The modern woman is diverse, non-conforming, empowered and appreciated more than ever in today’s society. Making up about 75% of all consumer purchasing, women are clearly the dominant figures in the consumer landscape.¹ Brands are taking notice and adapting to meet the demands of a long underserved group of consumers. As a result, many companies are adopting values such as fairness, empathy, and authenticity, that essentially emulate what it means to be a modern woman. They are raising and acknowledging these values to be on par with their outdated counterparts which ultimately leads to a higher yearly gross on marketing campaigns and better brand outlook from women.
Grayce & Co., a marketing strategy agency directed at women consumers, has developed what they call the “Female Brand Index”. “The Female Brand Index” is a list of 10 attributes women value most that brands can embody to entice the female consumer to purchase their product. A brand campaigns success is measured in their ability to perpetuate: inclusivity, assertiveness, fairness, persuasiveness, helpfulness, empathy, transparency, relatability, authenticity, and commitment.²
Brands that got it right:
1. Bumble
Almost everyone knows the story. Bumble is the dating app catered to women.The intention was to create a dating app that only women could make the first move on. The entire brand is built around empowering women. Naturally Bumble Biz, a platform to connect businesses, and Bumble Bff, a platform for making friends, followed closely integrated with the main idea of Bumble. Bumble grew exponentially in a short amount of time. The question of how is simple, they stayed authentic, relatable, committed and empathetic even years later with more mature marketing campaigns and multiple services, as seen below.
2. Billie
Billie a subscription based shaving products company for women that threatens to disrupt the billion dollar shaving industry with its powerful imaging and assertiveness. The company boasts shaving as a choice, a message in line with the progression of society. In addition, they have taken on the “pink tax” that overcharges women for shaving products.³ In summer of 2018, Billie launched “Project Body Hair”. This inclusive campaign showcases real women's relationships with their body hair that their consumers can relate to. Their main youtube video tied to this campaign has over a million views alone, with many of the comments from women saying they will buy this product because they feel connected to the video and the message.
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3. Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz has ranked in the top 5 luxury car brands for 2019.⁴ In the last couple of years there has been a slight shift in their advertisements. As a brand that boasts a modern and safe product with commitment to serve its clientele, it is no surprise that they have incorporated women empowerment into their recent campaigns. Earlier this year they partnered with Mattel, a toy brand, on a campaign called “No Limits”. In the video, they have young girls pick out a toy to play with. All the girls picked out what they called “toys made for girls”. After the girls are shown a video of the first ever woman, Ewy Rosqvist, to win the Argentine grand prix they all wanted to play with the special toy car version of Ewy’s ride. The brand is persuasive in showing they support women from a young age, donating several to girls in first grade all over the country.
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4. Glossier
Glossier is a skincare and makeup brand started from a blog called “Into the Gloss”. Emily Weiss, the owner of the blog and company, was able to study what women wanted out of makeup and skincare for five years through the blog before launching Glossier.⁵ Glossier is a modern brand that mostly distributes their products through their online website and pop up stores. However, Glossier’s marketing strategy is truly what sets them apart. They garner interest through social media. Their Instagram account has over 2.4 million followers, for a company started in 2015, this is an impressive feat. The simple packaging that's aesthetically pleasing, is their marketing. They are transparent about what their products do and post real people using their products. Their products also stand alone in posts. The instagram account almost looks like a new beauty guru’s blog, projecting the authenticity of the brand. They are relatable, even posting pictures of dogs with and without their newly launched dog toy line. Their marketing strategy is not marketing at all, letting the product and brand speak for itself on social media.
My name is Gabriela Quesada and I am a junior in the Questrom School of Business at Boston University concentrating in Strategy and Innovation. I have a keen interest in innovative solutions and problem solving. If you have any questions about marketing towards women in today’s age feel free to reach out or leave a comment!
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