Word of Feet

Celia W. Drugger of the New Times writes about the effort of 50,000 Napal women going door to door to eradicate measles. Their goal is to get 250,000 for the next healthcare campaign.

"In the impoverished kingdom of Nepal, 50,000 mothers like Mrs. Gurung, most of them illiterate, are foot soldiers in one of the great unfolding public health triumphs of modern times: the global push to slash the number of children who die from complications of measles."

Why is this important to marketers in the US?

Because it wasn't 50,000 fathers going door to door to protect the next generation, it was the mothers. And, it wasn't rich mothers with time on their hands, either, it was mostly illiterate women "who volunteered... delivered invitations to each household by hand, then followed up the night before with a reminder visit, shouting their message like town criers."

As the markets become more global and marketers look for ways to "resonate" with women across international lines, they don't need to look much farther than at the common elements that all women share. In this case, both parents care about their kids, but it's the mothers who are literally taking the extra step.

It's a trust thing. Communication whether by the phone or foot, will always work when people know each other first and care about a common cause. How are you "known" by your consumers? What steps are you taking to make life more livable even if it has nothing to do with making a profit? Those are the things that will be remembered and appreciated by your female customers.