1.3
The HERtory of Marketing to Females
Marketing to females is essential to the marketing
industry with new statistics finding that “women are
the primary decision-makers for consumer goods
in 85% of households.” and “They influence at least
80% of all household spending.” (Marketingdonut.
co.uk, 2017).
Bran ds identify the importance of advertising to
women. Most famously The American Tobacco Com-
pany in 1929 held a march for equality through fifth
avenue in New York. Within this march women were
encouraged to join in and light up their cigarettes
or “torches of freedom” (Zeisler,2017). The cigarettes
represented women’s liberation as it was unheard
of women smoking. However, this campaign urged
women to smoke and it could be argued exploit-
ed the feminist movement. Similarly, throughout
the history of feminism within marketing this has
happened too often. With the advertising and
marketing industry just not quite understanding
how to market to women in a none patronising and
equal manner to men. The timeline shows some
campaigns and adverts by various brands that have
been criticized by feminists and others that have
been praised by advertising agencies.