Your Business: Touchy topics - Mike Lee, University of Auckland

Dr Mike Lee, a senior lecturer in marketing at the University of Auckland Business School.

Dr Mike Lee is a senior lecturer in marketing at the University of Auckland Business School.

What are some of the areas considered 'touchy' for businesses to be operating in?

Touchy areas are those that violate the norms of what we expect to see for sale or advertised in society, so this is a moving line. A few decades ago feminine hygiene products were very touchy; before then even cosmetics were considered risqué.

But the former is now less 'touchy' in the West - although it's still highly touchy in more conservative cultures - and the latter - cosmetics - is not really touchy anymore anywhere in the world. So the key is to remember that 'touchiness' is a socially constructed concept.

These days in New Zealand, or most Western, Christian-based societies, anything to do with sex or mental illness would be considered touchy. So while we see a lot of tampon ads, we see far fewer contraception ads.

Mental health is another taboo area, although the John Kirwan and 'know us before you judge us' ads are going some way to help mitigate the stigma, but we still never see highly visible ads for psychological services. Plastic surgery is another touchy area, and customers value discretion - unlike a physio practice where road signage is often far more attention grabbing.

Do you think there are fewer things that people feel uncomfortable talking about in this age of social media and 'oversharing'?

As I said, touchiness is socially constructed, so the more people share the less private and touchy certain issues become. I guess there is also a generational effect here, though, where younger consumers might be less prudish about certain products and services than their older counterparts.

What are some strategies that companies can use when trying to talk to potential customers about topics that are touchy?

I think guaranteeing discretion would be important, but the irony here is it becomes very hard to promote and publicise something that people feel uncomfortable talking about.

While a person is highly comfortable recommending a good physiotherapist or hairdresser, I'd suspect there may be less word of mouth revolving around sex therapists or erectile dysfunction medications - no matter how good those products and services are.

The best strategy in these cases is to reduce the stigma of the area. This means making content about the topic more available for public consumption, and as more people talk about it and see it around the less uncomfortable they may feel about seeking out such products or services. But the question is whether or not society is ready for open dialogue in some of these areas.

On the other hand, what strategies don't work?

An area is touchy for a reason, so trying to be too bold may backfire and make some anxious customers feel like you're not on the same wavelength as them. It's about striking a balance.

You can't be embarrassed about your services or products, but you also need to appreciate that most people are not 100 percent comfortable about them either. So respect their concerns about privacy and discretion.

What's a key piece of advice you'd have for business owners wanting to successfully market products or services related to touchy topics?

Provide plenty of content that's accessible to potential clients. This will educate the public and reduce the social stigma surrounding these areas, but also maintain discretion for your individual customers.

Coming up in Your Business: The end of the financial year for many is on its way, so what is your business doing to ready itself for EoFY? If you've got some good tips to share about getting organised at this time, drop me a note: nzhsmallbusiness@gmail.com