How Marketing to Women Has Changed in 10 Years

1. Mobile Usage: A Mobile Bird in the Hand

Past: telemarketer phone calls, “junk mail,” print ads
Now: mobile messaging, ads in apps, email

If you are reading this, chances are you’ve had a telemarketer call you. With “No Call” lists growing and Caller ID in action, those calls are being answered less and less. In fact, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 16.6% decline in telemarketers from 2018-2028.

Look around you. We’re guessing your phone is nearby (maybe you’re even reading this on the phone). A 2022 Statista survey found 97% of American women between the ages of 16-64 have a smartphone. Women are increasingly busy managing family, work, and household tasks with productivity apps, email, etc. Enter the in-app ads and emails. Even though SMS has a 5x higher open rate than email (20%), 41.9% of all email is read on a mobile device. And that relaxing game with in-app ads? Those are 11.4 times better than web banner ads.

While we’re talking about how mobile is changing marketing, have you given a brand your phone number for 10% off a purchase? Turns out the average open rate for an SMS campaign is an astounding 98%! Direct mail and even email can’t claim that effectiveness!

So, while the past was found in magazine ads, telemarketer calls, and direct mail, the future is increasingly mobile, fairly instantaneous, and astoundingly trackable.

Marketing is laser-focused on audiences. If a marketer wants to find a female graduate of Indiana University who is 30-45, lives in Boston, and is a parent interested in fitness, she can be found. Not only do marketers have to know their audiences, but they also need to be able to speak directly to them in a way that matters by expressing their values, product benefits, a particular lifestyle, and whatever special brand magic they can convey.

2. Focus Shift: Things vs Experiences

Past: features and benefits
Now: how does it make you feel? What is the community like? What does the brand value?

The New American Middle (NAM) is a consumer group we identified a few years ago. This dynamic demographic largely can’t be defined by date of birth, income, or any other demographic characteristics. It’s primarily driven by values—values that women also hold dear. That alone is a large shift in marketing. Brands used to talk about what they could do to you/for you, like how this can of Coca-Cola would turn your day around, and you’d be smiling and laughing.

The pandemic really put things into perspective. People realized that what they valued wasn’t things but people–the memories, feelings, and experiences together.

If a brand has a product that fits someone’s aesthetic but treats its employees poorly, it could lose sales. If a brand costs a little more but has a community of devoted fans, it is supported and grows. However, neither is true unless the brand knows how to express itself to its customers.

Here’s a great example. Delta Airlines is considered one of the most expensive airlines, yet was ranked fourth in the U.S. On the other hand, Frontier is one of the cheapest airlines, and it is second to last. What drives this point home is that J.D. Power declared Delta the top-ranked airline in their 2024 North America Airlines Satisfaction Study. Guess what was dead last? Frontier. Delta Airlines is regularly hailed as one of the best airlines to work for. They’ve established that they care about their customers, but they also care about their employees. Glassdoor gave Frontier a 3 out of 5, with only 40% of reviewers saying they would recommend it to their friends. Consumers use more than price to make decisions.

Now, how about marketing to women? Delta knows where women’s hearts are at. They have several programs to increase women’s use of the aviation industry, including partnering with women-owned and minority businesses. Oh, and they are the official airline of the WNBA.

3. Authenticity: Acceptance of the Whole Person

Past: airbrushes and filters, gender stereotypes, primarily white ethnicities, typical bodies, typical families
Now: All body shapes, little to no retouching of the person, all abilities, variety of ethnicities, diverse family construction

Dove launched their “Campaign for Real Beauty” 20 years ago. This groundbreaking work increased sales 700% in the first six months. At its core was the message that we are all beautiful in all forms. The message has grown and changed to expand beyond women and to accept everyone regardless of gender, ethnicity, family structure, and more. Sure, it isn’t perfect–but the growth from 2004 to 2024 cannot be denied.

Dove can’t solely get the credit for more representation of things like body shapes, skin tone, and ability, but they helped the conversation become a focal point. Photoshop fails can be entertaining but when Photoshop works too well and models look perfect is when body image starts to be impacted. Extreme photo retouching work has caused brands, like Polo Ralph Lauren, to release statements when they’ve been seen as going too far. Women want to see real women. Brands like Aerie, Fenty, ModCloth, and Olay have been taking after what Dove started.

Target decided to change their approach with a 2017 swimsuit campaign. If you’re going to dive in, why not launch a swimwear line with zero photoshopping! It was a bold approach, and the public embraced it. The models bared their stretch marks, cellulite, and other perceived "imperfections."

Since then, the hallmark brand has limited photo editing.

Inclusiveness isn’t just about body imperfections but also diverse ethnicities, abilities, and family makeup. Target has long used racially diverse models, but they also led the charge with adaptive clothing and models with Downs syndrome and wheelchairs.

Several brands, such as Fenty and Haus Labs (spearheaded by Rhianna and Lady Gaga), pay no attention to gender, age, shape, or skin tone. A few brands, like McCain, have shown the different ways a family is made up of various ages, genders, orientations, and abilities.

When brands show diversity, authenticity, values, and respect, as described above, women remember and respect the brand. That is what marketing to women is about: values, authenticity, personalization, connections (even on a mobile device), and respect.

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Images c/o: BMDG and Adobe Stock