March 8, 2024
Celebrating the International Women's Day: history, traditions, and impactful campaigns
The International Women's Day is celebrated all over the world to honor women,their achievements, and the drive towards gender equality and women’s rights. The International Women's Day has rich history and traditions, and every year on March 8th we are celebrating all over the world. Additionally, it permits businesses to utilize significantly large marketing campaigns to reinforce the messages of empowerment and gender equality.
The History of International Women's Day
International Women's Day (IWD) was founded in the very beginning of the 20th century (from 1911). The event, motivated by the labor movement and the women's rights activism, was created to recognize women's social, economic, cultural, and political achievements. It has been gradually transformed into a global movement focused on advocating and taking actions on the topics of gender equality, women's independence and safeguarding against discrimination and abuse towards women.
Traditions and marketing
The IWD is celebrated in many different ways worldwide. Different people and cultures include their respective traditions and rituals, including rallies, assemblies and conferences to create consciousness of women's rights and related abuses. It has become a special day for many to recognize and appreciate ladies in their lives by making nice and kind gestures, giving small gifts and expressing gratitude.
As the IWD grows in popularity throughout the world, businesses are increasingly using the occasion to launch ad-hoc marketing initiatives that reflect the spirit of the day. These advertisements frequently center on themes of empowerment, diversity and inclusiveness, attempting to inspire and encourage women while advertising their products or services. The intention is for more and more companies to contribute to the ongoing conversation about gender equality and women's empowerment.
Campaigns that stand-out
1.Always' #Like A Girl
Always, a feminine hygiene company, started the #LikeAGirl campaign in 2014 with the goal of defying stereotypes and supporting young girl’s confidence at puberty. The campaign included a video that emphasized the negative implications of the phrase"like a girl" and urged females to reclaim it as a sign of strength and empowerment. The commercial received global coverage and drove critical discussions regarding gender stereotypes and self-confidence.
The campaign's video received over 90 million views, ranking as the world's second most popular video. This led-in over 1100 earned ad-placements and 4.4 billion media impressions. The company's social media following increased significantly during this period with 177,000 #LikeAGirl tweets on Twitter, including posts from various celebrities. Furthermore, the campaign resulted in a greater-than-average increase in brand preference, with stated buy intent up by more than 50% among the target population. A study done in December 2014 revealed that nearly 70% of women and 60% of men stated that "The video changed their perception of the phrase 'like a girl'.”
2. Nike's Dream Crazier Campaign
Nike's Dream Crazier campaign, launched in 2019, celebrated the achievements of female athletes and challenged perceptions of what it means to be a woman in sports.The campaign featured a powerful video narrated by tennis star Serena Williams, highlighting the struggles and achievements of female athletes who have disregarded stereotypes and broke barriers. By promoting the dreams and aspirations of women in sports, Nike's campaign inspired millions around the world and sparked conversations about gender equality in athletics.
Nike’s advertising campaign proved as huge success; the sales increased from 31% after its publication. On the day of its launch, the advertisement dominated online discussions, it gulped 42 percent of the talk about women’s empowerment. The advertisement was pretty much first in line and witnessed 31.6 Million impressions and 665k Tweets in a short period of time. It earned popularity so quickly that it ranked up as one of the top 10 viewed Instagram video-ads of all times with almost 19 million views.
To conclude, as we celebrate International Women's Day, we are here to appreciate the progress achieved towards gender equality, recognize that much is left to be done and to highlight and renew our commitment to the continuous battle for women's rights and empowerment.
We can all make the world a more inclusive and fairer place for girls and women everywhere by taking collective action, such as:
On Friday 8th March, and everyday, let us celebrate women's achievements, dedication, and strength. Happy International Women's Day!
