We love Father’s Day and Mother’s Day, it’s an opportunity for everyone to show gratitude towards our parents and loved ones. Merchants have a great opportunity to run effective campaigns and generate sales. The process starts with a tested customer profile which inevitably relies upon stereotypes. In the case of Father’s Day and Mother’s Day those stereotypes are based on their notions of family. Families around the world are changing and these profiles are getting old. A family where a man goes out to work as the breadwinner leaving his wife, a woman, at home to care for the children is an outdated picture. Breadwinners are now women and the primary caregiver can be men. Single parent families along with the LGBTQ community are causing businesses to reconsider who Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are for. Let’s take a fresh look at the campaigns stores are sending out and the customer profiles they’re using.
Six areas everyone needs to consider for their Father’s Day & Mother’s Day Campaigns
1.The single parent.
Single parents are both the father and the mother to their children. It doesn’t matter if they are male or female. So, after cleaning up and putting his children to bed he might not want to see the same ‘perfect for Father’s Day’. Show him something different. He might appreciate products that would make his life easier.
2. Same sex couples.
Businesses can include other communities in they’re campaigns. The LGBTQ community is valued at more than 830 Billion. Yes, that’s right with a B! So they should be represented! The days when families with same-sex parents live on the fringes of society are over. Does it matter who the Mother or the Father is? Not at all. Companies can be creative!
3. See beyond the obvious.
People are not prepared to fit into predefined boxes anymore. The lines have blurred. Merchants have both a challenge and an opportunity to market products to a wider audience. They celebrate diversity and expand their reach.
4. Emotional Men.
Axe deodorant for many years branded their deodorant and toiletries as the best way to get women. Men were on the prowl using scent to overpower these attractive ladies into submission. In a recent campaign, they flipped the message and branding on its head, representing real men. In the new campaign, men who can be caring and show their feelings. Ultimately, they raised the question, what is a real man?
5. Diversify — don’t cling to social norms.
Mother’s and Father’s Day has been happening for years everyone has a good sense of what works and the ‘safe products’ for both days. Merchants should rethink these social norms. Products that work for men might work for women and products usually sold to women can be for men.
6. Women can’t be defined.
As much as ecommerce is still entrenched in the image of what a woman should be along with her interests and values, it’s all changing. Women could see their campaigns after fixing the toilet or fighting with the best of them in the courtroom. So, while they will always be able to sell to quintessential stereotypical women, they should not overlook all those women that don’t want to be defined.
So, who is Father’s Day for?
