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Marketing and Strategy
In most stores, it is obvious which sections are for men and which sections are for women. Going down the aisle you may see a change in the color of an item's packaging, changes in wording, and even price changes. These are all differences in the way companies advertise to different genders. Most personal care products targeting the female gender are packaged using bright colors such as pink, yellow, and orange, and name the scent of their products based on fruits. However, many personal care products targeting men can be found in dark shades of black navy blue, and bold font. (1) Advertisers have discovered that subconsciously, colors have a strong influence on one’s purchase decisions. (1) A study on men’s shampoo revealed that although most men like bright colors, most of the men’s shampoos are packaged in dark colors. This is because shampoo for men is usually chosen by a woman who naturally searches for what appears to be manly. (1)
A great example of companies taking advantage of this is an old Old Spice marketing campaign. Instead of their commercials targeting men, the campaign focussed on the women that shop for men’s care products. The slogan “The man your man can smell like” played off of the idea that it is a woman’s responsibility to shop for men’s care products because they simply show no interest in the matter. (2) Advertising for women’s care products, however, uses keywords such as anti-aging and wrinkle reduction. Many companies such as Clinique and L'oreal use these key terms to advertise their products towards women even though a Mintel study demonstrated that two-thirds of American dads say they care about preventing the signs of aging. (2)
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