Article: Female Empowerment in Ads: Soft Feminism or Soft Soap?

Go-Girl Marketing Is a new trend. But Are These Ads Culture-Changing or Simply 'Pinkwashing'?

Feminism is as prevalent -- or even more prevalent -- as a marketing theme as it was in the heyday of women's rights pioneers like Gloria Steinem, but it has taken a 180-degree twist in tonality. The stridency of "You've come a long way, baby" has given way to an inclusive message of female empowerment. Today's Enjoli woman wouldn't just bring home the bacon and fry it up in the pan; she'd also conduct a cooking class for young girls aspiring to be chefs.

The shift has been partly driven by millennials, who are focused on individual attitudes and sentiments rather than being motivated by institutional challenges as their parents were. The demographic's "attention span is brief, and they do like to see themselves as unique individuals who can do whatever they want," said Carolyn Zerbe Enns, a professor of psychology at Cornell College. "So, any message that would focus on individual empowerment would sell more effectively."

Marketers are being careful not to label themselves or their marketing messages as feminist, however -- and for good reason. Twenty-six percent of consumers consider calling someone a feminist to be an insult, while just 14% consider it to be a compliment, according to a July YouGov Poll. Only one in four consumers considers themselves feminist, yet when the word is defined for them as someone who believes in the social, political and economic equality of the sexes, the figure jumps to 60%, according to the YouGov poll.

Execution

Whether or not messages are labeled feminist, creative execs question whether marketers' enthusiastic embrace of female empowerment will backfire against their ultimate goal of distinguishing and selling product.

"Just saying you're pro-woman shouldn't be enough to make me buy your product over another one," said Colleen DeCourcy, global co-exec creative director at Wieden & Kennedy, the agency behind notable "girl power" ads such as Nike's "Let Me Play," "Voices" and "Pretty," which highlight girls' ability to excel in sports.

"It's too early to say that the women's battle has been won, but trying to convince me to buy something by just acknowledging I'm a woman almost plays into the older problem," Ms. DeCourcy said. "I want messages that play to my interests, not just my gender. I start to wonder that once every single brand a woman can buy starts to position itself around 'You're a woman and we get you,' how are you going to create distinction?"

The more the message fits into the brand's overall values, the better chance it has of sticking with consumers and not getting lost in the clutter, said Kevin Keller, a marketing professor at Dartmouth's Tuck School of Business. "Execution is critical," he said. "If it's done properly, it is a way to create a richer brand that has more meaning, relevance and is reaching people in a more emotional way."

But as more and more brands jump on the bandwagon -- and industry watchers expect they will -- it will be necessary to go beyond marketing messages, lest brands be accused of "pinkwashing" -- think greenwashing, which plagued brands in the early days of the movement toward more environmentally-friendly business practices.

"It's starting to feel a little formulaic," said Kat Gordon, founder of the 3% Conference . "As someone who truly cares about female leadership, I'd rather you put someone on your board than pay lip service to this issue." Here it's worth noting that many of the brands currently running ads featuring themes of female empowerment have also partnered with charitable organisations -- Pantene has teamed up with the American Association of University Women, and Verizon is working with Makers, for example.

"The key is, can advertising get to a point where women are in leadership [roles], where women's perspectives inform the ads, and the products aren't actively dangerous to the health, safety or equity of women?" said Ms. Pozner. "Until Donna Draper is making as many decisions over the content of advertising as Don Draper, and the products being sold don't sell women out, then this trend is nothing more than another selling tool -- and that tool won't work very well in the long run."The ultimate sign women have arrived, however, will be when advertising like this becomes so commonplace it ceases to be notable.

• Under Armour's first attempt at a women's business in 2003 failed spectacularly. Tampax celebrated menstruation in 2007 with an outrageous "period dance" and no one noticed. 
• Go Go Sports Girls, dolls billed as a "fun and educational way to promote self-appreciation," weren't fashion-forward enough in 2011 to warrant a slot in the toy aisle alongside their sexier competitors.
• Now, Under Armour's women's business is booming, thanks to the addition of female leaders. HelloFlo picked up where Tampax left off, creating videos like "Camp Gyno" and "First Moon Party" that have gone viral, winning fans for addressing once-taboo topics with irreverence and unabashed candor.
• Ads from industry stalwarts -- Always, Verizon and Pantene, to name a few -- are celebrating girls and women as smart and capable, racking up millions of online views and sparking important conversations in the process.
• Marketers are challenging cultural norms and notions about how we talk about and to women.
• So what's changed since Dove seeded the movement with its "Campaign for Real Beauty" 10 years ago? A lot. Anecdotally, there are more women in leadership positions at brands (though agencies still aren't doing their part, with women representing a dismally low percentage of creative leadership).
• Social media has given consumers the power to speak out loudly against ads they find sexist. And, culturally -- well, let's just call it the "Lean In" phenomenon.
• Marketers, now subject to the social-media jury, are increasingly pressured to stand for something beyond the sell. 
• That's become even more apparent with each passing year at industry awards shows, where "doing good" has become less of a trend and more of a requirement.
• Advertisers have woken up to the fact that women -- and plenty of men, too -- will take to Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook to decry sexist, tasteless and phoney advertising. But if done well, marketing with purpose can rally consumers around your brand.
• Advertising Benchmark Index surveyed consumers after they had viewed Always' "Like a Girl," which shows how the phrase can marginalise young women; Pantene's "Not Sorry," which refutes women's need to continually apologise; and Verizon's "Inspire her Mind," which outlines how young girls are subtly steered away from science and engineering. 
• The researcher found that not only do a majority of consumers feel the ads promote a positive message for women, they have a strong, positive impact on the brands' reputation.
• In other words, female empowerment sells.
• The brand Dove, has been racking up headlines, ad awards and cash-register receipts ever since launching "Campaign for Real Beauty" in 2004. Dove sales have jumped to $4 billion from $2.5 billion in the campaign's inaugural year.
• In education and tech, there's a huge push to support girls' participation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics programs.
• Toy manufacturers are building out new categories by addressing girls' interest in toys that go beyond frills and fluff, as seen in the launch of brands like GoldieBlox, "toys for future innovators" and Go Go Sports Girls.
• This environment has created a perfect storm for Procter & Gamble's Always feminine hygiene brand, whose brand purpose for 30 years has been to empower women and safeguard girls' confidence. 
• The Always' Like a Girl Campaign research uncovered a steep drop-off in confidence as girls went through puberty. That, paired with the insight that nine out of 10 women agree words can be harmful, was the basis for the video. Pantene, Verizon and Under Armour also said their recent campaigns were grounded in extensive consumer research.
• "It astonishes me it's taken so long for others to follow in Dove's footsteps. ... There's been so little in that vein in the last decade," said Jean Kilbourne, creator of the documentary "Killing Us Softly: Advertising's Image of Women." "Traditional advertising has remained so sexist. In many ways it's worse than when I started looking at it years ago. ... Given that, ads like these, even though they're not perfect, are a step in the right direction."