Brandsplaining: Why Marketing is (Still) Sexist and How to Fix It

by Jane Cunningham

Overview

Good girl. Girlboss. Flawless model. Perfect mother. Organiser. Wonder Woman. Family rock. Feminist go-getter. Brands profit by telling women who they are and how to be. Now they've discovered feminism and are hell bent on selling "fempowerment" back to us. But behind the go-girl slogans and the viral hash-tags has anything really changed? In Brandsplaining, Jane Cunningham and Philippa Roberts expose the monumental gap that exists between the women we really are and the women that appear in the media around us. Their research reveals how our experiences, wants, and needs—in all forms—are ignored and misrepresented by an industry that fails to understand us. They propose a radical solution to resolve this once and for all: an innovative framework for marketing that is fresh, exciting, and—at last—sexism-free.
 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780241456002
Publisher:	Penguin Random House UK
Publication date:	06/01/2021
Pages:	240
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.19(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Jane Cunningham is the co-founder of PrettyLittleHead, a research-based consultancy with a particular specialism in understanding women. Prior to this, Jane was a board planner at DDP, Head of Planning at Ogilvy London, and managing Director of Tribal DDB. Jane is an expert in gender-bias within advertising and has been interviewed by Martha Kearney on Radio 4, Jane Garvey on Women's Hour, and Rosie Boycott and Dawn Porter on the subject of marketing to women. Philippa Roberts is the co-founder of PrettyLittleHead, a research-based consultancy with a particular specialism in understanding women. Prior to this, Philippa was Client Services Director at both DDB London and at Ogilvy London. Philippa is an expert in gender-bias within advertising, and has been interviewed by David Frost on the differences between men and women and has appeared on Radio 5 live and Radio 4 discussing the subject of marketing to women.

Table of Contents

Preface: On Mansplaining ix

Introduction: Why Marketing Really Is Still Sexist 1

Part 1 How We Got Here 7

The foundations of modern sexism 11

Modern sexism and the Good Girl 14

Marketing made the Good Girl just perfect 19

Marketing Man was in charge 25

Marketing told girls how to be good 31

Brandsplaining for beginners: a turn-of-the-century guide to marketing to women 41

Part 2 Where We Are Now 47

Women call out toxic femininity 53

The male perspective still dominates business 64

Femvertising temporarily takes on the Good Girl 76

The Good Girl carries on 81

The 'sneaky' stuff 87

Part 3 Where We Go Next 101

Principle 1 Accept that women now please themselves 107

Principle 2 Show what was the exception as the rule 125

Principle 3 Put an end to macho-economics 128

Principle 4 Catch up with the expert 133

Principle 5 Mend it for everyone 136

Principle 6 Prepare for the primacy of female-made brands 141

Principle 7 Stop looking - and start learning 148

Principle 8 Forget ideals - present a grounded and granular understanding 152

Principle 9 Be constructive, not critical 160

Principle 10 Acknowledge that sexism goes both ways 178

Conclusion: From Master to Patron and now to Servant 195

Notes 197

Acknowledgements 209

Index 211

Editorial Reviews

"Filled with fascinating and funny insights, Brandsplaining is not just about marketing but also about how gender identities can be (and are) shaped and mis-shaped, branded and rebranded. If you think we've moved on from 'Good Girl' to 'Go Girl', think again!" —Professor Gina Rippon, author of The Gendered Brain

 


"On our way to dethroning patriarchy's hold on capitalism, books like this are critical. It's high time we expose and remedy the pseudo-feminist marketing malarkey holding women back under the guise of empowerment—and Brandsplaining is here to help us do just that." —Amanda Montell, author of Wordslut


"This book has the power to change the way we see the world." —Sophie Devonshire, CEO, The Marketing Society and author of Superfast

 


"An outrageously important book. Erudite, funny, and deeply engaging—with no condescension or bullshit." —Dr Aarathi Prasad, author of Like A Virgin

From the Publisher