Just as Harvard Business School’s Rosbeth Moss Kanter predicted the decline of celebrity endorsements,  I celebrated the launch of our expanded women’s health content platform called Real Women on Health! where women are role models for other women “like them”.

As HealthyWomen, the Society for Women’s Health Research, the Women’s Sexual Health Foundation and the hundreds of other women’s health advocacy groups know, marketing healthcare to women is not new and it’s storied past highlights the convergence of politics, creative marketing, gender communications and sex-based research.    The territory has been one occupied by and among policy makers, healthcare professionals, pharmaceutical companies, women’s groups, and thankfully now,  women themselves,  since the fateful marketing of Premarin in the ’60’s.

What’s interesting to note is that, the empowerment strategies that these organizations have fostered among women of all life stages have made women savvier by nurturing an awareness mindset that they are able to articulate and convey through social media and social networking available today.

Ironically, these same “empowerment” tools have put healthcare marketers on the defensive as they explore ever-so-carefully how they can best  “share” control of their marketing campaigns with those that women champion themselves.

This dynamic has happened because, empowerment by its very nature only happens when women make conscious decisions to take control of their minds and their bodies  - allowing them to take action that benefits them.  One of the key ingredients in empowerment is trust - trust in those who have given us the information, tools and recommendations.  In many cases, these are the various non-profit advocacy groups whose mission it is to educate and arm women with the resources and tools kits so they feel prepared when they visit their doctor.  The advocacy groups mentioned above have always been a champion for women’s health and, with limited resources, they fight for legislation that translates to more research in the women’s health arena.

That’s why the notion of trust is so coveted by women today.  It’s traditionally been held up by advocacy groups - yet, increasingly today, trust has been nurtured and engendered among women “like them”  who they encounter in social media networks, in face-to-face support groups and in their circles of friendship.

So, trust is one piece of women’s wardrobe they covet the most.   And, they share it only with those they deem trustworthy.

Some interesting thoughts:

Only 14% of women trust advertising while 85% trust the advice of other women (Nielsen 2009)

But..women don’t even trust Oprah…why would they want to trust you?

Since 2008, the number of women over 50 on Facebook has tripled and represents the fastest growing group on Facebook (Nielsen 2009)

48% of women surveyed report belong to four or more Social Networks (She’s Connected 2009)

Those making $50,000 a year are more likely than those making less than $30,000 a year to look for on-line disease-related information. (Pew 2009)

Women who used blogs were more than 2X as likely to do so when they were seeking information, advice and recommendations than those participating in social networking (BlogHer, iVillage, Compass 2009)

Over 34% of consumers now turn to social media (blogs, forums, message boards) for health information (iCrossing 2009) for trustworthy information, and the number is continuing to grow with women outpacing men.

66% of women don’t believe healthcare marketers understand them.

If you’re a healthcare marketer or communicator and would like to reach women through authentic communications that build trust, you’re invited to sign up for our free webinar series “Building Health and Wellness Brands That Connect with Women”.

Please email me at kelley@kc-health.com for more information and to take advantage of this opportunity for 2010.