Audiences Uncovered: Women
Hello, J3! Jasmine here. First, a bit of housekeeping! This month Audiences Uncovered is coming to you from it’s new home, Substack. You’ll find all of the past and future editions of our monthly newsletter there.
Now, onto the fun stuff! Coming off the heels of International Women’s Day and in light of March being Women’s History Month, this edition of Audiences Uncovered is all about the plight and impact of women in America and around the world. So, grab your coffee and settle in for an exploration of womanhood!
This newsletter is 1,864 words, approximately a 6 minute read
By the Numbers
51: Percent of America’s population are women
1911: The year the first International Women’s Day was held
665: Number of days astronaut Peggy Whitson logged in space, making history by breaking the previous record of 534.
86: Weeks of paid leave mandated by the government in Estonia. The US by comparison, is 0.
1,821: New businesses per day created by women between 2017 and 2018.
500: Million women and girls worldwide affected by period poverty. Plot Twist-it’s not just developing nations that are fighting against this pervasive period problem.
Get smart!
Do you know how Women’s History Month began?
The year is 1982 and president Reagan issues the proclamation for March 7th, 1982 to be Women’s History Week to acknowledge the vital role women have played in shaping America. In his proclamation he notes,
“American women of every race, creed and ethnic background helped found and build our Nation in countless recorded and unrecorded ways ... As leaders in public affairs, American women not only worked to secure their own rights of suffrage and equal opportunity but also were principal advocates in the abolitionist, temperance, mental health reform, industrial labor and social reform movements, as well as the modern civil rights movement.”
However, it wasn’t until 1987 following a petition from the National Women’s History Project that the entire month of March was earmarked for the observance of women’s contributions.
Let’s hear it for the Suffragettes
2020 marks 100 years since women were granted the right to vote by the 19th Amendment. As such, this year’s Women’s History Month Theme (per National Women’s History Alliance) is Valiant Women of the Vote. Given it’s also an election year, expect women to wield their political power in November. Take a stroll through history in this NY Times article and learn about how women we’ve heard of before like Susan B. Anthony and those that don’t get much airtime like Marie Louise Bottineau Baldwin trail blazed their way to the ballot box.
Listen up!
Whether your daily commute is in a car or on the subway, Malcom Gladwell’s Revisionist History podcast makes you feel like you’ve become 10x smarter in under an hour. A listener favorite, the pilot episode gives listeners an inside scoop into the history of Elizabeth Thompson’s break into the boys club of Victorian England’s Royal Art Academy in 1874 with her painting “The Roll Call”. It was so amazing that Queen Victoria herself had it delivered to Buckingham Palace for a private viewing. Oh, to be Queen for a day. Give it a listen!
Women have the (spending) power
When it comes to spending, it's a woman’s world. Since women consume for themselves, partners, children, parents, in-laws and pets, they are most often multiple markets in one. Driving 85% of consumer spending, it is crucial that we invest in understanding the complexities of our women audiences as deeply as we would multicultural audiences or the ever elusive Gen Z audience—challenging our knowledge on how language and attitudes continue to transform in culture.
Meet me in the (marketing) maze
91% of women say advertisers don’t understand them. Add to that the rise of perceived “faux feminism”. On various occasions we’ve seen campaigns come under fire for some form of “washing” as an attempt to position themselves on issues such as, IWD, Pride and Sustainability. Brands are now expected to support the causes that their audiences value but as they do this it is imperative that their actions are speaking louder than words. A few tips if you’re thinking about an activation for Women’s Day,
Play the long-game.
Be sensitive and avoid stereotypes.
Take your cue from the community you want to connect with.
Here are just a few examples of brands excellent messages targeted toward women showing that support extends beyond a date on the calendar.
ModCloth “Against the Current”
Known for championing the individual style of it’s shoppers, the campaign beautifully illustrates the power of defining yourself for yourself. They launched “Against the Current” for International Women’s Day 2019 with Halsey, Hari Nef, Dascha Polanco and Awkwafina at the center sharing intimate details of their unique journeys and their paths towards becoming unapologetically themselves.
Ariel India #Share the Load
Is washing clothes a woman’s job alone? Ariel India says it’s time to #ShareTheLoad in hopes of a more equal future. It was a message that resonated deeply with their modern Indian woman target and Ariel was able to ignite a social movement. With over 1.6 Billion earned impressions they proved that purpose pays off.
Smirnoff Equalizer
Messaging from adult beverage brands typically skews Male. In 2018, Smirnoff ran a campaign in partnership with Spotify to uncover unconscious biases and get more people listening to women. Inspired by data that revealed none of the top 10 most streamed tracks were by female artists or bands, they created the Smirnoff Equaliser, an API that analyzed users profiles to give them a look at their male/female musician split and then offered an “equalized” playlist.
Activate girl power
Throughout 2020 and beyond there are significant girl power peaks and opportunities to connect with women. Since we’ve covered a few ways to avoid backlash, let’s highlight some moments that put women in the spotlight.
Calendar Moments:
ICYMI Last month (February 11) was the international day of women and girls in science. Be sure to mark your calendars (and media plans) for 2/11/21.
International Women’s Day (March 8th)
National Women’s Health Week (May 10-16th)
Women’s Equality Day (August 26th)
Breast Cancer Awareness Month (October)
Culture Moments:
Mulan Live (Releases March 27th)
Black Widow (Releases April 24th)
Teen Vogue Summit 2020 (May 2nd)
Wonder Woman 1984 (Releases June 4th)
Olympics 2020 (July 24-August 9th) - slotted to have the highest women’s participation in the history of the Games!
Rethinking pink
The color pink has been historically associated with women. While Molly Ringwald is Pretty in Pink and Rose Quartz is making it’s skincare debut, it might be time we rethink pink as a surefire designation that a product is for women. Women purchase over 50% of traditionally male products, including automobiles, home improvement products, and consumer electronics so rather than using pink as a strategy for women consumers, let’s try this instead:
From Girlhood to Womanhood
See portraits and stories of the transition from girlhood to womanhood from the perspectives of young women photographers across cultures in this seriously cool interactive article from the NY Times, This is 18. In the words of the editors, the end result is “a celebration of girlhood around the world — across 12 time zones, 15 languages, featuring 21 subjects and 22 photographers”.
Birds of a feather
Did you know? A great gang of gal pals can help you live longer! For mom’s especially, we know that they are heavily influenced by their mom friends. Due to societal norms, women often have more intimate friendships with each other than men (which is why we all appreciate a bromance when we see one!). This makes the power of sisterhood an especially effective connection point—whether it’s surrounding an existing friendship like Meredith Grey and Christina Yang (the epitome of friendship goals IMO) or making spaces for women like Olay. If you’re still not convinced, listen to Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin hilariously explain the power of lifelong female friendship and be sure to tell your BFFs thank you for extending your lifespan!
Beyond the Binary
Looking at inclusivity and intersectionality
You may have heard the word intersectionality becoming buzzy in the last few years. Coined by Kimberle Crenshaw 30 years ago, it describes how class, race and gender all intersect with one another. As equality and inclusivity are on the tips of tongues worldwide, it has been made clear that the path forward must include intersectionality. An enlightening exchange between Rosario Dawson and Laverne Cox, touches on questions that many of us are now asking ourselves like,
“What does it mean to really be inclusive? What does gender equality look like today? And how does that really include those who identify as transgender and non-binary?”
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie author of “We Should All Be Feminists” says that a feminist is “a person who believes in the social, political and economic equality of the sexes”. The beauty in Adichie’s definition is in her use of the word “person” which automatically assumes everyone working together to achieve equality for all.
Opportunities Uncovered
Clean & Clear x Wattpad join forces for #BeYou
What is Wattpad?
You know how storytelling is a powerful medium that’s existed for thousands and thousands (and thousands) of years? Well, Wattpad is where stories live digitally. Specifically, it’s a social storytelling platform where passionate readers and writers convene across the globe.
Awesome! What did we do?
To build awareness of Clean & Clear’s product offering , we partnered with Wattpad to launch the #BeYou Short Story Challenge encouraging Gen Z girls to “Be Loud. Be Clear. Be You”. They shared personal stories about someone who inspired them to be their true, unique selves. The best part? Even users who weren’t eligible were writing in saying they knew they couldn’t win the contest, but wanted to share their story.
Want to know more?
Visit Wattpad and reach out to Lauren Katz or Brooke Kranz to learn more about the campaign.
One for the road
In the words of our client and partner, J&J
We believe women can be catalysts for creating healthier people, healthier communities and a healthier world.
Women are innovators meeting today’s challenges and inventing tomorrow’s solutions. They are scientists and technologists. They are caregivers, mentors, mothers and innovators. They are the anchors of the family, leaders in our business and drivers of the global economy.
We must champion them. Celebrate them. Partner with them. And give them the freedom to pursue their passions.
Learn more at www.jnj.com/our-commitment-to-women
Extra Credit Reading:
How Women Are Feeling in 2020 (Stella Rising)
100 Women of the Year (1920-2019) (TIME)
I Was Born a Boy (Janet Mock via Marie Claire)
No matter what curve ball life throws at me, I know I'll be able to survive it (Glamour UK)
Human Computers: The Women of NASA (History.com)
Attention Marketers: U.S. Women Are Eager To Hear From You (Nielsen)
Margaret Johnson's 'Daughters of the Evolution' (AdAge)
What Happens When You Filter Out Male Privilege Online? (Fast Company)