Choosing the right spokesperson for Boomer women

VibrantNation.com recently completed a study for a major cosmetic company evaluating the best kind of spokesperson for a brand that wants to reach Vibrant Women (successful women over 50). We presented four candidates:

• Tim Gunn from Project Runway
• Actress Sela Ward
• Stacy London from What Not to Wear
• Carson Kressley from Queer Eye for the Straight Guy

The results surprised us, not so much because Sela Ward ranked highest (more than 50% above her nearest contender), but why. In their rankings and in in-depth responses to open-ended question about each candidate, Boomer women told us just what they seek in a spokesperson. Some of those surprises:

• Respect for opinions does not mean respect for recommendations.
  Three of the four subjects are respected for their expertise. Women acknowledged that the opinions of Tim Gunn, Stacy London, and Carson Kressley are based in real knowledge. But being opinionated not only makes these experts polarizing; it makes them less valuable as spokespeople. Even the women who liked each expert did not generally value them as a meaningful referral. (Some women noted that expertise in fashion may not translate into expertise in skincare, but many more women questioned how someone whose career is built on opinions could give them relatable personal advice.)
• Men are not women.
  Boomer women don’t understand what a man would have to tell them about skincare. A substantial number of respondents (25-35%) complained that Tim Gunn and Carson Kressley are not women. (“We have different skin issues!”) At VibrantNation.com we see women turn to each other for skincare advice their skin has changed as they age, and they believe that only another woman at the same lifestage can really understand what works for them. Companies hiring spokespeople need to recognize which topics are those for which consumers need to hear from someone whose personal experience leads them to really understand what they’re talking about.
• A spokesperson needs to show personal success in the category.
  We asked women whom they wanted to hear from about skincare, and they told us that they wanted to hear from someone who took great care of his/her own skin. Even among women who liked Tim Gunn, many noted (and offered highly specific critiques of) his own less-than-perfect skin. Correspondingly, many who favored Sela Ward noted the beautiful condition of her skin. This point seems obvious in retrospect, but I wonder how many brands choose spokespeople without considering how much their credibility depends on their personal mastery of the subject matter.
• Boomer women want to hear from someone like them.
  VibrantNation.com research has already documented that the most important referrals for a successful women 50+ are “women like them.” This most recent survey confirmed that women want the same thing in a spokesperson. As noted before, among these four candidates, women preferred Sela Ward more than twice as much as either man and more than 50% above Stacy London. The primary reason? She herself exemplifies beauty and believability as a women over 50.

Conclusion

Major companies have hired each of the survey subjects as an important spokesperson (Tim Gunn for Tide, Sela Ward for Sprint, Stacy London for Pantene, and Carson Kressley for Pepperidge Farm). There is nothing wrong about any of them, in the right category and for the right market. But the results of our survey do suggest that marketers may not fully understand whom Vibrant Women – a demographic they can’t afford to lose–most want to hear from, and why.

They also suggest why, if I were a brand that recognized the value of Boomer women to my growth and profitability, I’d be calling Sela Ward.