Images shown in print and digital media have long-lasting impact on our minds (Wood, 1994; Perloff, 2014). Hence, gender-neutral marketing or gender-based marketing plays a key role in shaping our thoughts.
The way advertisers market a product or service is crucial. Advertisers can promote diversity and create an environment that shows respect for all.
Women washing dishes while men watching TV. Marketing can be used to challenge these stereotypes and promote gender equality in society.
These gender roles and stereotypes used to be rooted in the marketing campaigns of many big companies.
However, there has been a noticeable change in societal and cultural norms that is breaking the traditional gendered way of advertising.
From Gender-Based Marketing to Gender-Neutral Marketing
The idea of labeling dolls to girls and cars to boys, household products to women and sports equipment to men is becoming old-fashioned now.
Previously, many companies believed that women and men buy products that reflect their gender. Therefore, they adopted nonbinary advertising strategies.
This approach reinforced gender stereotypes. It also deceits people to think they desire a certain product that represents their gender.
But it isn’t mandatory that a woman consumer can’t be interested in sports or electronic items. Similarly, a man who is up-to-date about the latest models of cars might love cooking and enjoy shopping for his children.
Gender roles are changing and people are now more conscious about gender equality and gender inequality; especially Gen Z. This awareness is forcing companies to change their marketing strategies from gender-focused to nonbinary or gender-neutral.
Advantages of Gender Neutral Marketing
There are a number of benefits of adopting gender-neutral marketing strategies and targeting binary and nonbinary people which you will learn below.
1. Wider Audience
Firstly, adopting inclusive or gender-neutral marketing strategies gives the company the opportunity to target a larger audience. It is understandable that targeting a specific gender means excluding other genders.
Whereas gender-inclusive or gender-neutral marketing allows you, as a company, to capture nonbinary people from diverse cultural and social backgrounds with different lifestyles.
For example, pink or blue color could be associated with gender in urban areas but in some rural areas in Africa or Asia, it might have no gender association.
Targeting people from various backgrounds also gives them more options to choose and buy. Lifting such barriers expands your customer reach and increases the number of your potential customers.
2. Increase in Sales
It is no rocket science that nonbinary or gender-neutral marketing opens new sales opportunities for your company. As it gives you a wider audience hence, it undoubtedly will increase your sales and revenue growth.
3. Brand Reputation
Gender-neutral marketing is a great way to build a positive image of your brand. Companies that consider non-binary people and promote gender equality and diversity through their marketing strategies are viewed as socially responsible and forward-thinking.
This enhances their brand reputation and people are more likely to develop a soft corner for such brands. The positive image attracts new customers and gives your company an edge over your competitors.
4. Loyal Customers
In today’s world, people respect your company’s social commitments.
Promoting gender equality and diversity through inclusive nonbinary marketing not only improves your company’s image but also helps you build loyal customers.
Such customers are your brand’s ambassadors at the grassroots level. They are not only devoted to buying your product or service but also to promoting your brand.
5. Passive Marketing
As discussed above inclusive marketing enhances your brand’s reputation. It also expands your audience and potential customers.
This leads to positive word-of-mouth marketing. People who adore your gender-neutral social values tend to recommend your product or service to their family and friends.
Which in turn increases your brand awareness and generates more leads and sales.
6. Cost Effective
Adopting nonbinary and gender-neutral marketing strategies reduces your cost. It constrains your resources in one direction.
You don’t need to plan, target, and spend on different advertising campaigns and packaging designs for different genders.
Gender-neutral marketing allows you to save money with uniform packing designs. Instead of designing and paying for different packaging, you pay only once.
It also reduces your costs while creating ads for electronic, print, and social media. This makes your promotions more sustainable and cost–effective.
How to Get Started with Nonbinary and Gender-Neutral Marketing
1. Diversity and Inclusion
The very first step towards gender-neutral marketing is to include diversity and inclusion in your team.
Hiring people from diverse religious and ethnic backgrounds or non-binary people in your team will add their ideas and values to your company.
They will share insights that will reveal how they feel or see a certain product or service. This will help you to adopt completely new approaches to things you were unaware of.
It will also open your thoughts to modify your current approaches.
2. Product Research
Adopting new marketing strategies can be difficult. Therefore, it is suggested to conduct your product research.
Make sure that you are not creating unnecessary product bias when you don’t need to. Be aware of your target audience.
It might be possible that you can capture a larger audience but you are limiting your approach by adopting gender-based marketing.
3. A/B Testing
Avoid the division of old-fashioned gender stereotypes in your products and services. Open your mind towards gender-neutral approaches.
Try experimenting with nonbinary and gender-neutral segments by adopting A/B testing approaches.
Such as you can choose two different packaging or two different taglines for one product.
4. Avoid Stereotypes
Don’t promote feminine and masculine gender associations. There is no logic in attaching soft colors with women and dark colors with men.
There are no rules that say that household products are for women and garage tools belong to men. Try and challenge these gender stereotypes.
Final Thoughts
There is no second thought that nonbinary and gender-neutral marketing is beneficial and cost-effective for companies. It is an ideal marketing strategy for those who are looking for a diversified audience.
It seems that gender-based marketing will soon be a thing of the past. Still adopting gender-neutral marketing can backfire on older audiences.
As the new generation open-heartedly welcomes nonbinary ideas and gender-neutral marketing – the older generation might find it repelling and offensive.
Having said that, how gender-neutral are you? Do you think gender-inclusive campaigns should be adopted by brands and companies? Or does gender-based marketing appeals you more?
Let us know in the comments below!
FAQ
What are the six Advantages of adopting Gender Neutral Marketing?
- Wider Audience
- Increase in Sales
- Brand Reputation
- Loyal Customers
- Passive Marketing
- Cost Effective
What are the four steps to adopt gender-neutral marketing?
- Diversity and Inclusion
- Product Research
- A/B Testing
- Avoid Stereotypes
References
- Perloff, R. M. (2014). Social Media Effects on Young Women’s Body Image Concerns: Theoretical Perspectives and an Agenda for Research. Springer. Retrieved on August 15, 2023.
- Wood, J. T. (1994). Gendered Media: The Influence of Media on Views of Gender. Retrieved on August 16, 2023.