couple of years ago, where you could actually do a digital and a print magazine.
Lea Woodford: That just made perfect sense to me wow and while I love TV, you know coma kind of feel that people were going into studios and they were doing soon and that's when my double down on print, because when we were in lockdown let's face it, we were excited when the Amazon.
David Avrin: Everyone five times a day.
Lea Woodford: Oh yeah.
Lea Woodford: so prevalent I think its demise has been greatly exaggerated you go into any grocery store and you'll.
Lea Woodford: See racks magazines.
Lea Woodford: Success leaves clues I mean oprah was one of my big influences and i've had the pleasure of interviewing one of her producers.
Lea Woodford: Years ago, and she kind of explained to me how that all worked out and I just i've loved it and a lot of people have used that even TV personalities, I mean we see when I fell true with goop we see fixer upper with Joanna and chip games.
Lea Woodford: It allows them.
Lea Woodford: To kind of create their own franchise their own business, because when you're working for the man or in corporate America you're still in the golden handcuffs and for chip and Joanna they couldn't they had products.
Lea Woodford: That they couldn't push on their show, so they created the.
Lea Woodford: magazine magnolia sold out the first day.
Lea Woodford: And a lot of that was by women.
David Avrin: yeah but aren't they I think in many ways, there was the model of course was created in some ways by a by Martha Stewart and the whole.
David Avrin: idea of the Martha Stewart omni media, but that whole term has really become a major driver for many of us right which is new media, which means we're omni channel.
David Avrin: Every way somebody wants to hear from us or contact us or reach or buy from us.
David Avrin: omni channel and really has been the primary driver, we saw a lot more of that during code and certainly now postcode where.
David Avrin: As consumers we've changed haven't we.
Lea Woodford: I think we have a lot of different influences.
Lea Woodford: I mean the world is global, now as we're as we're seeing that play out.
Lea Woodford: But also we're tech savvy you know what worked in 1970 just doesn't work anymore your consumer is tech savvy and they are researching you, and then you have to have real social proof.
David Avrin: or let's talk about something that a probably was controversial at one point, but I think we've seen a big shift, and I would love your insight because.
David Avrin: you're great insight into this for so often, and I am of that age 58 where there were things that were for girls and there were things that were for boys.
David Avrin: And when there was the girl version, it was pink or whatever else but, even when they started doing video games and things.
David Avrin: The boys were shoot them up blast aliens and women and for girls, it was adventures at the mall right when we look at technology today.
David Avrin: Is there still some sort of a divide or do developers and others recognize the tech savvy enos of women from a business perspective from a consumer perspective is there a difference, or is there even unique insights that women have in terms of how we're buying and communicating.
David Avrin: That that differentiates them from the men.
Lea Woodford: There is um I think the pink team blue team is still there, but it's not as big as it used to be, but also we're seeing women engineers, you know at the forefront, I mean we're seeing more women.
Lea Woodford: take ownership of their careers and of products, so I think you know, we still have a long way to go, we still absolutely have a long way to go, but we're a lot closer than we used to be.
Lea Woodford: And you know I think I think just forging forward is the only way, but I think there will always be a little bit of pink team and a little bit of blue team.
Lea Woodford: And I think more women.
Lea Woodford: are embracing the masculine side but, as I see men getting softer and more approachable to, so I think we're just we're just Community communicating better.
David Avrin: yeah well let's let's talk sort of post coven as we look at all of the the new amenities, the new mechanisms for for buying for communicating for reaching out for customizing.
David Avrin: And we change, I talked about this with my clients, I talked about on stage as well, I asked all the time, I say anybody noticed that your customers or clients are a little more impatient little more demanding well we all are right, because.
David Avrin: Because of how things have changed with Amazon and others as well would have what have we learned.
David Avrin: that what has been driven by by the I, and I, and I struggle with the terminology, I never want to get that get that wrong, we don't say girls, I know that but but females by women.
David Avrin: What have been some of the innovations what's been some of the learning in terms of how do we influence them more effectively, as the primary decision makers in so many sectors.
Lea Woodford: I think it starts by listening to on David for a long time.
Lea Woodford: A long time companies didn't really listen to women, they didn't have enough women on their boards or in their in their leadership circles, but we're seeing more women in leadership circles.
Lea Woodford: And therefore they're having more influence, but I also see a lot of men who have raised strong women like yourself, you know, and I think that.
Lea Woodford: I think fathers, have a lot to do with it, I think.
Lea Woodford: The days of ozzie and Harriet and the man and the Patriarch the Patriarch of the family has changed over the years, and I think men are are really taking more of a role in raising daughters and elevating them and go baby go you got this you can do it.
Lea Woodford: And so we're seeing that trickle out.
David Avrin: I love that the hashtag online that was going for a while that girl hashtag girl dad and for those of us who are dads who were really proud of and I had excuse my daughters, who were who are great athletes, and so a strong, I mean boys that do not want to mess with them.
David Avrin: But we're also seeing women and more in greater leadership positions that are driving product development driving messaging in that as well.
Lea Woodford: Well, I think, so when you look at the consumer and women have been responsible with this is an old statistic.
Lea Woodford: 82% of women influence or making the buy more women have money now and they're making the buyer or they're influencing the buyer and it depends on the sector, you know.
Lea Woodford: i'm going to say like I said earlier, 92% of healthcare decisions are influenced by the woman she's actually not only influencing she's making the decision you know we do it for husbands, we do our families were deciding I bet Laurel is deciding what you put in your mouth.
David Avrin: In many cases, and not because she's cooking it because I am i'm the one, but it sort of what do you.
Lea Woodford: sing you isn't it.
David Avrin: Absolutely, well, it but and there's also a couple of different sectors, though right when when we are in that phase that that second act of raising our kids and working clearly there's much more of a division of responsibilities in terms of who's.
David Avrin: Working nobody got on my case in terms of who does more work we know it's the women that do that.
David Avrin: Almost in all aspects of our life right.
David Avrin: But.
David Avrin: But everybody's taking an active role and they aren't necessarily traditional and we're in that place now, as new empty nesters.
David Avrin: That our time is much more our own, and so the decisions were making or less about taking you know, one of our kids to softball practice, but much more about where do we travel.
David Avrin: And where we going out to eat and absolutely.
David Avrin: You know my wife is a significant part but she just you know she's no shrinking violet she just earned her master's in organizational psychology so she's a great partner in all of this, as well, but that's part of why.
David Avrin: I thought this would be a great subject of recognizing that even the decisions today and how we buy in all this stuff has changed significantly but.
David Avrin: But how we're making decisions that that it's it's much more flat like a flat organization with our within our households, then, then the hierarchical past.
Lea Woodford: You know I think there's more of an exchange and there's been role reversals you know I do the cooking but my husband, the pilot and and the macho guy is also doing the dishes you know.
Lea Woodford: doesn't clean, so I really love the way.
Lea Woodford: We work together in the household and that's actually how we run businesses because he's a partner he's a partner in smart them and I do the marketing for his jet herder company.
Lea Woodford: So I think taking on different roles and having the communication and the expectations, right up front, it makes it much more cohesive, but it also actually.
Lea Woodford: I think, having the yin and Yang together in business and in your House just makes it more exciting, not only for the customer, but it's a more than it's.
Lea Woodford: it's a more dimensional.
Lea Woodford: And relatable product or service, I think, as well.
David Avrin: My mom was a manufacturer's REP for a lot of years, and so, in her showroom and she was she was pretty ballsy I mean think lies minnelli with an extra 30 pounds and no filter.
David Avrin: That was my mom.
Lea Woodford: But she is the I remember, I would say, sometimes I say mom do you you eat with do you kiss me with that mouth, you know she was like a sailor, but she was hilarious.
David Avrin: But I remember one time and I, of course, as a kid you're mortified when your parents is over the top, you know type A or whatever, because you want them.
Lea Woodford: like that.
David Avrin: Right, you know anything embarrassing course now I get to be that for my kids and they'll be like dad your so embarrassing i'm like Oh, you have no idea asked you ask your sister it gets worse, but I remember one time my mom.
David Avrin: Somebody had written a check and I was probably 12 or 13 has made a big impression on me and said, Mrs.
David Avrin: Mrs Dennis Smith, or whatever I guess Dennis was her husband's name and she took the check and she grabbed a ballpoint pen and she scribbled out the name and then she gave it back to her she's write your name.
David Avrin: And of course I was mortified, but this was probably early mid 70s.
David Avrin: And when people say, Mrs so and so i'm put the husband's name and she was trying to empower put your name right your name is is is important as well and that seems like a lifetime ago doesn't it.
Lea Woodford: You know, it really does, I mean I think about some of the teachers, that I had and they miss his boat right, and this is so, and so and i've been in his forever.
Lea Woodford: I was raised by a single dad so he.
Lea Woodford: He told me there is no pink team, there is no blue team, if you want something you got to go get it yourself and make a name for yourself and.
Lea Woodford: I hated that at the time, but I really appreciate it now, you know he didn't pay for my college, I worked and put myself through college and I didn't realize what a gift that was.
David Avrin: there's a great line john Mayer has that great song daughters and, if you look at look at the lyrics for that, where he says father's be good to your if you look at the lyrics it's his father's to be good to your daughters because daughters will love like you do.
Lea Woodford: and
David Avrin: isn't that great if i'm modeling that kind of thing let's talk about how it translates to business.
David Avrin: Is we if we were that fly on the wall product development corporate America coming out of the pandemic and others as well, what have we learned, what do you think those, how do you think it's affecting the decisions for the new conveniences and the new.
David Avrin: new products and others coming down the Pike.
David Avrin: How have these changes, you think are affecting those decisions.
Lea Woodford: I think there's been a lot of changes I think people are demanding.
Lea Woodford: More social proof again tangibility but also.
Lea Woodford: we've we've side Amazon really step up you know when everything was shut down, so we have those expectations now, when you say your product or service will be here at that time.
Lea Woodford: Not only are they sending it but they're sending you photographs of it on your front porch.
Lea Woodford: And you're getting it.
David Avrin: I don't think.
Lea Woodford: I think it's been great in a lot of ways, but it also has set us back in a few ways, because I think.
Lea Woodford: Sometimes we have unrealistic expectations, too, I think it's been great it's forced everybody to do their best, but at the same time, I think we've been locked down for so long and so isolated i'm seeing some of those issues pop up now to you.
David Avrin: What am I think when once again talking about women and i've got three daughters and my wife and my former wife.
David Avrin: But, but I see the skills that they bring to the table and granted I speak for a living, but their skills around conversation and so much of the drivers today around conversations social media yelp Google.
David Avrin: Next door and Tripadvisor and all of those as well that social proof as a driver or a barrier to to potential purchases I think we're seeing.
David Avrin: A lot of the women being far more eloquent in both their dissatisfaction and satisfaction in our companies good at recognizing and tapping into that unique skill set and the unique danger that comes from those skill sets.
Lea Woodford: I think they are, I think they are.
Lea Woodford: I love my oldest son has.
Lea Woodford: He has his own business uh his hit he does remodeling in Florida and we've seen places like you know angie's list and next door and.
Lea Woodford: let's see what's a thumbtack Those are all great resources, so if you're really good at what you do it's going to be good for you.
Lea Woodford: But if you are not good, and you don't deliver what you promised boy everybody's going to know and they're going to know in record time.
Lea Woodford: we've always.
Lea Woodford: heard that a good reputational follow you a bad one, will beat you to the door it's beating you faster to the door that in record time, because women have such on they have a huge network, I mean we all do.
Lea Woodford: Women i'm just gonna say we talk to her girlfriends we've been taught online we do everything, a lot more so than men do not.
Lea Woodford: But.
David Avrin: it's different.
Lea Woodford: In your friend.
David Avrin: You talk to the bathroom for crying out loud that that's horrifying for us.
David Avrin: i'm just saying it's just.
David Avrin: it's just not done no but it, but it what it does it speaks to not only the art of conversation, but the value of it within within females within women so much better and nothing goes unseen nothing goes unheard.
David Avrin: And it do you think there's there's a way because you do a lot with the magazines and the interviews and everything else is there.
David Avrin: A way to leverage that to recognize the power of it and tap into it to benefit new products companies organizations new brands and and solidify and current brands.
Lea Woodford: I think, so I think the best thing that we can do, and one of the things that I love about being a journalist is I get I don't have to talk about myself i'm asking questions.
Lea Woodford: And I think that is a lost art, I think a lot of companies, they don't listen to their consumers it's getting better, but for a long time, especially.
Lea Woodford: women's products and cosmetics were created by men.
Lea Woodford: And not using the safest i'm just using cosmetics, as an example.
Lea Woodford: Sure, but we've demanded that they stopped testing on animals made demanded vegan options, you know when women started really articulating and hey we're the ones that buy these products, listen to us, I think that's when it started to.
Lea Woodford: Change and women started to.
Lea Woodford: Really kind of come into their own and start creating these products they were listening to their audience I think if companies would listen to their target demographic to their consumer, and I mean really listen.
Lea Woodford: I think it would be a game changer for their bottom line, but also.
Lea Woodford: For everything I think we wouldn't have all these negative reviews if people would just listen.
David Avrin: Right, and I think we would be doing a disservice if we didn't acknowledge that women as a buying block as a voting bloc are not monolithic right there just as diverse as any other.
David Avrin: segment them somebody was saying that women, as the majority of the population could control everything they just get together they could vote out, whoever they could.
David Avrin: But that assumes that they're monolithic I mean there's just as much diversity ethnically thought opinions economically, and so we can't think of them that way.
Lea Woodford: yeah and I, I think, women collectively we do represent a good buying population, but we also have a lot of different cultures now too, I mean we're again it's a global.
Lea Woodford: it's a global economy, so we have all kinds of different sectors, but never the same either, so I.
Lea Woodford: I really think that, yes, we represent a big collective buying population, but I also believe that we're individuals and.
Lea Woodford: But I, but I think that we have to pay attention to the bigger sectors, you know you can't you can't placate everybody, but you need to listen to you know, the vast majority.
David Avrin: But isn't that the significant shift that that's happened is that the there would be you know consumer panels trying out laundry detergent things that are traditionally sexist 1950s, 1960s.
David Avrin: But, ultimately, it was the men, making the decisions but we're seeing women and higher and higher positions in organizations can not just not just a seat at the table, but a voice in the conversation and a role in the decision making.
Lea Woodford: That role, I mean and it's it's exciting to I mean we still saw our first automotive female engineer that that designed a completely electric.
Lea Woodford: truck I didn't even.
Lea Woodford: think that was going to happen, I was really excited about that, when we came out with that, but I mean we're seeing women do some really amazing things I mean and young women to I mean i've seen some really young women just step into their own, but again I.
Lea Woodford: Think I think we're kind of coming to a different place a dads are different moms are different.
Lea Woodford: And you know the man is an out, you know, making a living women, you know it's it's to income families.
and
David Avrin: The society, of course.
David Avrin: But that's not necessarily a bad thing, because we're because there's that much more of a of a contribution and a role in all of our very important.
Lea Woodford: Well, I think I was a better mom because I was working on.
Lea Woodford: You know.
Lea Woodford: I didn't have the patience to stay home and and be daycare mom and but I admire the women who do I really do.
Lea Woodford: My special ED teacher, I could not do it, but I think she's amazing.
David Avrin: yeah but and even during quarter, we saw a lot of everyone working at home, and not just that our pets.
David Avrin: You know appreciated having us around, but much more opportunity i've always had the great opportunity, because I worked out on my home because I speak for living and I consult I work at home and I get it, I was sometimes the only dad that was able to be there at the kids.
David Avrin: performance in their classroom or their school play at every parent teacher conference we kind of added it up with all of our kids we hit I did 16 consecutive years of having a kid in elementary school.
David Avrin: Last 16 years of parent teacher conferences and scrambling for last minute Halloween costume ideas and things like that, but.
David Avrin: But hopefully there's a new appreciation for that, and all the roles as well, so as we wrap up real quickly give me put on your put on your your I was gonna say work, I was about to mix metaphors or.
David Avrin: Take out your crystal ball five years 10 years from now, when you look at smart femme and the work that you're doing in the conversations you're having.
David Avrin: Where the trends going in in multiple aspects purchasing leadership all of that, where do you see women playing a role.
Lea Woodford: I think, women are going to be playing a large role, but my goal is for smart come i'd like to see the torch carried on long after i'm gone, but I really would like to see men and women come together, I don't think there has to be.
Lea Woodford: The pink team and the blue team, I really think collectively, we can do so much more and understand each other more.
Lea Woodford: But I think then it's just a win, win for everyone if there weren't these opposing dynamics.
David Avrin: yeah I agree if people want to learn more about you Leo what fruit and smartphone media, how do they get in touch with you.
Lea Woodford: You know what hit me up on social media i'm on everything.
Lea Woodford: is full transparency, not that much on Twitter that's not my damn.
David Avrin: Great and then look and your website is.
Lea Woodford: Smart m.com.
David Avrin: Mark m.com email address.
Lea Woodford: email is Leah la No H at smart found COM.
David Avrin: Perfect want to make sure hang on a second we'll talk, on the other side of this, you can.
David Avrin: pick up a copy of my new book the morning huddle powerful customer experience conversations to wake you up and shake you up and win more business.
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David Avrin: Thanks for tuning in customer experience advantage podcast check out past episodes be sure to leave a comment that's really important big thanks to my guests Leah Woodford and thanks to all the subscribers i'm David Avrin.