I found Sarah Li‘s blog post on gender targeted marketing very interesting. In our society, it is clear that there is a divide in the products that are marketed to women and men. However, I had previously never thought about products that have no need for gender differentiation and the possible effects of marketing them as gender specific products. In Sarah Li‘s post, a BIC pen is used as an example of a unisex product that is now marketed as a feminine product because the pen is pink and called “for her”.
I agree with Sara’s stance that marketing gender specific versions of basic products is a good way to increase sales. In the case of the BIC pink pen, I think that this product differentiation would be a determining factor in buying the pen and that many females would be drawn to this pen as opposed to others because it seems more customized to meet their needs. Changing the colour of a product, for example from blue to pink, is a simple change for a business but also one that could increase profits. I believe that this kind of marketing works for both men and women and that when a product has a specific visual appeal to a gender, that gender is more inclined to buy the product.
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