PANKs

Contrary to popular belief, not all women are moms. In fact, 45.1% of adult women up to age 45 do not have kids. Just ask Melanie Notkin from savvyauntie.com --- "a community for cool aunts, great aunts, godmothers, and all women who love kids."

Melanie not only created an online community for women without kids, but she also created a label to describe them. PANKs: Professional Aunts No Kids.

She brings up a very good point. Most marketing is aimed toward a by-gone mystical era where a traditional household has mom, dad, and their kids. While it may seem like this is still a majority, in reality this is not the case anymore. The mix of American households is all over the map, including legions of households led by women who don't have kids. Not to mention all the other shapes, sizes, and variations of American families.

And just because a woman doesn't have kids does not mean that she doesn't hold an impressive amount of purchasing power, from laundry detergents to cars to homes to clothing -- across the entire spectrum of our economy.

As marketers it's vitally important for us to recognize the mixed demographics (and psychographics) of our targets, and to make sure that we really understand how they live their lives, so that as brands we can add value. If you have a brand that targets women, then it's vitally important to know that there is an entire range of women out there, not just moms. To think of them on just one dimension is incredibly misleading and a missed opportunity to connect.

What's your experience? Jim.