Women and Beer

When I heard Molson Coors were launching a beer for female drinkers my immediate reaction was that there was a genuine space in the market for this product IF it had been well thought out and nicely executed.

In my opinion the design has hit just the right note. The feminine touches of soft corners on the label and delicate imagery balance nicely against the some what masculine type. I think the name is clever as it enables the brand to piggy back into Stella Artois territory and they will get some carry over from adverts such as Cidre not Cider.
This product has taken two years to develop and will be backed with a £2 million Ad campaign so i'd say that Molson Coors are genuinely interested in appealing to the female drinker.

or so i thought.

I have spoken to some of my female colleagues who feel that this product is patronising. They share a somewhat similar view to that of Ruth Mortimer @ Marketing week who generally states that

"For hundreds of years, beer companies haven’t needed women and their marketing has reflected that. You might say that women who have bought beer have done so purely because of the product benefits; after all, they haven’t seen any marketing focused at enticing them in. They are not shying away from beer. They are possibly the industry’s most motivated customers. They buy beer despite the marketing.

So with that in mind, why don’t beer companies create some true-to-life marketing campaigns that involve women (along with men) drinking beer in social situations? Without the need for pink bottles or crude stereotypes? Or go into high-profile partnerships with women brewers to highlight their work and jog female interest?"

So is this true, do industries make giant size beds that they can all lay in? or do we have to be more clued up when gender targeting products and marketing.

Take the flip side, woman have always dominated the beauty industry with many a bathroom cabinet filled with creams, lotions and powders. Woman buy 3 of everything - small, medium and large or should I say handbag, desk and dressing table.

Men have never really taken a penchant to grooming products. Shaving cream, deodorant and gel normally suffices for the average man. 

Until now that is. 

Since the turn of the new century we are regularly hit with media showing us half naked aspirational men selling us some new generation skin product. Marketing teams continue working on the most basic of assumptions that men are egotistical dumb apes who desperately want to be the other guy from the adverts. 

Men now purchase 'cover up' for men, they review whether they have normal or slightly oily skin and even wash daily. We buy the products despite the advertising, yes we may still have the 'condom' syndrome and get our girlfriends and wives to buy the products for us but we do buy them.

...Ahhh actually come to think of it.....

And here lies the truth and that is that these adverts are really targeting those that buy the products.
Mens products are bought by the females who do want their man to be like the aspirational guy from the advert.

So if we now review the Animee beer once again it is likely to be the male who buys the round at the bar who in his thoughtful nature thinks he is doing right  'here you go love, i know my drink is a bit gassy so got you this it's especially for women'

or

'I don't want my mates thinking your a geezer bird so I got you this, it's still a beer'.

Well we are egotistical dumb apes aren't we?

Packaged, wrapped and slightly opinionated