Problems with Gender-Based Ads

Gaby Barrios, a partner and associate director of the Paris-based Center for Customer Insight, recently gave a talk about the problems with gender-based marketing. While she briefly touches on the backlash from your consumers that may occur from using outdated stereotypes when marketing, Barrios ultimately discusses how gender-based marketing can hurt your bottom line.

Gaby Barrios identities how business are "leaving money on the table" and missing opportunities to reach a wider demographic by targeting gender. She references recent data that states gender is not an ideal way to design and target brands. Anything you hypothesize about your target consumers besdies gender will likely be more impactful and useful. She argues the importance of looking at your consumers in an agnostic way -- by removing all your carry-over biases and pre-conceived notions.

Gaby finishes by stating: "Challenge your own instinct to use gender because statistics say that you're probably not choosing the best variable to target your product or service. Growth is not easy at all. What makes you think that growth is going to come from going into market with such an outdated lens like gender?"