Send a Woman to Get the Job Done

It's ant season, folks. And what I've learned is that no matter how many of those buggers I kill, I still need an expert to get the job completely done.

In that same vain, in retail, as in life, sometimes you need to send in a professional to get the job done. Often, that professional is a woman (as was my exterminator)--particularly when you're left with a big fat mess. Not that a man couldn't do it, but let's face it--the guys have had plenty of opportunities to get it right. It couldn't hurt to give a gal a shot to see if she might have the winning formula for success.

I'm speaking, of course, of former Rite Aid executive, Beth J. Kaplan, being summoned (not once, but twice!) to General Nutrition Centers (GNC) to spruce up the company's image.

After being sold to a new set of private-equity owners last year, GNC is ready to get back into the game. Apparently, the retailer recognized that somewhere along the line they had left out a huge segment of the population in their marketing and store design--women. So, who did they call? Kaplan, who worked with the company more than a decade ago. She's returned to serve as the company's president and chief merchandising and marketing officer.

While in the past, GNC tried to change its reputation as being meat-head central, it was unable to adequately alter consumer perception. To really connect with women and change the brand's appeal, they needed to bring in someone who knew the job and the demographic inside and out-- Beth Kaplan.

Case in point, have you been to a GNC recently? It's cold. The store design leaves little to be desired, and even the brand's vitamin packaging is boring, not to mention ultra-masculine. And, of course, there's a huge men's section and a smaller women's section. Some of the vitamins I frequently purchase are often found in the "men's" section, even though they're for the nervous system. In addition, their Web site features a men's section, but not a women's. GNC definitely needs Kaplan's help.

According to the company, by early 2009 it plans to have new ideas out in a few hundred of its stores, most likely mall stores and those that are company-owned.

I look forward to seeing a woman's touch affecting more aspects of our culture, GNC included. Kaplan is certainly qualified--she's been there before and knows the industry inside and out. And like my ants, brand problems and negative perceptions won't go away on their own. Sometimes, a professional is needed. Someone who knows the job, like my exterminator, and like Kaplan.

What's your take on GNC? Have any ideas for their store design? Think a feminine approach could help? Leave your comments here.

--Heather Strang