Seen a lot of strong young women in ads lately? From sports gear to cosmetics to pharmaceuticals, marketers are tapping into the female market in a big way, and for good reason. When it comes to millennial women in particular, purchasing decisions are fully in their court and they have the means to push a message like never before. One pharmaceutical executive recently interviewed calls the current generation of women “the most educated, empowered, successful” his company had ever seen.
What are the best ways to reach this critical audience? Not with pretty faces and promises of Prince Charming, that’s for sure.
#LikeAGirl
It was Super Bowl Sunday, and as marketers pulled out their best and brightest creative efforts focused on beer, cars, and insurance, one of the biggest winners of the day was Proctor & Gamble’s Always, one of the largest makers of feminine hygiene products. Their #LikeAGirl commercial was touted all over the internet for changing the conversation about what it means to run, throw, fight and do any activity “like a girl,” reversing the common perception of that phrase as an insult.
#NoMaybes
In a previous post, we talked about the Nike #NoMaybes campaign surrounding the U.S. Women’s push toward the World Cup.
Intensity didn’t even begin to describe the visuals and messaging in the campaign, which – as in a marketers dream – culminated when the U.S. Women took the final match and the world title.
#ActuallySheCan
The latest company to tap into the empowered women message is Allergan, makers of oral contraceptives and other women’s healthcare pharmaceuticals, who launched their #ActuallySheCan campaign this summer. Said to be a counter to the phrase “I can’t even,” the campaign has pulled together multichannel elements such as online healthcare education, live events with panel discussions, millennial celebrity endorsements and an essay contest in Cosmo.
When strategizing best ways to target a specific demographic, the crucial first step is to know what is important to that population, and invite them in a sincere way to start a conversation around it. In today’s socially driven marketplace, it is no longer enough to push a message out and hope it hits. Engagement is key, as is authenticity. One without the other will only come off as pushy ad-speak.
If you are ready to test the pulse of your target market, we’re ready to help. Together, we can find where your customers live online, where they get their information, and most importantly, what matters to them. To craft the right message, we’ll find the right conversation. Give us a call at (203) 762-8833 and let’s talk.
-BML
