Smart Ads?

If you think about it women account for about 51% of Americans, so it’s no fluke more and more companies market their goods to the segment doing most of the buying, making most of the purchase decisions, and often controlling the purse strings. Today companies making products traditionally geared toward males like in the technology, automotive and financials industries are figuring out the enormous payoff that’s possible by tapping into women consumers. The question is how to do so without the same old marketing strategies that blatantly reinforces women as either seductive objects, or even scarier, dumb.

NPR had an article a week or so ago called ‘Candy Bars From Mars Aims For Women From Venus,” about a new candy called “Fling.” It’s the first chocolate bar introduced by Mars in some 20 years. The product is wrapped in a pink and silver package, and is currently promoted through a television campaign the company hopes will connect with women. I haven’t seen the ad, but apparently the commercial begins with what appears to be strangers making out in a store dressing room with the ad inviting you to “pleasure yourself.” What’s been some of the reaction so far?

“The overall campaign feels weird,” says Lisa Johnson, co-author of ‘ Don’t Think Pink: What Really Makes Women Buy – and How to Increase Your Share of This Crucial Market.’ The language of it has so much sexual innuendo, you could pack it into a trashy novel.”

Mmmmmm. It sounds to me like Mars has lost at least one customer with this one.

Other, probably less sensual advertisements are being made by carmakers. If you want an example pay attention to the Escalade commercials, and how Cadillac is targeting its message to the female market. There are two commercials I recall both catering to female buyers. One has the tag line “When you turn your car on, does it return the favor?” And in another a woman pulls up next to a couple of guys stopped at a red light, then leaves them in the dust once the light turns green. What both commercials seem to say is women love cars just as much as men, so why not buy ours. They’re right on this observation. We do love cars, and the more expensive the better. Read the entire NPR article about the “Fling” candy bar.