Seven Best Practices for Playing the Woman Card in Marketing

Marketing to women is not as easy as it used to be especially now that a woman may be president Many brands are confused about how to play the Woman Card in a world where the goto stereotypes are no longer relevant In the old days it was as simple as showing women dancing with mops or complaining about that elusive fresh feeling Nowadays not even making the product pink is a sufficient play of the Woman Card But there are other Woman Card best practices that your brand could make use ofHere39s how to guarantee your brand plays the Woman Card effectively in the modern eraamp160 amp160Even as women advance there are still only five types of women in the worldamp160 Your brand communication should feature at least one The YogaPantsWearingGMOandGlutenFreeJuicing Mom The Rushed Harriedamp160and FullofRegret Career Woman The Hipster Granny The Ethnically Ambiguous Best Friendamp160and the timeless classic The Boobs amp160The last one need not include an actual woman attached to themamp160they play the Woman Card on their ownIn spite of their ability to lead nations and compete successfully in corporate America women will always dream of being sexually desired And you don39t have to be GoDaddy to effectively play this Woman Card Virtually any grocery product can remind women that they are first and foremost a sexual object See Kraft salad dressing Liquid Plumramp160and the old standby Bud Light beer amp160Remember your brand is worthless to a woman if it doesn39t empower heramp160 A woman would achieve nothing if it weren39t for the confidence she gets from a particular brand of deodorantamp160a soap that urges her to tell herself she39s beautiful because that39s what matters mostamp160or a maxi pad that ensures her she39s always had the power to throw a ball without looking goofy The best Woman Card brand campaigns convince women that without the empowerment provided by the product they would lack the confidence to accomplish anythingamp160amp160Educational and economic progress aside women continue to value youth and beauty more than anythingamp160 Campaigns for wrinkle cream weightloss productsamp160and especially fashion will have greater appeal if you cast 16year old models in the roles of adults The more expensive and aspirational your brand the younger and thinner the model must obviously beWomen love babies Increase your product39s appeal with images of a woman holding both a briefcase and a babyamp160 Or sitting in front of a computer holding a baby And if she39s simultaneously conducting an international conference call from her kitchen while cooking for a man waiting impatiently in front of an empty plate at the dinner table she must be holding a baby too amp160Babies in brand communication may seem gratuitous but actually there39s no better way to telegraph that women can do it all That39s the Woman Card at its bestWomen may purchase 72 of cars but there39s no need to have your automotive brand show them driving If your brand strategy requires playing the Woman Card put the woman in the passenger seat smiling adoringly at the male driver Or have her wash the car for a gaggle of goggling guys And if a scene in your ad requires a quotclosed course professional driverquot legal disclaimer it definitely must have a man driving because women would never do thatFor brands in the financial services category avoid depicting women at all They don39t understand what you39re talking aboutamp160and it would take forever to explain it She doesn39t invest anyway However she does shop so you could play the Woman Card by demonstrating how your financial products help her spend money faster and easier After all shopping gives her life meaningIf you39re a brand marketer who still has doubts about how to play the Woman Card effectively hire an ad agency led by a team of misogynistic men and a token woman These conventional thinkers have the expertise to deliver timetested strategies for playing the Woman Card even on the most innovative digital socialamp160and mobile platformsThe Woman Card has always been a favorite of marketers but the more women ascend the more critical it is to remind them with an incessant barrage of media images exactly where they belong amp160The opinions and points of view expressed in this commentary are exclusively the views of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated bloggers

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Seven Best Practices for Playing the Woman Card in Marketing

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Kristi Faulkner

The Ad Council, Huntsman Mental Health Foundation and Amazon Announce “The Mind Set” to Support Mental Health - Ad Council InSites

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Seven Best Practices for Playing the Woman Card in Marketing

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Kristi Faulkner

The Ad Council, Huntsman Mental Health Foundation and Amazon Announce “The Mind Set” to Support Mental Health - Ad Council InSites

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