Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Marketing question for the men on the list

[Chuck Harrison (cfharr]

My comment here does not really address the original issue - marketing -
but raises a design element.

Many cohousing communities have a shared workshop space, but I think it is
rarely generous. There is a substantial population (large majority being
men) who are moving to cohousing and downsizing from a single family house
with a garage/workshop they enjoy. One way to attract this population would
be to set aside a very large common workshop space. Think beyond ordinary
consumer woodworking tools; consider also metalworking, welding, laser
cutting, electronics; look at the "maker spaces" popping up around the
country for ideas. Also, while the shop might early-on be populated with
tools donated by incoming members, you might have a vision of upgrading to
more expensive industrial grade tools.

I am projecting (surprise!) -- I'm a 55+ and giving up my home metal shop
was a disappointment when my partner and I moved into cohousing two years
ago. I don't regret the decision, but a serious common shop space surely
would have been a magnet.

Chuck
Duwamish Cohousing, Seattle WA

On Mon, Jul 10, 2017 at 11:43 AM, Linda H <linda [at] hobbeton.com> wrote:

>
> Hi Everyone,
>
> At Village Hearth we are excited that we passed a major hurdle when the
> Durham, NC City Council approved our annexation and rezoning in June. We
> are celebrating on July 18 with a public reception to reveal our floor
> plans, elevation drawings, and architectural designs.
>
> What we need now is to attract more members who will commit to our 55+
> community so we can start building. One issue that our few male members
> have asked repeatedly (and the women want this too) is how do we attract
> more men. One of the guys thinks the problem is that we aren't doing the
> advertising properly, citing articles about the differences in marketing to
> men and women, like this, http://www.marketingcharts.com
> /industries/retail-and-e-commerce-12641
>
> So I'm asking the men here. What do you think is the most effective way to
> reach the guys? What kinds of design should we use? What wording attracts
> your attention? What turns you off? Where should we be advertising? We have
> advertised in a variety of outlets. So far the most effective have been
> cohousing.org, NPR, and a local weekly newspaper, but we still get women
> signing up for our mailing list four or five to one vs the men.
>
> It's frustrating. I think men might benefit even more than women from
> living in a 55+ cohousing community, but how do we get them to take the
> leap, or even consider it?
>
> Any help is appreciated.
>
> Yours,
> Linda Hobbet
> www.villagehearthcohousing.com
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