It's always tough to use the word "feminist" or "feminism" in a post. Those terms can seem to throw all sorts of people of both genders into a tizzy. So, why would I risk the possible comment backlash looking at how feminism applies to marketing, anyway? Let me tell you...


I recently came across Dave Hill's article in The Guardian, and have since seen a lot of comments and other blog posts mentioning it. That he was a male with a significant readership who found it worth penning an article on how feminism is good for everyone was what caught my eye. In the piece, Hill reminds readers that the basic ambitions of feminism were "the release of women from the constraints of gender custom and practice" and that - this is my favorite part:
"–the blurring of boundaries between men's domain and women's, between traits we call masculine and those we call feminine, is not a dangerous assault on some sacred natural order but an advance for social justice. It's about fair play, freedom of choice and enhancing human happiness."
I have certainly seen in male marketers an underlying resistance to seriously exploring their brand's women's segment. It seems to make them a tad uncomfortable. But why? Are these men are thinking: "Will going 'girly' on this campaign rub off on the rest of the brand's general marketing?" Or, "Can I, a strong masculine type, really get involved in this discussion of touchy-feely women or should I leave this to the women on my team?" Or, "I don't get my wife, how can I possibly get women as consumers?
The answers, in case any of you are wondering just those things: 1) Not if you do it well (plus you wouldn't be going "girly" at all if you did it right; 2) Yes - you need to step in the fray in order to learn and keep the marketing decision-making balanced and honest; and, 3) That's a cop out on both fronts. You should be fairly motivated to learn more about women - wife and customer both.
Studying up on and serving female consumers need not be a gender polarizing experience. Rather, it may well be one that brings the best of all involved to the table. Dave Hill put it nicely near the end of his Guardian piece: "This is not a matter of asking men to forgo every traditional bond and pursuit in favor of their "feminine side" but of inviting them to see that such distinctions are limiting and largely artificial."
When people overcome their personal baggage and face new challenges head on, opportunities like the women's market emerge in their full glory. Feminism as a label certainly carries a heavy load, but what lies therein - "freedom of choice" and "enhancing human happiness" definitely applies to marketing AND can make your jobs a little lighter along the way.