IS GENDER MARKETING STILL

RELEVANT?

Serena Laprebendere Samaha

EBC
Framework:

The Impact of Changing Gender

Roles on Marketing Strategies
What is gender marketing?

“the term ‘gender’ refers to a sociocultural construct. While a person’s biological sex is defined at birth, their gender is determined by
the different gender roles and behavioral differences between men and women, which are strongly influenced by society and culture.
Gender marketing is based on the various properties assigned to men and women, both physical characteristics and interests.

Behavioral and psychological differences between men and women are the central focus of gender studies. Many marketing strategies
now use gender marketing techniques, tailoring advertising content and techniques to the different consumption and purchasing
behavior of the genders.”

Gender-specific differences in consumer behavior

From early childhood, it’s possible to observe the two sexes develop different preferences and behavioral patterns; with long-
established patterns, such as girls playing with dolls and boys opting for toy cars and building blocks. The toy industry has been
exploiting this trend for decades, generating enormous profits by targeting girls and boys separately. But even in adulthood, most
people never fully abandon ingrained gendered behavior; for example, in personal grooming, it’s still far more common to associate
floral and sweet scents with women, while products aimed at men tend to be more smoky or woody. Gender marketing uses these
patterns in an attempt to establish the criteria that influence consumer behavior and determine what leads people to making a
purchase.

How does gender marketing work?

Gender marketing encompasses every aspect of sales, incorporating the gender-specific demands of consumers in the production
process, distribution, as well as communications strategies

Product, place, promotion, and personnel are particularly interesting factors when it comes to gender marketing, as advertisers can
tailor these areas to the different demands and preferences of men and women. In the following, we explain how you can use gender
marketing to advertise and sell your goods and services successfully.

 Product

From the outset, it’s integral for you as a company to consider the target group you want to address and the demands specific to
individual consumers within this group. There are several factors to contemplate when selecting your target group, e.g. age group,
social status, and lifestyle. It is during this stage that you should consider whether gender marketing is an appropriate method for you.
Is your customer base made up of mostly men, women, or both? Do all members of your target audience require your product in the
same way, or do their needs depend on their gender?

Gender marketing not only takes the physical uses of the product into account, but also the different associations that women and men
have with regard to the product. Many (extremely successful) goods and service are marketed in completely different ways in order to
appeal to men and women, although strictly speaking, both sexes could use them. Think of razors, for example; despite being essentially
the same, they are designed and marketed differently for men and women.

Gillette is a particularly good example of a successful gender marketing campaign, with its separate products and campaign strategies
for women and men. Not only do women’s razors differ to the men’s in their design; the products are even marketed with different
advertising campaigns and separate websites. In doing this, the company emphasizes the different advantages their razors have for
their intended target groups. Men’s razors are usually presented as sporty and dynamic, with a prominent sports star often appearing
in commercials and advertising campaigns. Meanwhile, the advertisements for the feminine counterpart emphasize the razor’s skin-
enhancing properties, promoting shaving as part of a luxurious and indulgent skincare routine. The company has cleverly managed to
create one product with two successful product lines, in which both the product design and marketing are adapted for the two sexes.

There are several other products that can be divided into gendered categories. Advertisers often develop entire product ranges
separated into female and male interest areas. It’s therefore possible for marketers to develop gender-specific sales strategies. Here
are some examples:

Masculine product lines Feminine product lines

Large or sporty cars with a focus on Smaller cars with a focus on functionality
enjoyment

Beer, spirits Wine, champagne, low-calorie soft drinks

Electronics, technology Consumer electronics

Men’s fashion, suits, ties Women’s fashion, accessories

Shaving foam, aftershave Cosmetics, perfume

 Place

‘Place’ refers to the sales environment in which consumers go shopping. No matter whether they’re physically entering a store or
browsing online shops, the sales environment plays a decisive role in making a purchase.

Women prefer a cozy sales environment

It may be a cliché, but it’s certainly true in many cases: the large proportion of women enjoy shopping. The stereotype exists for a
reason; sometimes women spend hours in a department store, completely forgetting why they originally went there. Even if they only
wanted pantyhose, they might see a dress in the shop window they want to try on, and then start to look for a pair of shoes to match.
Perhaps then, on the way to the checkout, they notice the perfume counter and make a short detour. But to encourage this kind of
splurging, business owners have to curate a pleasant sales atmosphere. This involves ensuring cleanliness, products presented in logical
order, colorful displays, warm lighting conditions, and if possible, suitable mood lighting and music. This logic behind it is pretty simple:
if the customer feels comfortable, they want to stay.

Men just one want thing: to get what they need and get out of there!

In contrast to the feminine approach to shopping, the typically ‘masculine’ approach is far more utilitarian. The common conception is
that men derive very little pleasure from shopping; they simply go to the store to get something they need. The desired product should
be easily accessible and the way to the checkout should be as short and convenient as possible. A homey sales atmosphere is not
necessary. This straightforward purchasing process is influenced by the shopping behavior associated with men, which is to buy the
product and to leave the department store without any detours. For this reason, many hardware stores, for example, create a
structured and simple sales environment without any frills.

The importance of regularly changing things up in e-commerce

Creating a gender-specific sales environment can drastically increase sales, and website operators have been quick to pick up on this
trend. Research has shown that women tend to prefer static images, while men are able to better process videos about services or the
product.

In accordance with their aim of making purchases quickly and efficiently, men prefer product descriptions that are brief and to the
point, listing the product’s most important properties and, where possible, giving specific numbers, data, and facts. Women, on the
other hand, are generally willing to read longer, more descriptive texts, because they tend to want to be as informed as much as
possible about the range of products on offer. These should clarify the possible applications and the benefits of the advertised product
as precisely as possible.

 Promotion

‘Promotion’ encompasses all internal and external communications methods used to advertise a product. These include, but are not
limited to, television commercials, online communications carried out on social media platforms, and e-mail marketing, all of which,
when correctly implemented, can potentially reach many new customers. One unique example of commercial e-mails is that, with
sufficient user data, it’s possible to personalize and tailor the e-mails to the receiver, making them an ideal resource for gender
marketing.

Companies also use TV and radio commercials to address men and women in different ways. For example, car advertisements geared
towards men often emphasize ideals which are considered typically masculine. The vehicle is portrayed to highlights its speed and the
sporty design. Advertisements aimed at men also frequently suggest a sense of freedom. When aimed at women, however, cars are
usually presented as compact and practical. In this case, the manufacturers generally choose to emphasize storage space, low energy
consumption, or the automobile’s usability.

 Personnel

‘Personnel’ includes all individuals who provide services to (potential) customers on behalf of a company. This area covers those who
are actively involved in executing the sales, as well as those providing a service, such as taking care of dispatching, giving advice, or
receiving customer complaints. Having professional personnel in all areas contributes significantly to customer loyalty. And in the
context of gender marketing, staff members should be trained to take into account men and women’s different interests and
requirements. This can lead to completely different sales pitches and drastically different exchanges between the salesperson and the
consumer.

Women never just buy a dress

Among other traits, to be feminine is to be highly empathetic, meaning women have the ability to form emotional bonds with products,
as well as with people. For women, the decision to purchase a product is influenced by many different criteria, not just the product
itself. For this reason, it’s common for women to ask sales representatives a lot of questions, expect comprehensive answers, and
become interested in aspects of the product that go beyond its own physical qualities. For example, in accordance with the typically
‘feminine’ approach to shopping, when a woman goes to buy a jumper, she won’t just be looking out for the quality of the fabric, but
also whether the jumper will go with her other items of clothing. It’s imperative for sales personnel to take these factors into account
and provide their customers with a comprehensive knowledge of their product range.

Men prefer to make decisions quickly

On the other hand, the masculine approach to decision making is structural, and they can be convinced by functional arguments.
Relevant facts and figures are often more important than communication on a personal level. To ascertain whether a product can meet
their specific needs, men will tend to ask direct, goal-oriented questions, before weighing up the pros and cons and subsequently
deciding whether the product is suitable. The salesperson should therefore be well acquainted with the products to be able to answer
subject-related questions efficiently and confidently. If men feel that their assistant is not technically competent, they might well feel
tempted to buy their products somewhere else.

The dangers of gender marketing

What used to belong to the masculine domain is now becoming relevant to women too – this is especially true of DIY and technical
activities. In contrast, an increasing number of men now take on work that is traditionally associated with women, such as cooking,
maintaining a household, and staying at home to raise children. This social change has also led to a shift in gender-specific interests.
Successful gender marketing campaigns take note of these patterns and recognize and respond to changes in attitudes to promote
sales.

Of course, using a gender-oriented marketing strategy is not always an advantage. Advertising in this way is not useful or relevant for
every product – especially if the product is so simple that a distinction between men's and women's versions is unnecessary (this
concerns many basic food products such as fruit and vegetables, as well as functional, everyday products such as copying paper, printer
cartridges, etc.). In cases such as these, targeting the product towards a particular audience carries a risk of a decrease in sales. If a
product is marketed as typically female or typically male, it can lose its appeal to the opposite sex. The use of too many gender
stereotypes or a negative portrayal of these stereotypes can also lead to a backlash and potentially harm a company’s reputation. If
consumers perceive the presentation of the product as too overwhelming or even offensive, they will dissociate themselves from it.
Many products geared towards women have failed because the company has overdone its ‘girly’ advertising, and many products aimed
at men have failed to sell because the advertising was too sexist.

Gender marketing is an incredibly complex field. As such, those who fail to grasp the different interests and needs of men and women
risk missing the mark with their campaigns, thereby remaining unsuccessful. Therefore, as an advertiser, you must precisely analyze
your target audience to determine which marketing strategy makes sense for your product. The use of gender marketing is most
appropriate when the requirements of male and female consumers are very different from each other. If you are able to respond to
these specific needs fully, you can expand your customer base considerably.

- https://www.ionos.com/digitalguide/online-marketing/online-sales/gender-marketing-definition-and-
implementation/

The Future of Gender Marketing

Back in 2013, Canadian Custom Solutions carried out a survey in the UK that showed that more than half of women surveyed saw
gender-specific ads as outdated. Also, around that time, ads that challenged gender stereotypes started to go viral. Something was
changing, not just in culture but in advertising content too.

In 2015 in the Philippines, Pantene aired an ad one minute long that portrayed women in the office alongside their male counterparts;
while the man in the boardroom was called the "boss", the woman was labelled "bossy". A sartorially elegant man was "smooth", while
a similarly stylish woman was called a "show-off".

Over the next four years we would see research studies, advertising and communications policy initiatives try to take on the emerging
landscape on gender. Retailers such as Gap would come under attack for suggesting that while boys dream of a future as an Einstein-
like scholar, girls can look forward to life as a social butterfly. And retail experiments in progressive department stores started to blur
the distinctions between men’s and women’s forms and silhouettes and, therefore, clothing.

But it didn’t go that much further.

Designer Faye Toogood’s experiments in creating gender-neutral shopping environment in Selfridges could have led to more sweeping
changes in retail, to a radically altered retail landscape in which the old notions of gender, and gender roles and fashion, would become
replaced by something more individual, personal and less stereotypical.

Culture is often slow to change, especially when social norms are so deeply embedded into the fabric of our everyday existence. And it
will take probably another generation for this kind of change to become mainstream.

It is true that today’s younger generations say that their identity is less defined by gender. Of the 14- to 34-year-olds surveyed in the
Cassandra Gender Report, 60% said that the lines of gender have been blurred, and that men and women no longer need to conform
to traditional roles and behaviour.

Interestingly, in the same report, fewer than half of the men surveyed reported a preference for male-specific products and only a
quarter deemed the portrayal of their gender in advertising to be accurate.

So, while some commentary on the Advertising Standards Authority’s gender stereotyping initiative spoke of political correctness, the
overwhelming reaction I heard, especially from younger age groups, was "Hallelujah, it’s the right thing to do – and it’s the right time."

The ASA’s report findings show that gender stereotyping can cause harm for anyone if communications invite assumptions about the
limitations or restrictions that should be put on a person because of their gender.
https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/future-gender-marketing/1442147

Marketers: You've Got to

Understand Gender Roles
With celebrity guys hosting popular cooking, DIY, decorating, and landscaping shows, the stigma around “male domesticity” is
changing.

With celebrity guys hosting popular cooking, DIY, decorating, and landscaping shows, the stigma around “male domesticity” is
changing.

A February Ad Age article unearthed an old statistic that 80% of purchasers are women, yet only 3% of all creative directors are women.
Many think this contributes to the seemingly huge gap in marketing relevance and effectiveness today.

The truly compelling part of the article centered on the role of the oft-ignored male purchaser. Consumers' lifestyles are always evolving,
and as marketers our strategies to connect with them should too. Women balance work and home; it makes sense that men do the
same. I've seen this shift in my own circle: Many husbands are either stay-at-home dads or incredibly active in helping at home. Whether
it's shopping, diaper duty, or cleaning, they play an integral role in household operations.

Outside my experience, statistics show a larger sea change. This may be economically driven (more men than women are unemployed
at 8.9% versus 8%, according to IDDBA, What's in Store 2012), but dads are playing stronger roles at home. With celebrity guys hosting
popular cooking, DIY, decorating, and landscaping shows, perhaps the stigma around “male domesticity” is changing. And millennial
men, a growing purchasing group, are especially comfortable shopping. Millennials are all about self-expression, and 38% of millennial
men see fashion and grooming as a means to self-express, versus 16% of boomer men, according to the Ad Age piece.
So, I must ask, how accurate is the statistic that women control 80% of purchasing power today, especially if 52% of dads now say
they're the primary grocery shopper in their household? More than one-third of moms admit that their male counterparts have more
influence on grocery store purchases, according to Cone Communications' Year of the Dad, 2012.

Today dads are:

 Creating a detailed shopping list (63%)
 Collecting coupons or reading circulars (56%)
 Planning meals for the week ahead of time (52%)
 Performing background research on grocery products (24%)
I can't help but wonder why stereotypes, particularly ones pitted against men, continue to permeate campaigns. Six out of 10 fathers
say that although they make household purchasing decisions, only 22 to 24% felt the advertising in those categories spoke to them,
says IDDBA. In fact, when it comes to the in-store experience, 40% of men feel unwelcome. Evidently advertisers (and their agencies)
are missing the mark when it comes to men.

A couple examples come to mind. A recent Clorox Disinfecting Wipes spot features a bumbling dad amid dinner chaos, changing his
baby's diaper on the kitchen counter. Mom walks in and she does not approve. Wipes save the day. This not only feeds the
misconception that dads are inadequate caregivers, it portrays mom as a belittling matriarch.

In another example, a 2007 Sony Cyber-Shot ad has the subtlety of a sledgehammer. The spot features a family interacting with a real
horse's butt as their “dad.” The horse's rear can't cook, ignores a request to go outside and play ball, and starts an argument with his
wife at bedtime. But hey, your dad can get his face in focus thanks to this camera!

https://www.dmnews.com/customer-experience/blog/13043315/marketers-youve-got-to-understand-gender-roles

Statistics :
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Moses_Shumow/publication/264855454_Representing_Fatherhood_and_Male_Domesticity_i
n_American_Advertising/links/55e4820308ae2fac4722e7a4.pdf
Conclusion:

Gender marketing is a phenomenon that has prevailed for several years, it has played such a specific and big
role in marketing strategies for decades, but that is starting to change. Every year the world becomes more and
more globalized and society is shedding its conservative ideals for more open-minded ones, starting with gender
stereotypes.

Marketing is defined as “the process of interesting potential customers and clients in your products and/or
services”. To be able to do so in a successful way marketeer have to be up to date with how consumers think.
Nowadays promoting cleaning products as a woman product can be highly offensive and can result in retaliation
towards the company and in loss of clients, money, etc. whereas a few years ago it was perfectly normal and
actually considered the norm.

There is a very fine line between an acceptable gender marketing like with the Gillete razors example located in
the framework, and non-acceptable gender marketing. It is a marketeer’s job to guide the company, service or
product they are promoting into a successful outcome. In reality gender marketing itself is not a bad thing,
women and men are anatomically different and face different needs in their day to day life. The problem isn’t
when we advertise a product and enhance the functional qualities that may seem more attractive to men or
women it lies in limiting a gender, when we say a man can’t be a homemaker or that he is nothing more than
the bread winner, or a woman cannot do handy repair work or fix a car, these examples are what no longer fit
in with the modern world.