International Women’s Day falls on the 8th of March each year and makes a powerful global statement that celebrates the achievements and contributions of women, promoting gender equality in all areas of life and work. It also offers your brand diverse and unique opportunities to market products geared towards those of all genders, as well as increasing community outreach both in your local area and online. 

It’s also a great opportunity to showcase your brand values, which have ever greater importance with the younger, more socially conscious demographics that are beginning to exercise the biggest purchasing power in the global economy. Let’s have a look at a few ideas. 

Emphasise The Theme

Each year, International Women’s Day is centered around a specific theme that highlights different aspects of women’s empowerment. 2024’s theme is ‘Count Her In Accelerating Gender Equality Through Economic Empowerment’, which, while recognizing that progress has been made, women and girls still face significant obstacles in economic inclusion, inspiring them to learn, earn, and lead.

This means tailoring content, visuals, and campaigns to reflect the essence of the theme. For example, your marketing materials could showcase stories of women overcoming these economic challenges, or your brand could encourage customers to share their stories of resilience.

Ideas For Small Businesses

Events like International Women’s Day offer small businesses and SMEs the chance to put themselves in the spotlight, both in terms of cost-effective marketing and in displaying the kind of values and social awareness that appeal to today’s younger market demographics. There are plenty of ways your company, large or small, can harness International Women’s Day. Here are a few ideas: 

Giveaways & Prizes   

Everyone loves freebies, and everyone loves prizes, and this can be a way for your small business to engage with International Women’s Day (as long as you keep your prizes on-brand). Small businesses can offer women-centric products or services as prizes, encouraging participation and creating a positive connection with their audience.

Partnerships

 Collaborating with women-focused organizations or other businesses can amplify the impact of International Women’s Day promotions. Partnerships can include joint campaigns, shared events, or cross-promotions, and allow you to promote your brand, on-brand, in support of women in work and wider society. 

Events

 Hosting events, either online or in-person, allows small businesses to connect directly with their audience on International Women’s Day. These events can range from workshops and webinars to networking sessions, providing valuable content and engagement opportunities, and are also a cost-effective way to increase reach. 

Offers

Crafting special promotions or discounts specifically for International Women’s Day can attract customers and drive sales. Whether it’s a percentage off, buy-one-get-one-free deals, or exclusive bundles, these offers showcase appreciation for women while providing value to customers.

Engage Using Your Channels

Digital channels are by far the most popular ways to reach your target audience, whether you’re marketing a new product, providing new information, or promoting an event such as International Women’s Day. Incorporating imagery from the event into your online branding is essential, so make sure that any photos, videos, or other content contain International Women’s Day logos and branding as well as your own. 

Many overlook more traditional methods of marketing when it comes to promotional campaigns, and the power of print is still a force to be reckoned with. Flyers, leaflets, brochures, and business cards can be modified, and printed on quality materials at affordable prices — this is also a great way to engage with women and girls in your local community at events. 

Social Media

We all know that social media is one of the most powerful tools in a marketer’s arsenal, and events such as International Women’s Day are widely documented across all major platforms. Make sure you have plenty of hashtags at the ready, and you can upload related content as the day goes on.

This could include inspiring stories about the roots and foundation of your brand, the values that you share, as well as relevant info about your products and services. Remember, while this is a chance to get your brand out there, it’s also a global awareness event, not a sales pitch.

If you have a social media manager make sure they’re available to update all your channels and to engage with your audience — events such as these trigger discussions, and you need to be on hand to involve yourself as a brand. 

Using Apps

If your company has a dedicated app there are several ways you can use it to market your brand on International Women’s Day. These can be fun, and educational, and also raise interesting points for discussion in creative ways. You can encourage users to share photos, and even make it a competition, to find an image that best encapsulates the theme of the day. Apps are well suited to quizzes, so questions about figures who have inspired this year’s theme, or iconic female pioneers throughout history are interesting and educational, as well as engaging. 

Again, you’ll want your app to reflect the branding of International Women’s Day alongside your company’s branding, so make sure your design is on point, without compromising the intuitive controls and features of your existing app. 

The Bigger Picture

While International Women’s Day is a significant annual event, it’s essential to demonstrate a continuous commitment to gender equality throughout the year. Develop long-term strategies that embed inclusivity into your brand ethos. This could involve implementing diversity and inclusion policies within your organization, showcasing gender-balanced representation in your marketing materials, and supporting initiatives that uplift women in the workplace and beyond. 

By integrating these principles into your brand identity, you position your company as a champion for gender equality beyond the confines of a single day.

International Women’s Day is not a day to be exploited for marketing. But in today’s ethically aware marketplace, it’s important to highlight to new and existing customers your company’s commitment to equality, and awareness of social issues. It’s also a great way to foster engagement with the community, both online and off. 

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