Face it – the world has negative stereotypes and prejudices that we don’t like or agree with. We see evidence of these every day – in words, actions, even in marketing campaigns. But just because we are used to seeing or hearing these, doesn’t mean they are right. In fact, negative stereotypes of women have a strong impact.
P&G is taking a strong approach to combatting negative female stereotypes. The company’s research has found that the lowest confidence girls have is when puberty starts, closely followed by starting middle and junior high school. Only 19% of girls have a positive association toward the phrase “like a girl.” Indeed, more than 57% of females think there should be a movement to change the negative connotations of the phrase “like a girl.”
The company’s latest campaign addresses this stereotype head-on, turning the phrase into a statement of power instead of weakness. You go, girl!
Group Activities and Discussion Questions:
- Discuss gender stereotypes. Have students tell some of the stereotypes they know of for men and women and write these on the board.
- What happens as a result of these stereotypes?
- Poll students on their reaction to the phrase “like a girl.”
- Show the videos:
- After viewing, ask students if they agree with the stereotype statements made in the videos.
- Divide students into teams. Have each team select one of the stereotypes listed on the board and develop a marketing campaign to address it.
Source: Brandchannel.com
