Size Innuendo and Women: Not Always a Perfect Fit
A friend of mine in the photo retailing business forwarded this new Ritz Camera ad, and it seemed like something worth mentioning here. Why? Because the brand is obviously trying, but even with all those good intentions, really misses the mark.
What it looks like to me:
- They made the attempt to reach women more creatively - always a plus.
- They tried to use humor to do it - another plus (usually).
- They failed because the result is more cringe-worthy than connecting.
What happened? The innuendo-full "size matters" phrase would perhaps be more relevant to the "body spray" set, than what I’m guessing is a more female-focused, family-oriented market. While I’m certain that being able to offer prints in all different sizes is a big selling point for Ritz, there may be a better way to leverage humor and promote the wide-ranging possibilities.
In this case, size doesn’t matter as much as it distracts… from the core message.
May 7th, 2008 at 3:52 pm
I really appreciate how, in your blog, you point out marketing issues that make a difference without being condemnatory. Women are a massive group to market to and the more the mainstream learns about and embraces how we think, act, feel, and buy, the better off all of us will be. It’s not a just PC issue that’s smoke and mirrors—it’s real, and frankly, quite lucative for those who get it. Keep writing!
Vicki Flaugher
Great job–I will be sure to mention your site on my blog for female entrepreneurs. Sometimes even women, who get marketing training from male focused trainers, need a primer on how to market to this group.