How brands are winning(AND LOSING)

WITH CANADIAN WOMEN

A nationwide study featuring brand-new data from 1 000 Canadian women on the brands they can’t live without, the state of marketing to women right now and advice

they would give today’s advertisers.

Housed within one of Canada’s leading advertising communications agencies, MarketELLE™ delivers unparalleled expertise in marketing to women. Fueled by deep insights into the female psyche and a profound understanding of how women shop, what they expect from companies and brands, and how best to reach them in today’s new media landscape, MarketELLE helps clients drive sales, share and profit by winning with the world’s most powerful consumers – women.

LEARN MORE AT MARKETELLE.COM

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AND YET, 4 OUT OF 5 WOMEN SAY THAT MARKETERS JUST DON’T GET IT.

In the past decade, more and more marketers have awakened to the power of the purse and the economic force that women represent. The facts speak for themselves since women control $20 trillion of worldwide spending: Women buy more than half of all new cars. Eighty percent of home improvement projects are initiated by women. Women make 93% of all over-the-counter pharmaceutical purchases. Two-thirds of consumer wealth is in the hands of women.

This study, “How Brands Win (and Lose) with Canadian Women,” was designed to be provoc-ative, to explore which brands are winning with Canadian women today and also to shed light on the hot buttons that are turning Canadian women off. The findings provide insight into the whys behind women’s loyalty – and their loathing – in order to identify what mat-ters to women today and what will matter tomorrow.

Foreword

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1. Pragmatism and PracticalityA number of the brands on the list of the Top 10 Most-Loved Brands by Canadian Women aren’t very “sexy” in the world of brand love and, in fact, the second most-loved brand will likely surprise many. (Hint: They are trying to help Canadians “Save Money and Live Better.”) The survey – amongst a national sample of 1,000 Canadi-an women with representation across all socioeconomic levels – indicates that the vast majority of Canadian wom-en sincerely value when a brand or company is working hard to help them make ends meet. Certainly post-reces-sion budget-consciousness continues to prevail for most Canadians, regardless of one’s financial stature. The past several years have ushered in an era that celebrates fru-gality over spending to excess. And thus, even amongst the higher income brackets, women in the survey demon-strated a strong appreciation for brands that help them spend more wisely. 2. Connecting to ConnectednessTwo technology companies hit the Top 10 Most-Loved Brands list which is impressive when you consider that these brands beat out more than 90 others including perennial female favorites such as Sephora, Chanel, Tiffany & Co. and more. These two companies hitting the top 10 speaks volumes about women’s ubiquitous connection to the Internet and their love for technology overall. Perhaps most surprising is that these two com-panies rank high on the “Most-Loved” scale for women across the entire age spectrum that we surveyed, as women 18–34 and 35–64 value these companies’ roles in connecting them to the world.

3. The Love / Hate Dichotomy Several of the brands that ranked in the Top 10 Most-Loved Brands list were mentioned by many other women as brands they hate. It’s not surprising, once you understand the whys behind both the love and the loath-ing. Research studies suggest that women typically have stronger emotional responses to brands and companies than men do and that the factors that women evaluate brands and companies against are greater in number. This survey showed that the factors that positively in-fluence women’s brand feelings include everything from Canadian-based companies; companies that support local communities and women’s causes; brands that save them time and money; brands that tap into their desire for new technology; brands that keep them connected, just to name a few. And on the negative side, women cited issues with brands that they believe are contribut-ing to obesity in our society; promoting unreal images of women; overlooking women’s value as a customer-segment; practising questionable sourcing policies and many more concerns. Very few brands and companies can check every single box to keep women happy and several on this list are pleasing some, while losing big with others.

4. Falls from Grace In this world of 24/7 media coverage and social media amplification, a few seemingly small missteps that might have been forgiven in earlier times are now sufficient evidence to round up the proverbial lynch mob. Mistakes – spread like wildfire by women’s social media networks and the media – can literally take a company down. As we explored brands that women strongly dislike, several brands fall into this category. Once beloved by women, it is now these companies’ challenge to determine how to rekindle their brand love amongst Canadian women.

SEVERAL OVERARCHING THEMES EMERGED WHICH WARRANT CONSIDERATION

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Quantitative research for the study was completed online among a random sample of 1,000 Cana-dian women aged 18–64, weighted by age and province. Interviewing was conducted by Callosum Research between March 5 and March 8, 2014. Data analysis was conducted by MarketELLE.

Respondents were provided a list of 100 leading brands and companies from which to indicate their most-loved and most-disliked brands. Open-ended follow-up questions then probed the reasons why women selected their various brand responses. Follow-up qualitative research was used to deepen the understanding of women’s responses to the top 10 list.

Methodology

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THE REPORT IS DIVIDED INTO THREE SECTIONS

1. Canadian women’s most-loved brands 2. What drives Canadian women away3. What women would say to advertisers

ENJOY.

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Section 1

CANADIAN WOMEN’S

MOST-LOVEDBRANDS

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1.

5.

3.

6.

4.

7.

10.

8.

9.

2.TIM

HORTONS

WALMART

COSTCO

APPLE

FACEBOOK

STARBUCKSGOOGLE

IKEA DOVE

SHOPPERS DRUG MARTPHARMAPRIX–

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CANADIAN WOMEN’S MOST-LOVEDBRANDS AND COMPANIES

1. TIM HORTONS“I drink or eat something from Tim’s at least once a day.”One of Canada’s own tops the list with nearly 40% of Canadian women citing Tim Hortons as one of their most adored brands. Asked why they like Tim’s so much, women’s answers went way beyond the cup of joe. No other brand in Canada enjoys the kind of emotional connection that Tim’s does.

Women in the survey cite the company’s Canadian roots as a big part of the appeal as well as their significant support of local communities, including the well-known Timbits Minor Sports Program that sponsors 200,000 Canadian chil-dren’s sports activities. The survey showed that moms in particular have an af-finity for the brand. Said one mom, “Tim Hortons keeps me awake throughout the day so that I can take care of my family!”

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CANADIAN WOMEN’S MOST-LOVED BRANDS AND COMPANIES

2. WALMART“Good prices. Good variety. Walmart’s our one-stop shop which is important when you are a mom!”Day in and day out, Walmart serves millions of Cana-dian women – which is a big reason why this survey reveals that more than 1 in 4 Canadian women (27%) rank Walmart as one of their most-loved brands.

Surprised by the love for Walmart? Don’t be. Walmart delivers on several of the key factors that are valued most by Canadian women: Low prices remain very im-portant to the vast majority as they try to manage their budget and that of their family’s. Walmart’s everyday low price strategy ensures women that they are getting the lowest prices – no need to wait for a sale or spend time comparison-shopping. In addition, Canadian wom-en in the survey cited the one-stop-shop experience that makes Walmart somewhere women can check off their entire to-do lists.

Ultimately, moms, who act as Chief Purchasing Officers of their households, place great importance on being efficient with both their time and their family’s budget, which is why Walmart comes in so strongly as the second most-loved brand by Canadian women. And with Walmart’s recent announcement of a $500 million expan-sion in Canada there will be even more opportunities for Canadian women to indeed “Save Money and Live Better.”

3. COSTCO“I buy flowers, cosmetics, clothes and dinner at Costco. It’s my favou-rite place to shop for everything.”Costco hitting #3 on the list surprised us a bit. We knew women liked Costco but we didn’t know they loved it so much that it would rank amongst the favourites. Costco scores big points for their great prices, wide variety, the

quality of products and great customer service. (And we would be remiss if we didn’t credit their amazing sam-ples, from crackers and cheese to sushi and smoothies.)

Underlying women’s love for Costco is what shopping anthropologists call “The thrill of the find.” There is no feeling quite like saving big on a new espresso machine, a 20-pack of Kobe beef burgers and a new Xbox for the kids. In fact, the knowledge that you are saving money on the purchase at a place like Costco actually makes spending money feel good, by releasing a flood of endor-phins. Perhaps that’s why 26% of Canadian women rank Costco as one of their most-loved brands.

4. FACEBOOK“Facebook is a great way to stay in touch with my girlfriends from East Coast to West Coast, and around the world, so that we don’t feel so far away from each other.”Twenty-two percent of Canadian women included Facebook as one of their favourite brands, bringing the “queen of all social platforms” in at #4 on the most-loved list. Within the younger demographic, Facebook proved even more beloved with 28% of women 18–34 including Facebook on their faves list. This shouldn’t be too much of a surprise, given that women are 30% more active than men on social media and the recent announcement that Canada has the most active Facebook users in the world.

In the survey findings, women relished being able to easily stay connected with a much-broader friend circle than they otherwise would (the average woman has 250+ Facebook friends). And importantly, women like how Facebook fits into their lives as a new free-time activity. Said one research respondent, “Facebook is a way for me to escape. I’ll take 30 minutes to see what’s going on in my friends’ lives, check out funny videos and read a few great articles that my friends post. It’s more fun than watching TV and it makes me feel connected.”

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CANADIAN WOMEN’S MOST-LOVED BRANDS AND COMPANIES

5. APPLE“I can’t remember life before Apple.”While the quote above from one of the research respondents may be a slight overstatement, it’s not too far from the truth. That’s why 21% of all Canadian women – and 34% of women 18–34 – selected Apple as one of their most-loved brands.

Apple represents so many things that women value: style, tech, an inherent cool factor – and for moms, a shared technology with their kids. Add to that the fact that Apple delivers impeccable customer service, which research proves is far more important to women than men, and it’s easy to see why women love the brand.

Women also respond very favourably to how Apple is always delivering “what’s next,” commenting that Apple “anticipates what I need before I know I need it.” With busy, on-the-go, want-the-info-right-now lifestyles, iPhones and iPads have made women’s lives infinitely easier and more connected. (PS These techie toys have become one of moms’ best allies as the latest go-to-gadget babysitter.)

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BEAUTY SPOTLIGHT

L’ORÉALL’Oréal was identified as one of the most-loved brands when Canadian women were asked simply to spontaneously name a few of their favourite brands as a woman. When asked why the passion for L’Oréal, one woman cooed “They have wonderful face creams for every skin type. It’s a brand I’ve trusted for years.” Said another, “No matter if I am buying a new lipstick or Preference to colour my hair, with L’Oréal I know the quality will be there.”

And while women often criticize companies who use supermodels in beauty advertising, many respondents gave L’Oréal particular credit for using spokes-women like Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda and Beyoncé in their advertising, explain-ing that these impressive women represent “beauty inside and out” and “aren’t just pretty faces.”

Lastly, many women gravitate to the Parisian heritage of L’Oréal and see the brand as a cut above the other brands. Since L’Oréal products are available at stores like Shoppers Drug Mart and Walmart, women said they liked splurging just a little – usually just $8 or $9 – for a little glamour in their lives.

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6. SHOPPERS DRUG MART/PHARMAPRIX “One Word: The Optimum Card.”What’s the only thing that Canadian women love more than Shoppers Drug Mart/Pharmaprix? Their Optimum Rewards Card, which is clearly one of the main rea-sons why the company hit the Top 10 Most-Loved list. The program is super easy: shop for anything from fra-grances to baby needs, use the Shoppers Optimum Card to earn points and redeem them to save up to $170 off a purchase. Canadians love loyalty programs and the Op-timum program is certainly making plenty of Canadian women loyal to Shoppers Drug Mart/Pharmaprix.

Of course, the company does a lot of things right besides their loyalty program. Women love the variety of prod-ucts, the ability to explore and test in the beauty depart-ment; the customer service of the pharmacy team and much more. Most importantly, the survey indicated that Canadian women have a strong awareness of Shoppers’ commitment to women as the company plays a signifi-cant role in improving women’s overall health and well-being through Shoppers Drug Mart/Pharmaprix WOM-EN, which has committed more than $40 million over five years to support female-centric causes.

7. STARBUCKS “Starbucks is a great place to meet a friend… or just enjoy an amazing cup of coffee for yourself!”Starbucks hits the top 10 list for Canadian women by delivering far more than just coffee. Said one respondent, “Starbucks is an immersive and indulgent experience as soon as you step inside via sights, smells and sounds.” As the Starbucks corporate mission states “Our stores be-come a haven, a break from the worries outside, a place where you can meet with friends. It’s about enjoyment at the speed of life – sometimes slow and savoured, some-times fast.” Even after more than 25 years in Canada, Starbucks continues to fuel female sensory exploration, introducing new music, new flavours and new worlds. With Starbucks’ recently announced biggest expansion ever (150 new stores in Canada), there will be more places for Canadian women to feel the love for #7 on the list.

8. GOOGLE “Google connects me to the world.”Google hit #8 on the list of Canadian women’s favourite brands, which is particularly impressive when you consider that it beat out more than 90 other brands including peren-nial female favourites like Sephora, Chanel, Tiffany & Co. and more. Google hitting the top 10 list speaks volumes about women’s ubiquitous connection to the Internet and their love for technology overall.

Perhaps surprising to some, Google ranks high on the most-loved scale for women across the entire age spec-trum, as women aged 18–34 and 35–64 value Google’s role in “connecting me to the world.”

9. IKEA“Ikea delivers affordable, stylish living. It unleashes my imagination… on a budget.”Hitting the list as the ninth most favourite brand for Canadian women is particularly impressive for the Scan-dinavian home furnishing company Ikea, given that there are only 12 Ikea stores in all of Canada. How do they do it? Simply stated, Ikea is a playground for women “delivering affordable, stylish living and unleashing the designer in-side me… all on a budget,” gushed one respondent. Women will trek hundreds of kilometres for a visit to Ikea – and when a snowstorm renders that impossible, they will sim-ply head to ikea.com/ca to feed their craving.

Said one respondent, “There is much to love inside the 400,000 square feet of Ikea!” Ikea is a brilliant retailer that masterfully taps into the “thrill of the find” pro-viding an abundance of inspiration while encouraging women to express their design creativity… without re-quiring them to take out a second mortgage.

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10. DOVE“I admire Dove, and I buy Dove, because they advocate for positive body image and they make a real difference in girls’ and women’s lives.”Dove was ranked #10 amongst Canadian brands women love with nearly 20% of women selecting the brand as one of their favourites. More than 50 years after its intro-duction, Dove continues to receive praise for their prod-ucts from hair to skin and body. Said one female respon-dent, “Dove has been kind to my skin for many years.”

But what makes a simple bar of soap or a $4 bottle of shampoo worthy of hitting the Top 10 Most-Loved Brands? Cited far more often than the product itself, women’s love for the brand stems from their admiration of Dove’s Global Campaign for Real Beauty. Launched more than a decade ago, Dove zigged while the rest of the beauty industry zagged by recognizing that fewer than 2% of women consider themselves beautiful. Dove chose to embrace and celebrate “real beauty” in their advertis-ing communications. Their goal? To change the status quo and offer in its place a broader, healthier, more dem-ocratic view of beauty. Seeing Dove ranked in the top 10 suggests that they are, in fact, making strides toward that ultimate goal.

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MORE BELOVED

BRANDS

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SPECIALTY RETAIL SPOTLIGHT LUSH“Just walking into Lush smells amazing… and I love what they don’t put into their products.”While not breaking into the top 10, Lush received a lot of love from Canadian women in the survey, who adore the experience the minute they walk into the store. The sights, the sounds, the free samples, the knowledge-able staff. Said one respondent, “It’s just super fun to play inside a Lush store.”

Importantly, many respondents were very aware of Lush’s firm stance on important issues, including no ani-mal testing, ethical sourcing, responsible packaging and their charitable giving. Known as one of Canada’s top employers, there is a lot for women to love inside Lush’s 40+ Canadian stores.

GROCERY SPOTLIGHT PRESIDENT’S CHOICE“President’s Choice products are 100% just as good (if not better) than the name brands!” Canadian women were very vocal in the survey about their positive feelings for Loblaw’s President’s Choice brand. As the Chief Purchasing Officers of their households, women want to ensure that they are stretching their bud-gets as far as possible. Too often, that requires compromise.

But with the help of more than 3,500 President’s Choice products and a strong commitment to deliver brand-quality products at a private-label price, President’s Choice has delivered and grown to be one of the stron-gest private-label brands in the world.

Women in the survey cited the array of options that President’s Choice provides to today’s shoppers, from the PC Black Label Collection to satisfy your inner foodie to PC Organics and PC Green environmentally responsible lines. They are certainly ensuring that there is no com-promise just because women want to save some money. And, with the new re-launch of PC Rewards, Loblaws is just giving women more to love.

MOM SPOTLIGHT KRAFT“I trust Kraft 100%. Period.” While not in the top 10 brands for all Canadian women, Kraft rates very highly amongst Canadian moms. Not surprising given that their products are on dinner tables across the country virtually every night.

Importantly, Kraft gets real praise from Canadian moms for providing lots of meal planning help and recipes that are available on their phones, in their email inboxes or online. Said one mom in our survey, “Kraft’s online recipe site is my go-to at 5:30 p.m. The recipes are easy, I usually have every-thing on hand, and my family truly enjoys the end result!”

Kraft has been a pioneer in the content publishing space, offering printed and online content since the early nineties – allowing women to use how-to videos, smart 1-2-3 recipes, an online recipe box or the built-in shopping list – across platforms in mobile, social media and apps. And Canadian women (especially moms) are literally eating it up.

MILLENNIAL SPOTLIGHTAMAZON.COM“So many options! So many prod-ucts! And I can shop anywhere, any time.”Amazon.com broke into the top 10 for Canadian women between the ages of 18–34, but didn’t even crack the top 20 for women 35+. Younger Canadian women are much more likely to shop online, and they love the endless aisle that Amazon.com represents. Said one respondent in the survey, “I can think of the most obscure thing I might want to buy, and I can be 99.9% confident that I can find it on Amazon. They’ve transformed how I shop.”

Of course, Amazon has changed how all of us shop. Stud-ies show that women are typically very keenly focused on finding the “absolute, 100% best choice” for anything they happen to be shopping for, and Amazon.com has become their secret weapon. Need the latest Kate Spade bag? Want to pre-order the next season of Downton Abbey? How about a new snack shack for your pet ger-bil? The virtually endless selection, 24/7 access, customer reviews, and a soon-to-come algorithm-based system that knows which products you want to buy and sends them – even before you order them – will all help women continue to reign as the leaders in online shopping.

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#1 FOR WOMEN IN QUEBECJEAN COUTU

“As Quebecers, Jean Coutu has been there for our moms… and now they’re there for us.”Move over Tim Hortons. Because in Quebec, women’s most-loved brand goes to Jean Coutu. Why do nearly half of Quebec women (47%) name Jean Coutu as one of their most-loved brands?

First and foremost, Jean Coutu’s heritage in Quebec is key. As one respondent said, “In Quebec, everyone knows and respects Jean Coutu the man – the pharmacist who opened his first pharmacy in 1969.” Another added, “For a long time, the owner himself was in their commercials. If you look carefully, you will still see a picture of him in every Jean Coutu. As big as it is now, it’s still a family-run business and I think that is a strong reason why we love it so much. Jean Coutu has been there for our moms… and now they’re there for us.”

But it’s not just the Québécois heritage that makes Jean Coutu so beloved, as many women in the survey cited its warm, welcoming customer experience. Said one re-spondent, “I once went to Jean Coutu for a lip gloss and I walked out with a whole makeup set because the woman who was serving me showed me how I was missing sev-eral products for my day-to-day regimen.” The pharmacy staff plays a huge role as well, as women in our survey from ages 22 to 62 cited a real bond with their Jean Coutu pharmacist. Said one respondent, “I love my Jean Coutu pharmacist. She is friendly, interested and always ready to offer advice and tips. I actually look forward to see-ing her. She’s more than a pharmacist. She has become a friend.”

Beyond the above, women mentioned Jean Coutu’s good prices, their plethora of products, their network of neighborhood locations, their easy-to-print digital photo lab, easy prescription refills and more. And, many mentioned Jean Coutu’s corporate social responsibility.

#7 FOR WOMEN IN QUEBEC CANADIAN TIRE“I love that you can get billy boots and a blender all in the same trip!” Canadian Tire just missed the top 10 amongst all Canadi-an women, but one in four Quebec women including the retailer in their top 10 is enough to land Canadian Tire in the #7 spot for the province.

Why do women love Canadian Tire so much? Certainly the wide variety of goods is a big part of the appeal. From cookware and camping supplies to hockey sticks and hammers, Canadian Tire seems to stock it all. Said one respondent, “I love that you can get billy boots and a blender all in the same trip!”

A huge appeal of the store is also their big sales, which were mentioned by virtually everyone who said they love Canadian Tire. Said one respondent, “They have amazing weekly sales on big items like patio sets and bar-becue grills, and on small things like laundry detergent and cat food. Their flyer is a must-read every week.” Says another, “If you have anything on your wish list, just wait! Canadian Tire will have it on sale soon!”

And, while the above are both sensible reasons to like the company, what women said time and again linked back to the brand’s heritage: Many respondents said they remembered going to Canadian Tire with their parents. They considered the brand in the same light as Tim Hortons: “It’s 100% Canadian. It’s where we shop.” In fact, Canadian Tire was very well recognized by wom-en in our survey as one of Canada’s brands that really carries forth the Canadian flag. “Canadian Tire supports our country, our values, our communities.” It’s hard to argue with that reasoning!

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MOST-LOVED BRANDS: SPLIT BY DEMOGRAPHIC SEGMENTS

Women are by no means a homogeneous group; their tastes, preferences and love affairs with brands differ according to age, life stage, household income and more. Interesting differences come to light when one looks at the survey data along demographic lines as shown in the table below.

1 Tim Hortons 1 Tim Hortons 1 Tim Hortons 1 Jean Coutu

2 Walmart 2 Apple 2 Walmart 2 Tim Hortons

3 Costco 3 Starbucks 3 Costco 3 Walmart

4 Facebook 4 Facebook 4 Facebook 4 Costco

5 Apple 5 Victoria’s Secret 5 Kraft 5 Facebook

6Shoppers Drug Mart/Pharmaprix

6 Google 6 Apple 6 Google

7 Starbucks 7 Costco 7Shoppers Drug Mart/Pharmaprix

7 Canadian Tire

8 Google 8 Ikea 8 McDonald’s 8 Dove

9 Ikea 9 Walmart 9 Subway 9 L’Oréal

10 Dove 10 Amazon.com 10 President’s Choice 10 Apple

TOTAL SAMPLE (WOMEN 18–64) WOMEN 18–34 MOMS QUEBEC

(WOMEN 18–64)

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Section 2

WHAT DRIVES CANADIAN WOMEN

AWAY

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Section 2 of the study turned the tables to delve into brands women loathe and the rea-sons why. Respondents were provided a list of 100 leading brands and companies and asked to identify up to ten they strongly dislike and then provide their reasons why. From that research, we’ve identified six nega-tive drivers affecting women’s attitudes and brand choices right now.

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1. Growing Health Concerns In the survey, a number of fast food chains and soda companies topped the list of brands women strongly dislike. When asked why, respondents cited “fast food’s deplorable lack of nutrition”, adding that “soda and fast food are the leading contributors to obesity in our society today.” Further concerns were voiced about these industries’ perceived targeting of children with their advertising and promotions. Said one mom, “I am trying to teach my children how to live a healthy life and these companies are mak-ing my job very difficult.”

Several brands are ac-tively trying to tackle this issue head on. McDonald’s continues to introduce healthier menu options, nutri-tional values are much more visible on packag-ing and in other mate-rials, and just last year, the fast food chain launched their “Our Food – Your Questions” campaign in an ef-fort to be more transparent and put to rest some of the myths surrounding food preparation, packaging and their products. Consumers were invited to sub-mit questions about McDonald’s food at yourques-tions.mcdonalds.ca, and the company answered with open and honest responses. The campaign generated more than 13 million video views and answered more than 18,000 questions.

Meanwhile, The Coca-Cola Company has publicly recognized the concern by officially calling obesity “the issue of this gen-eration.” The company is putting resources be-hind global efforts “to contribute to healthier, happier and more ac-tive communities,” in-cluding offering low or no-calorie beverage options in every market, provid-ing transparent nutrition information, supporting physical activity programs and eliminating advertis-ing to children under 12 years old. Launched in mid 2013, The Coca-Cola Company’s “Coming Together” marketing campaign began running across Canada, and showed Canadians what the company is doing to help fight obesity and to reinforce the importance of making informed choices.

While growing health concerns are indeed major hurdles for fast food and soda companies, the con-cerns affect brands and businesses way beyond those two industries. Health issues are paramount to Canadian women – especially moms. Turning a blind eye is no longer an option for marketers; acknowledging and addressing the issues head on is the only path forward.

2. Questionable Business EthicsNumerous research studies show that women are more likely than men to be aware of and influenced by questionable company policies. Those policies

not only impact their feelings about brands and companies, but often determine who they will (or won’t) do business with. A simple Facebook search or chat with a female friend will readily tell you which

brands or companies are on their “do not do business with” list.

In the survey, when Canadian women were asked to explain why a company was on their “most disliked” list, respondents cited a wide variety of concerns including low employee wages and unfair employee policies, lack of women on executive teams, concerns with where goods were sourced, testing on animals, environmental concerns, putting local mom-and-pop stores out of business, gay rights, political issues – and that’s just scratching the surface.

One respondent said, “It doesn’t matter how much I love what they make. If what’s happen-ing behind the scenes isn’t good, I will take my business elsewhere.” And another summed

up her feelings by saying, “Sometimes low prices come at a price that I’m simply not willing to pay.” In fact, several respondents could readily list as many as ten companies whose policies they didn’t condone and thus were officially boycotting.

And while it might be tempting to believe that this is an elitist philosophy embraced only by women with the financial means to be able to make these dis-tinctions in the brands they choose, don’t be fooled.

I AM TRYING TO TEACH MY CHIL-DREN HOW TO LIVE A HEALTHY LIFE AND THESE COMPANIES ARE MAKING MY JOB VERY DIFFICULT.

SOMETIMES LOW PRICES COME AT A PRICE THAT I’M SIMPLY NOT WILLING TO PAY.

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The awareness of these issues crosses all socioeco-nomic strata, as does the desire and commitment to “buy with a conscience.”

3. Walking the TalkAlong with women’s keen awareness of corporate poli-cies comes the reality that missteps by a brand quickly balloon into major debacles. In this world of 24/7 me-dia coverage and social media amplification, seemingly minor issues that might have been forgiven in earlier times are now sufficient evidence to round up the pro-verbial lynch mob. Those mistakes – spread like wild-fire by women’s social media networks and the media – can literally take a company down.

Lululemon is the latest such example, with the compa-ny being the topic of quite a bit of debate in the survey, hitting the top of the favorites list for many women while also being one of many women’s most-disliked brands. At its core, Lululemon is a wonderful Van-couver-based business with a simple, powerful mission: helping people (and women) live longer, healthier, fun lives. It’s a brand once heralded by women. Catering to the female athlete, or at least those subscribing to a healthy lifestyle, Lu-lulemon has long dem-onstrated strong ties to its local communities, hosting self-defence workshops, complimentary yoga classes, goal-setting classes and more. Stores are community hubs where one can learn about healthy living covering everything from yoga and diet to running and cycling, as well as the mental aspects of living a powerful life of possibilities.

Unfortunately, after last year’s public relations fiascos, transparent yoga pants, production snafus and leader-ship changes, there is certainly much to repair at Lu-lulemon. While the company had a lot of raving fans in the survey, still more than 1 in 10 Canadian women included Lululemon on their list of “strongly disliked” companies. It will be interesting to see how the new leader, Laurent Potdevin (former president of another beloved brand, Toms Shoes), is able to refocus and win back Lululemon’s lovers.

4. Ignoring Women as Legitimate ConsumersIn the survey, several brands that topped the strongly disliked list were brands, companies and entire industries that Canadian female respondents saw as “largely ignoring women as valuable, viable consumers.” Car companies, banks, consumer elec-tronics, mobile providers, sports teams, home im-provement retailers – all were cited as not valuing women’s business.

Interestingly, several beer brands also hit the strongly disliked list – but not solely for the reason one would assume. While women certainly com-plained about scantily clad girls in the advertising, many respondents were more frustrated by being left out of beer culture overall: “Beer brands clearly only care about male beer drinkers.”

Said one 20-something respondent in the sur-vey, “When are beer companies going to wake up to the fact that I and all my girlfriends like to drink beer too? But we are left out of the marketing that the beer companies do. If a beer brand actually did some advertising that

was appealing to us… wow! Wouldn’t that be some-thing?” In a beer advertising culture full of guy sce-narios and guy jokes, women respondents said, “We have our own party culture… why are beer brands afraid to embrace that?” Why, indeed?

5. Objectifying WomenPortrayal of women in advertising is, perhaps, one of the trickiest challenges a marketer faces. There is certainly a call to “keep it real”, which was voiced by many women in the survey who expressed distaste for the world of stick-thin models which sets unreal-istic expectations, advertisers airbrushing images to perfection, and 20-year-olds selling wrinkle cream.

WHEN ARE BEER COMPANIES GOING TO WAKE UP TO THE FACT THAT I AND ALL MY GIRLFRIENDS LIKE TO DRINK BEER TOO – BUT WE ARE LEFT OUT OF THE MARKET-ING THAT THE BEER COMPANIES DO.

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But candidly, none of the beauty brands drew nearly as much criticism as several racy fashion and intimate apparel labels. Women in the survey complained these types of brands, companies and advertising campaigns are sexualizing our society and objectifying women, and that their advertising makes young girls aspire to unrealistic ideals and promotes a highly sexual image at a very early age.

6. Painting It PinkPerhaps one respondent said it perfectly with the following, “Please stop making pink Nerf guns and Lego sets for my daughter!” Another respondent was outraged about Bic “Pens for Her,” which come in pastel colours and are “designed perfectly for women’s hands.” Asked the respondent, “Why exactly can’t I use a man-pen?”

Honestly, we’ve seen it all when it comes to trying to market to women: toolboxes painted pink to “ap-peal to the female DIYer”; a Volvo specially designed to be “the ultimate female-friendly car that’s easy to park and has features such as special headrests to accommodate a driver’s ponytail.” And who remem-bers Dell’s “Della” debacle with a website including laptops in designer colours and embarrassingly non-technical tech tips including “tips for how comput-ers can help ladies count calories and search recipes online?” One Twitter comment summed up popular sentiment perfectly: “Della, website 4 women who r 2 stupid 2 go 2 dell.com.”

Women in the survey said that they want to be treat-ed as important customers by marketers. But that doesn’t mean they necessarily need special features, a girly colour palette or something that makes them unique. Sometimes yes, sometimes no. It’s more complicated than black and white (or pink.)

PLEASE STOP MAKING PINK NERF GUNS AND LEGO SETS FOR MY DAUGHTER!

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WHAT WOMEN WANT TO SAY TO ADVERTISERS

Section 3

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WE ASKED 1,000 CANADIAN WOMEN: IF YOU COULD GIVE ADVERTISERS ONE PIECE OF ADVICE…

“ VALUE US ”Some of us know more about what’s under the hood of a car than men do.

Women have money to spend. Listen to them.

Women are smarter and more capable than advertisers think. Acknowledge and act accordingly.

Don’t exclude us. We have money and are also interested in things like sports and cars.

Don’t make us out to be fools. Most of the big financial decisions made in the home are usually made by the woman.

I hate going into the car dealership – you guys need to figure it out.

Respect us.

“ KEEP IT REAL ”I want to see more full-time working women. Show how they balance work and home.

More emphasis on both partners, balancing work, home and family.

Speak to women of all shapes, sizes and backgrounds.

Show women in well-rounded ways, not just as women whose sole mission in life is cleaning up after / taking care of others.

Many of us don’t clean, cook, or stay at home. Get with the program!

Don’t make it look like my house, my life, my kids are or need to be perfect. We aren’t… and we don’t want to be!

Don’t assume that every mother is frumpy, grumpy and belongs in the kitchen.

Men clean, too!

“ MAKE US LAUGH ”Why is there no funny advertising for women? Why are guys the only ones who get to laugh?

“ PLEASE STOP ”... using stereotypes as a crutch.

… patronizing us.

… testing on animals.

… using women as sex objects.

… painting things pink and assuming I’ll respond.

… making husbands look like idiots in commercials.

… showing women dancing around happy about feminine hygiene products and yogurt.

… making it look like some little product (like a dryer sheet) is magically going to change our lives.

… using a soccer mom in a minivan as a cue to say you get me as a mom. It’s trite.

… making Nerf guns and Lego sets that are pink for my daughter.

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“ EMBRACE DIFFERENCE ”Women are not a homogeneous group. Stop treating us that way.

Keep in mind the wide variety of ethnic groups. Many of us feel invisible in your world of media and advertising.

What happens to women in advertising after the age of 40? Apparently, we buy adult diapers – and not much else! (Even the wrinkle cream is marketed to the under-30 crowd!)

To quote Beyoncé, “All the single ladies, all the single ladies…” Where are all the single ladies?

“ MEET THE MILLENNIALS ”It’s like advertisers have no idea who 20-somethings are today. Really.

“ PORTRAY A HEALTHY BODY IMAGE ”Take the focus off being a supermodel.

Stop the focus on BEAUTY and LOOKS.

Use real women, not air brushed models.

Life isn’t all about looking pretty and being thin.

Take notice that not all women are a size 0. Start making clothes for tall women, large women.

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Learn more at marketelle.com

For more information on the findings, please contact DIANE.RIDGWAY-CROSS@MARKETELLE.COM