In 1997, singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan introduced us to Lilith Fair, a music festival that highlighted the talents of female artists. The success of the “girl power” concert tour went beyond just ticket sales. As McLachlan said during an interview last month, “We definitely helped change some old-school attitudes that you couldn’t put (women) back-to-back on the radio, that you couldn’t put women together on the stage.” After a 10-year absence, Lilith Fair made its way back onto the summer music scene this year and in addition to introducing a new generation to its innovative mix of musicians, brands and atmosphere, the concert continues to tell us a lot about today’s female consumers and emphasizes those important lessons learned during M2W®.

Think Positive
“What happened during the original festival went beyond just ‘female power’ and actually gave women of all ages and ethnicities the chance to participate in an event free of judgment and politics,” said Seth Freed, senior director of sponsorships, Lilith Fair. “Culturally, it was definitely time to bring the tour back-- matter of fact, it was overdue. Society was ready to once again have the opportunity to participate in an event that is about giving positive information about women to women.”

Make Room for Feedback
Women want more than to just grab a brand’s sample and run—a message that resonates throughout all of our M2W® conferences. Last year, it was Kelley Skoloda, partner/director, Global Brand Marketing Practice for Ketchum, that led a case study panel on the importance of not only listening to women, but learning how to become part of the conversation. “Companies that have been successful at marketing to women are doing both: listening and engaging in relevant conversations,” said Skoloda during last year’s M2W®.

Which is why brands involved with Lilith Fair have had great success in building deeper connections with their core consumers. “Women were actually talking with the brands that were represented (which included everyone from Crystal Light to StayFree to Luna Bars)—giving them valuable feedback on their products like, ‘I really like this flavor’,” said Freed. “There was a high conversion rate for our brand partners—that speaks volumes to the quality of our audience and the environment we provide. It is free from ego and angst—not only with our musicians, but with our audiences and brand partners.

A sentiment that is shared by another successful organization specializing in creating entertainment experiences by and for women: the WNBA. The WNBA, whose president Donna Orender gave the amazing Closing Keynote during last year’s M2W®, partnered with Lilith Fair throughout the 2010 summer concert tour. “This summer, there were Lilith dates in two-thirds of the league's markets,” said Hilary Shaev, vice president of marketing, WNBA. “We increased awareness for each other's properties through national promotion, local presence, and on-site community activation.  We also sold game and concert tickets using each other's tickets for value-adds.  The partnership was a success for us, and resulted in some wonderful moments, like the Minnesota Lynx meeting Mary J Blige at Lilith Minneapolis, who tweeted this to her million+ followers.”

Create Generational Appeal
From Marti Barletta’s ‘Boomer’ women to Gigi Carroll’s insights into the women of ‘Gen Y’, the M2W® stage is always filled with speakers that give us great insight into what makes each generation of women tick—and it appears each generation of women is eager to connect with one another as well. “The great thing about this year’s event was that we really provided a variety of entertainment that would appeal to generations of women,” said Freed. “For those who attended Lilith during the early days, they were now bringing their daughters and granddaughters. It was really a great experience.”

It wasn’t just Lilith Fair giving us a look into what truly resonates with today’s women. The other top tour of the summer season belonged to Lady Gaga—who, at first blush, seems a far cry from the women of the Lilith Fair stage. Yet, why she resonates with her female fans is the same reason women flock to Lilith Fair…

Don’t Just Welcome Diversity, Encourage It
During last year’s M2W®, we learned first hand the value of diversity in a brand’s marketing to women strategies as Miriam Muley, CEO of The 85% Niche, led a brand panel on “Why Latinas Hold the Key to Long-Term Business Success.” It was during this panel that we learned how today’s women are not just comfortable with diversity, they expect it—a message that is heard loud and clear by the fans of pop icon Lady Gaga.

“Some of things that Lady Gaga says—especially about equality, gay rights and freedom—are things women in my generation believe in, but may not feel we can ‘shout it from the rooftops’ like Gaga can,” says Kelly Hewitt, manager of client relations for PME® Enterprises, LLC, producers of M2W®. Kelly actually got to meet the pop icon during an appearance this summer. “Young women in my generation want to express themselves but feel the pressure of fitting in. and I guess conforming to the way society is telling them to look, feel, dress and act. I think for many young women (and young men), this is a constant battle when growing up and trying to figure out who you are and where you fit into the world, so to have someone so powerful, successful and obviously her own person telling you its OK, be you, be free, stand up for whatever it is you believe in no matter what, it’s comforting and also a strong reminder of staying true to yourself.” Be sure to meet Kelly during the 6th Annual M2W®-The Marketing To Women Conference and ask her about her Lady Gaga experience!

Patti Minglin is the editor of M2W® E-ssentials, www.m2w.biz.  Based in Chicago, Minglin can be reached at 630.209.2524 or pminglin@comcast.net.