The 85% Niche by Miriam Muley

Recommended by Choice Magazine

by Miriam Muley

With a foreword by Gary L. Cowger, Group Vice President, General Motors Corp.

Today women of color wield more clout in the marketplace because they are younger, and therefore will be customers longer than their white counterparts. They are increasing their educational attaiment giving them higher salaries and more spending power. And they are entreprenurial, and more likely to be mothers than older white women.

Women of all colors generate more than $1 trillion in consumer spending and another $230 billion as entrepreneurs. Yet most companies market to women as a monolithic group, aiming their messages primarily at white women.

With groundbreaking proprietary research Miriam Muley explores how cultural and ethnic differences shape the way women respond to life experiences. She encourages companies to embrace the cultural and ethnic identity of women of all colors with the same tenacity, commitment to grow, and deployment of resources that are given to other consumer audiences.

The result is a concise and practical guide to what drives women of diverse backgrounds to consider brands for future purchase decisions. Muley takes this discussion to a new level, delving deeply into the"who" of the women's market. She provides practical insights on what it means to be a Latina, or a woman of Asian or African-American descent and she effectively translates these insights into compelling marketing best practices that business leaders can quickly integrate into planning efforts.

Top takeaways from The 85% Niche:

• Women of color are a vital source of employees and entrepreneurship
• Marketing to women of color requires expert understanding of gender marketing, diversity marketing, and the bridge between the two disciplines.
• Unleashing  the  power of women and diversity in yoru organization is the fastest track to sales growth, share dominance, and increased profit.
• The women-of-color opportunity will succeed only if it is measured, tracked, and carries the executive sanction and consistent attention of top-level management. 

Contents

Part One:  The Foundation

Chapter 1. Economic Opportunity #1—Women

Chapter 2. The Power of Women of All Colors

Chapter 3. Where Diversity Trumps Gender

Part Two: Leading Voices—A Closer Look at Our Women

Chapter 4. Latina Voices

Chapter 5. Black Voices of t he Diaspora

Chapter 6. Asian-American Volces

Part Three: The Intersection of Diversity, Gender, and Life Stage

Chapter 7. Mothers of Color

Chapter 8. Entrepreneurial Women of Color

Part Four: Sustaining Strategies for Growth

Chapter 9. Corporate Commitment and Marketing Strategy

Chapter 10, Automotive Spotlight: General Motors Corporation

Chapter 11. Beauty Products Spotlight: Avon Products, Inc.

Chapter 12. Financial Products Spotlight: Comerica Incorporated

Appendix: The Boardroom Circle: 85% Niche Leadership Interviews

(256 pp., hardcover, ISBN 978-097801745-5-7; 2009)