Career & Entrepreneurship
Why marketing for women needs a reality check
In the world BC (Before Crisis), we were witnessing the liberation of women from the self/ society/male imposed limitations. The MeToo movement created an unprecedented shift in the collective mentality of women all the way from the likes of USA and Canada to the likes of India and Saudi. What started as a fight against sexual harassment in Hollywood became a demand for equal rights and treatment, all around the world.
In the world AC (After Crisis), all that progress is at a halt. Because women are still the main caregivers for kids and generally paid less than men. Now, in lockdown situation, women take most of the kids load at home and are at higher risk of lower job performance and even getting laid off as employers shrink their teams.
Young Mother Working at Home on Laptop Computer, Her Sons Playing Next to Her, Freelancer, Parent Working with Children, Mommy Businesswoman Vector Illustration Isolated on White Background.
This is not to point fingers or to say this is the situation in every case. Of course not. And this is not even to discuss the fairness of it all, but the implications it has on the way brands develop marketing content for women.
Let’s take a simple example: diaper ads. You know that sweet image of a loving mom that holds her kid’s bum with tender love? Well, that loving mom is most probably sleep deprived, exhausted from all the work that having a small kid actually means, is annoyed that her partner is not present enough and that her boss is not understanding enough, is pressured with the constant worry that having a baby comes with and with the worry that her career might be going to waste. In this context, a nice, clean, calm happy mommy – happy kid diaper ad is everything she’s not right now. And, while 2 years ago she might’ve sucked it up and thought this is who she needs to be, now, in the post MeToo and post crisis era, she knows that it’s all fake and feeling the way she does is only normal. She may still buy that diaper as there aren’t too many widely available options out there, but the minute another brand is going to acknowledge her reality and offer her support instead of pressure, as well as product convenience, she will go for it.
Man playing with a baby by holding it up in the air off the floor – Baby Scopio
New players seize unanswered needs and come up with a differentiating and superior angle. So, while everybody sells perfect parenthood (now with dads in the picture, thanks to Pampers), imagine brand Shitty Situation (just made it up – pun intended J ) that would tell moms and dads that “parenting is about many shitty situations that are hard, but it will get better and it’s all worth it. To survive, join our community and let us deal with your shitty situations.” If you’re an entrepreneur liking my idea and interested to make it happen, get in touch – we’ll kick ass together. Pun intended once again. J
Letitia Petrache
Diaper example aside, it is now more important than ever for brands to reconsider the way they develop their marketing strategies and content for women and move from selling a picture perfect life that just adds more pressure to offering real help (not ads, but actions) for real imperfect life situations.
About the author:
Letitia Petrache is an experienced marketing strategist working with start-ups and established businesses to develop meaningful brands that empower women. Romanian born but with a global mindset, she moved to Lausanne 6 years ago on an international assignment and enjoyed the Swiss life-style so much that she decided to stay. Letitia studied originally Political Science and Sociology and worked in political communication before making the switch to marketing. She also studied Innovation & Design Thinking and Digital Marketing, to further develop the skills needed to challenge the status quo and invent the new. She’ll always have a passion for politics and the heart of an activist for human rights, diversity and gender equality.
You can contact her by email at letitia@womenworks.co
