It would be hard to deny the impact Nike’s ad campaigns have had on girls’ and women’s interest levels in sports, and in turn on the brand itself. It started with their women-centric “Just do it” ads in the 1990s. That’s when the sportswear behemoth linked sports involvement to positive life outcomes for girls – a little known issue at the time – and opened the doors to new ways other companies would spread their own messages.

March is Women’s History Month (International Women’s Day was on March 8). To get the juices flowing for your next campaign, take a look at some of the most successful ways companies appeal to women during this time, as well as throughout the year.

1. Shifting Outdated Perceptions About Girls and Women

Nike didn’t just create ads of women jogging or girls playing soccer. The company took a risk by bringing up facts that went far beyond the topic of sports – including timely social trends. This allowed them to appear edgy and instigate conversations that created buzz.

2. Incorporating High Quality Branded Merchandise & Apparel

Since those early Nike ads, the ways other brands have appealed to women have grown exponentially. With the help of social media, high-quality merchandise and more branding opportunities, there are countless possible approaches to messaging. A qualified brand strategist like HYPTE will help you find unique opportunities to promote your services that are innovative and within your budget. One effective way we can do that is by combining your logo with brands like Nike to help expand your audience.

3. Remembering History

People love to learn about strong, inspirational and fascinating women past and present, from Eleanor Roosevelt to Malala Yousafzai. This approach is straightforward and fairly simple to pursue along with other brand strategies to share your message.

4. Working with Influencers to Land Prime Brand Collaborations

This one is evergreen and increasingly good to know. As Influencer Marketing Hub noted recently, “Analyzing sponsored posts on Instagram, 84% of them were posted by female influencers while only 16% were posted by male influencers.” The trend in influencer marketing is only growing, and March might be the perfect opportunity to jump on this women-led bandwagon.

5. Expanding Their Appeal

A solid tactic for gaining followers is to try to expand your appeal while also aiming at your target audience. Those Nike ads didn’t just attract girls. They were successful because they appealed to parents, sports lovers, and everyone else who cares about outcomes for young people.

6. Showcasing Female Voices from Within Their Own Brand

Mercedes-Benz made a splash last year when they showcased the voices of specific women, including their Tel Aviv Tech Centre CEO and Saudi Arabia’s first female race car driver. When your brand makes use of its own inspiring female voices, this makes you seem more authentic – which is essential to modern-day marketing – while also gaining the trust of potential female fans.

7. Touting Their Accomplishments

The video Mercedes-Benz released didn’t shy away from “the company’s goal to have 30% of women in senior management by 2030.” What goals is your company pursuing – and what have you already accomplished that could be used in your promotions?

8. Challenging Negative Stereotypes – and Starting Conversations

Remember that Always “like a girl” campaign that went viral overnight? They cleverly took a familiar phrase and turned it upside down to challenge a common stereotype. Even if everyone wasn’t a fan, it spread like wildfire because it was such a popular conversation starter. Even the brand may not have anticipated the tens of millions of viewers it would get on social media sites.

Consult with Branding Experts at HYPTE About Full-Service Solutions

At HYPTE Branded Solutions we provide a wide range of strategies to assist our clients, whether they’re aiming to reach a female audience or simply want to take their brand to the next level. How do we do this?:

• Champion Each Client
• Open New Channels of Communication
• Take a Creative Approach
• Find Interactive Solutions

Contact HYPTE online or call us at 708-343-9730 to discuss other ways we can help you reach your target audience.