Opinion: Brand feminism - why does everyone hate it and what to do about it?

“What’s in a name?” said Shakespeare. 

 

I say, everything! 

 

For instance, let’s talk about feminism- the most controversial ‘F’ word of them all. A word that inspires love but also hate and an extreme need for dissociation. Its derivatives- ‘Feminazi’, ‘pseudo feminist’ have even become the new verbal arsenal against the ‘independent woman’- online and offline. But how did a movement geared towards equalizing the level playing field for women get such a bad rep? 

 

Well, there are several reasons - because people have been told for 200+ years that feminists hate men, because some ‘men hating’ outliers are incorrectly perceived as the norm, because men feel excluded from the movement, etc. etc. 

 

While of course, the issue is nuanced… the problem most people have with feminism doesn’t seem to stem from the ideal of gender equality… but the word ‘feminism’ itself. So, is it time to explore a more all-emcompassing, neutral name like equalism or people’s basic rights? 

 

My answer is a hard NO. Not because of my personal beliefs, but because the principles of branding say so. 

 

Why mix movements and marketing? Because naming a movement is exactly the same as naming a brand. That’s because their objectives (though one is far more noble than the other) are essentially similar- getting people to adopt the product/philosophy and the ultimate dream of advocacy. So, here’s why ‘feminism’ works according to the principles of branding:  

 

• Being Distinctive: Equality for what? I could be talking about caste equality, colour discrimination, anything! Keeping the terminology as distinctive as possible helps people identify the topic of conversation.  

 

• Talking to your Audience: Even though feminism is for everyone to participate in, its primary audience is women – to enlighten them about their rights. Hence, a branding that symbolises ‘for women’ is essential. 

 

• Being Meaningful: This is best described in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s words;  “To use the vague expression human rights is to deny the specific and particular problem of gender. It would be a way of pretending that it was not women who have, for centuries, been excluded. It would be a way of denying that the problem of gender targets women.”

 

So, instead of calling ‘feminism’ something else, what we all need to actively do is change perceptions around the term. And to achieve this we need to make the positivisation of ‘feminism’ mainstream. And that’s exactly where brands need to step in. Suicidal? Not exactly. Brands have time and again, taken a stand for the greater good, even though they might be greatly controversial topics. 

 

Be it Nike’s Colin Kaepernick ad, their recent piece about Black Lives Matter, or even Gillette’s ‘The best men can be’ campaign… these brands have been taking movements forward all while registering an increase in volume growth numbers. So, here are some ways brands can take a stand and help the feminist movement: 

 

• Catch developing markets: Feminism is known widely in the western world and the educated elite in developing countries. But what about the striver populations in developing markets? Here the term won’t be burdened by its legacy.    

 

• Talking to younger audiences: Content for kids is extremely educational in nature. They talk about values and principles that are important in life. Can we talk about feminism and thereby reduce the stigma around the word? 

 

• Enhance comprehension by dismantling existing stereotypes:  Creating awareness through different channels on what feminism means and what it doesn’t mean is essential. 

 

• Creating positive associations: So while Feminism isn’t everyone’s favourite term, movements that are offshoots of the feminist movement like #MeToo and #TimesUp have recently been well received by the world. So, to get more love for the F word, can we get the extensions to rub their stellar equity onto the mother brand?

 

In the past decade, brands have taken up showcasing ‘women’s empowerment’ in a big way. So while this has been a welcome change to the sexist advertising preceding it, the space has become a little saturated, with frequent consumer reactions like “yet another women’s empowerment ad” …. So maybe it’s finally time to stop being mild, and finally say the F-word OUT LOUD. Because, it might just be the next big thing a brand does! 

 

The author is senior brand planner, FCB Ulka