Of Soccer Moms And Mini-vans
In “The Minivan Is Getting A Makeover” in today’s New York Times, Danny Hakim and Fara Warner write about how minivan makers are trying to get past the boring, soccer mom image these vehicles have always had. DaimlerChrysler recently held the Minivan Summer Games, in fact (and the picture that goes with the NYT story actually does make it look like a fun-for-the-whole-family adventure), to get moms moving themselves – perhaps – instead of just chauffering their kids to sporting activities.
Apparently, the safety of the normal-sized (not super long) minivans is quite good in comparison to SUVs and cars:
“There were 11.2 deaths for every 100,000 registered vans last year, according to new data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. By contrast, there were 16.42 deaths in sport utility vehicles, 15.17 in pickup trucks and 14.85 in passenger cars.”
Interestingly, the design factors that are selling points for women loading up kids and groceries – the fact that they are lower to the ground, for example – also make them safer (which is at the top of every mom’s list). Of course, the lower fatality rate of minivan accidents is also related to the fact that alcohol or aggresive driving usually aren’t big problems with the mom crowd.
What is helping the minivan market grow now is that, in addition to building in features that are mom-friendly, the manufacturers are starting to put some thought into HOW they market them. I think the “summer games” idea is a great example. Manufacturers have to figure out a way to be relevant and fun with potential buyers and not depress the likely-female prospects about succumbing to the “dowdy” image” of it.
Features and colors, and so on, can only go so far, but then you have to make the vehicle seem to fit the lives of the women who are prospective buyers. NO ONE sees themselves as a “soccer mom,” no matter that they might spend 6 days a week driving their 3 kids to-and-fro for sports practices and games. That’s why the manufacturers are trying to give a more sporty/SUV-type “feel” to their marketing efforts for minivans.
On the other hand, I think the “I need a step ladder to get in” and “gas guzzling-ness” of the Hummer H2 brand managers did the opposite. They didn’t seem to realize that most people are energy concious these days and that women mainly need to drive their kids into and out of crowded parking lots etc. But, they did, right away – try to market it as a “cool” and “hip” vehicle for the suburban mom. As my cousin Dave would say, “What the?”
(Of course, plenty of SUV manufacturers are also minivan manufacturers but that’s a story for another day.)
You’ve got to start by walking the walk, and only then can you talk the talk that might appeal to women.
If more people read Malcolm Gladwell’s New Yorker piece, “Big and Bad
How the S.U.V. ran over automotive safety”, I think the SUV, SUT.. SUWhatever market would die an even faster death.
But I digress.
My point is that you have to understand the market and how they want to learn about things – and how they want to “feel” about buying your wares – long before you put the product on the shelf, as it were. If you do walk the walk, and know your women customers well, they’ll talk the talk for you.
Just think of all the women you know who, once they finally managed to buy their mini-van, actually fell in love with it and advised all their mom friends to “get over it” and go buy one?
Can you think of one mom you know who ran out and bought an H2 based on those hip ads? No?
