Womenkind Launches
November 16, 2007
Womenkind, a New York based agency that will execute ads designed to appeal to females, as well as provide business consulting and tech solution services, has just opened its doors. Seems like a big bag to be pulling from, no? In any case, the partners are Kristi Faulkner and Sandy Sabean, as well and former WPP Group chief technology officer Steven Leitner and former Lowe worldwide CEO Jerry Judge.
AdWeek is reporting that Womenkind plans to pull on mostly female freelance talent that includes creative directors, art directors, copywriters, marketing executives and producers. In a very girly fashion, the agency is calling this talent “mavens.” “To develop ideas, markets or direction for brands, Womenkind has assembled a group of “muses” that includes small business owners, mothers and activists.”
We’re all for women making cash, owning businesses and taking the advertising agency head on. Plus, we like that Womenkind’s will be donating 5 percent of profits to help disadvantaged women.
November 16, 2007 at 5:49 pm
Yuck. Sounds more sexist and stereotypical to me, as a woman. Is it really that hard that we need to have internal ‘groups’? Sounds like these women execs don’t even know what women want. So in order to be able to tap into and communicate to an african american, babyboomer female, I can only do so with an african american, babyboomer female? That’s ridiculous.
November 16, 2007 at 9:41 pm
i agree, as a woman this sounds embarrassing and desperate.
November 16, 2007 at 11:19 pm
Sounds like a great idea to me. Maybe we’ll get a lot less vapid, sexist ads directed to us! Plus the profit going to women’s charities is putting you’re money where your mouth is!
BTW, do the previous two comment writers ever view women’s advertising? There’s plenty of room for improvement!
November 17, 2007 at 12:07 am
To Dagbar…oh yes, we want to continue to only have white men in NY wearing overpriced designer clothing speak to us African American and Baby Boomer Women. They have been relating so well after all. Why change?
November 17, 2007 at 12:09 am
and that is the reason the world needs female run agencies like this, to get away from the narrow minds of women haters like you. oh yes, i’m speaking to you women. i am sure you are all catty and/or sleeping with every ad man and client exec you can get ahead with. Of course you wouldn’t cheer on female empowerment. yes, we want to get away from you, you, and you, because you pull us DOWN…DOWN…DOWN.
November 17, 2007 at 12:15 am
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November 17, 2007 at 1:00 am
But if you’re going to start an agency called “womenkind”, why put an old white guy (Jerry) on the leadership team? Are there no women CTO’s available anywhere? Is Steven Leitner an old white guy also?
There are plenty of qualified senior women out there. Sounds like a stunt to me.
November 17, 2007 at 4:02 am
Sounds like the old white guys are more operational and the creative talent is female. Mavens/muses tip influence severely to the female side. In the fragmented marketing landscape micro-targeting only really works if consumer relevancy is heightened. Read the consumer profile on any female-targeted brand brief… now think muses. Also, if I were launching a consumer product to baby boomer african american women my brand manager wouldn’t necessarily have to fit that description but I’d want to have females, african americans and boomers influencing the brand as much as possible.
November 17, 2007 at 6:20 am
Women not being present on creative teams is a big problem. Women of color not being present on creative teams is an even bigger one. Will opening an ad agency that only hires the fairer sex help the situation? It’s a fifty-fifty crap shoot. I will say this though. Clients deal with companies they respect and with a name like Womenkind I don’t even think Tampax will want to hear a pitch. Let’s try and make it a little more low key ladies!
November 17, 2007 at 5:47 pm
The name leaves little to be desired…
but the idea could prove interesting.
Women are motivated a bit differently,
and I would be surprised for anyone to say otherwise.
It is quite depressing to see ads that are targeted towards women and it seems really obvious that they are insulting in tone and in concept.
There are tons of examples out there.
This is not to say that all women ads should be girly either, with pink and “hear me roar” written all over it.
As for the first comment here…
so you are telling me men can really understand the female psyche whatever cultural background?
They have enough problems getting in touch with their own feelings.
And look what has been done so far?
The majority of the work is pretty off target with some wonderful exceptions.
I am not saying that only women should do women ads and men do men ads either.
This company acknowledges that women are the majority of the consumer base and maybe men and women in our community need to be more aware of who they are really talking too both conceptually in order to communicate to them.
November 18, 2007 at 2:11 am
Have any of you ever looked at the advertisements directed towards women? They’re GARBAGE.
What about L’Oreal? Does that talk to women in an authentic voice?
I agree about the old white guys, but maybe they are neccesary. (?)
November 18, 2007 at 2:13 am
Good point, “Big $pender”. I agree, womens advertising is useless these days. This idea could be great, if done in the right way. Wish I had thought of it…
November 18, 2007 at 12:49 pm
As one of two women in a large creative department, I spend most of my days shaking my head at the juvenile perceptions these guys have about women in the office, women in the world, and the female consumers they create advertising for.
They honestly don’t view us with any depth or substance, and can’t imagine that we may see the world differently than they do. Look at media images of women and undertand that they reflect what the young male creatives think of us: we’re hot and sexy conquests, or we’re their mothers, cooking and cleaning up after them.
It sounds like cliche, until you live it.
Think about how many “general audience” ad messages are really directed to men/boys. Now think about who does the shoppping. Women buy computers and cars and beer and cameras and tv’s. But the advertising doesn’t speak to us. Because the creators don’t get us.
I applaud Womenkind for recognizing that there may be a business opportunity in the void. That making an effort to respect women could create better work that will be more relevant to women audiences. I hope they are proven right. It should bring a bit more crediblity to all of us women who work in male dominated agencies.
Besides, I like it that they include men in the company. There are a few good ones out there, and it shows that Womenkind isn’t have to be an us-vs-them company.
November 18, 2007 at 1:06 pm
One of the skills needed for advertising is the ability to understand groups who you are not part. Good planners and good creatives should be able to deal with more than one audience.
I think there is too much emphasis on demographics in some briefs. Audiences can be defined by more than race, sex and age. Justifying your ideas based on the fact that you are “down with the kids” will be a natural step for agencies of this kind that will always lead to lazy plans, lazy strategies and lazy work
November 18, 2007 at 9:02 pm
Isn’t it sexist to make the assumption that a man can’t have an insight attractive to women?
And anyway, don’t you really just need a good female creative director for the female accounts?
You know, exactly like the industry already has?
Yes.
Therefore, this is just a ridiculous Rainbow PUSH-style ploy.
Only, this isn’t going to work because there’s no female Jesse Jackson, no political action group that can draw the news crews. Nothing.
Because this is ridiculous.
November 18, 2007 at 11:45 pm
I agree whole heartedly with somethingwitty. Here are my thoughts as a woman. Most ad’s are not directed towards women even when they say they are. They usually project the ideas men have of what women want. So in theory we should all be applauding this new company. But the name alone isolates an entire target group and even the audience it is trying to attract. Also that thing about donating five percent- what’s that? I mean I know if I were in need and you were talking about giving me five percent I would feel insulted. And don’t say I should be greatful for what ever they give. It just didn’t feel sincere, it felt more like an after thought. It was the cherry on the cake of crap they dished out- oh if you’re not interested may be you will be now- We plan on giving five percent of our revenue to disadvantaged women- now will you buy what we are selling?
November 22, 2007 at 5:05 am
I think sites like Womenkind and http://www.shehivemarketing.com are the wave of the future in advertising and public relations. With women making over 80% of the household purchases, the advertising world is finally getting on the ball and working to address the demand of the largest purchasing demographic.
November 30, 2007 at 12:18 am
[...] article on the company, that was actually written before the WSJ article (in the blog aptly named Agency Spy) that provoked quite a few [...]
December 1, 2007 at 7:41 pm
Superb concept and I wish I were part of it. As the former owner of a PR-Advertising agency, I highly congratualte this group and I wish you well. Your premise is correct. The criticism I read is unjust.
December 5, 2007 at 7:36 pm
As a 46-year-old female creative, I say, any new agency that pledges to hire women to do the creative work should be applauded. There are few opportunities for women in this biz, especially as we get older.
February 28, 2008 at 12:10 am
During nearly fifteen years as an agency producer I can count on one hand the women I’ve been lucky enough to work with in creative roles. By and large they work harder, complain less and accomplish more than a great deal of the men that make up the creative communities at agencies. This sounds like a long-overdue breathe of fresh air.