Insightful, subtle marketing from Amanda Goetz, something that took true knowledge of an audience (and guts to employ):
Something that has been core to my thesis when marketing to women — both across The Knot and now House of Wise — is that women are looking for ways to feel less guilt and shame about things that they’re experiencing in everyday life. With The Knot, for example, the guilt and shame came from wanting to do something for their weddings that was “not traditional,” or something that their families might not approve of, like not doing traditional vows, or not having her dad walk her down the aisle.
Amanda Goetz
When I went to The Knot, I realized that our brand positioning was not speaking to that woman, and that we needed to help her feel supported in her decisions. That involved removing all “dos and don’ts” across all of our content and editorial, and saying, “Here’s ten ways that you can walk down the aisle,” or, “Do X, Y, and Z instead of just one.”
Quoted in The Morning Brew
Going to your boss at such a massive platform and telling them you’re going to remove popular content for the long-term benefit of the company is a hard ask. Knowing it’s the right thing to do and following through on a hard decision is a difference-maker. Don’t do what you’re told to do; don’t do what everyone else is doing. Speak to the truth of the matter and to your user’s actual needs.