Marketing to the Modern Woman

With 9^th of August being the day women celebrate not only our curves and femininity but also the significant role we play in society. I wanted to take this opportunity to really unpack how women have evolved in recent years and equally, how target marketing has had to adapt to women’s new perceptions of themselves and each other.

Gender-based marketing is a far more extensive subject then just another demographic market segmentation variable. The fact that gender roles have changed so much through the years has made marketers rethink an even more strategic­­­­­­­­ approach in their target marketing.

Not that it needs any explaining but woman’s role in society has undoubtedly changed in the last 25 years. From being a stay-at-home mom, who didn’t contribute to the household income other than supplying a superb home cooked meal, seeing to kids and delivering a friendly smile when her hubby came home - to the smart, independent, go-getter, not-scared-to-have-her-say, powerful woman.

We are competing head-to-head with men for jobs even on an executive level. Having said that, we still have a nurturing, caring side that wouldn’t mind a little help changing the light bulb from time to time (not that we need a man to do this, cause we can definitely do this ourselves but it’s always nice).

In a way, these are two slightly conflicting views that make up who we are today. Marketers need to take this into account and handle with care.

A brand that I think has successfully managed to appeal to both sides of a woman’s complex spectrum is “First For Woman Insurance”. Their sassy, quirky, catchy offline ads constantly catching our attention with their independent kick ass remarks but still having the backup services if our car breaks down or our handbag gets stolen. They give us the security that someone is around to help us when things go wrong.

The article, Marketing and Gender Roles sheds light on the fact that as the social roles of men and women begin to blur, marketers must also be cautious not to market their product solely to one gender. Often women are so influential in the product purchasing decisions that most brands may need to have a woman in mind when drawing up their marketing strategy.

David Ogilvy made a remark worth appreciating, "The consumer is not an idiot. She is your wife."

There may be increasingly less difference between online marketing to men and women. Or perhaps we may have even gone beyond gender roles in the online space, as banner ads seem often to be targeted towards the individual and not a specific gender, though I’m sure this is taken into account.

I think there is definitely scope for brands to find hubs/platforms where certain genders feel most comfortable to interact and engage both with each other and the brand. The Woolworths dinner ideas on Twitter (Link) could possibly be a step in the right direction. The potential for brands to engage with women on social media platforms is huge! Take a look at the amount of “likes” on the Always Facebook page (Link). Though I think this is still quiet an untapped area and I’m looking forward to see the evolution of gender marketing specifically in the online space in the future.