March 15, 2019

The Best Of International Women’s Day Content

With a week having passed since International Women’s Day (IWD), we thought that it would be a good idea to reflect on the brands who nailed their IWD digital content. Many brands were present across social media platforms using the hashtag #BalanceforBetter to contribute to the universal celebration and empowerment of women, but who really stood out from the crowd?

Despite the popular and sceptical opinion that most brands have an ulterior motive or are jumping on the bandwagon when they engage in this kind of debate or movement, this argument is rendered void when you consider the volume of brands who get involved and the type of content they are producing.

The increase in the number of companies showing their support for IWD has led to a higher quality of content on offer as brands fight to create THE most effective marketing campaign that engages with this moment. And healthy competition over who can champion women’s voices most effectively can never be a bad thing…

Below we share our top picks from IWD 2019:

Birchbox

Well-known for championing women, beauty subscription service, Birchbox, is a company with female founders and a passion for making women feel confident. Despite empowering women 365 days a year, they went all out on IWD by hosting a Facebook Live panel. The panel was made up of female business owners and authors (Beth Reekles, Kerri Northcott and Elizabeth Petrides) and was designed to be a safe space for their customers to ask questions.

Birchbox’s strategy was particularly clever as they weren’t advertising a specific product or launch, but instead utilising their social media platforms to foster genuine discussion about the hurdles of being a women in business.

Mothercare

Not only is March the month in which IWD falls, but March is particularly busy for the mother and baby focused brand as Mother’s Day is on the last day of the month. Mothercare have launched a campaign which incorporates this double whammy of female celebration. Across their social feeds on IWD they promoted their Body Proud Mums campaign accompanied by short video interviews where they asked new mums for their thoughts on the campaign.

Not only does their work help to normalise the post-birth body, but it also encourages us to view it as beautiful and miraculous. Furthermore, it showcases a diverse range of mums, celebrating motherhood across all walks of life.

Budweiser

Diverting from the primarily female led and focused brands, Birchbox and Mothercare, Budweiser was another front runner in the production of uplifting and impactful IWD content. The global lager brand took a self aware, reflective approach to their IWD offering, showcasing old adverts alongside new ones to demonstrate how the perspective and message of the brand had changed. By joining the #SeeHer movement, they are vouching to make a positive impact on the representation of women in advertising.

The contrasting images which were circulated across digital and print aim to re-position Budweiser as a drink for everyone to enjoy, not just the men they have typically targeted with their advertising.

Diageo

Diageo’s social media channels were full of content promoting IWD and workplace equality. They conducted a series of short video interviews with powerful women within the company who spoke on the importance of IWD to make workplaces more inclusive and diverse. Diaego have even changed their Twitter header image to include #BalanceforBetter, showing their ongoing commitment to help end inequality.

One of Diageo’s famous brands, Guinness, who have a history of creative and memorable adverts, have partnered with Women’s Six Nations. The campaign tells the story of two sisters who play on opposing teams. The purpose is to raise the profile of the sport and illustrate that it can be as exciting and entertaining as the Men’s Six Nations.

It is apparent from the strategy orchestrated by these four brands that the power of the hashtag is still unwavering. Twitter, Instagram and Facebook are still very much the place to demonstrate your support for a movement, or incite discussion surrounding important subjects.

Campaigns that are launched across predominantly non-digital formats can be mobilised and repurposed for use on specific events and broadcast on social media. This way it saves the expense of a lengthy digital campaign but can still achieve high levels of attention and engagement by accessing a willing and concentrated audience.