Divvy recently announced Women’s Bike Month. According to their website:
We designed Women’s Bike Month to raise the profile of women who bike and encourage more women to consider biking both for recreation and transportation. So whether you’re an experienced biker or just getting back on a bike for the first time in years, we just want to say “Yes!”
As a women, I say, YES! I LOVE this campaign because it does the following:
- Promotes health and fitness. Anything that promotes health and fitness is a good thing in my book
- Gives women the forum to promote themselves through the campaign’s #womenwhobike hashtag
- Includes smart partnerships with other on target, healthy brands – Luna and Argo Tea (vs. Coke and Snickers!)
- Promotes women focused businesses and events
- Promotes other bike related events
- Incorporates a live event where people can meet other cyclists and celebrate being healthy — They can even grab a Divvy and ride over!
- Celebrates women of all shapes and sizes. Let me repeat- Celebrates women of all shapes and sizes. As a more curvy girl who is very active, I love this. So many fitness events are geared toward skinny, fit women
Even with all of this amazing support of women in what was certainly a large effort to pull together, there was a complaint in one of the Facebook groups I belong to from a women who was frustrated. Here’s the complaint:
Let it be said that I am a HUGE fan of Divvy but this campaign makes my skin crawl. What, now we don’t bike? I’m getting a bit tired of being targeted for marketing campaigns solely for being a woman.
As a marketer, I read the comment and thought, HUH!? REALLY!?
I’m not sure if women do or don’t bike as much as men. I did read that only 20% of Divvy riders are women, so if that’s the case this campaign makes sense. Do you think Divvy should have stated this up front? Maybe. Would it be nice if they added a reason to their event page. Sure, I guess, if it will give the women upset about this a sense of peace. I just don’t see any major violation of women’s rights here.
I feel sorry for brand marketers. Some women complain if they aren’t included and then when they are, some are offended. Can’t we as women just be happy that a brand took the time to create a campaign especially for us!?