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International Women’s Day: The Brand’s Guide To Celebrating Correctly

By Oreoritse Tariemi

08 March 2022   |   10:09 am

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Every year on March 8th, the world celebrates the political, cultural, social and economic achievements of women globally.  The International Women's Day set aside to celebrate women worldwide garners attention from individuals and brands. Over time, different brands have found varying ways to celebrate women on this day, whether it is through special offers and…

International Women’s Day

Every year on March 8th, the world celebrates the political, cultural, social and economic achievements of women globally. 

The International Women’s Day set aside to celebrate women worldwide garners attention from individuals and brands. Over time, different brands have found varying ways to celebrate women on this day, whether it is through special offers and discounts, conferences, awards, launching new initiatives and even donating to charities focused on women empowerment. 

However, just as we have seen brands try and get things right with their IWD campaigns, we’ve also seen brands fail woefully in executing their message. To help you think up great ideas for your 2022 International Women’s Day Campaign, here are 5 things YOU SHOULDN’T DO.

• Bring The Men Into It: 

On the one day set aside to celebrate women in business, it’s not the best time to bring the men in your organisation into it. And while it’s not impossible to include men in your campaign for International Women’s Day, most businesses fail to get it right. 

We don’t need to see posters featuring men; we need to see women in power in your organisations.

We need to know their names, their positions, their stories; let them be the ones to push your narrative as you celebrate women globally. 

Stick to the hashtag of the day, for instance, the 2022 hashtag #BreakTheBias; there is no need to create new ones about men supporting women. You don’t want to make things about men in a campaign for gender equality. 

• Develop Campaigns That Do Not Sit True With Your Brand: 

With the internet and all information floating free of charge, chances are you’ll get caught, and your brand will most definitely feel the heat of cancel culture. 

If you’re planning to create a campaign on women in businesses, how’s your organisation contributing to shifting this narrative. How many women are employed within your organisation? Is there room for growth for women within your organisation? What policies do you have in place to ensure fair treatment? 

All these and many more are just some of the questions that need to be answered honestly as they would shape the direction your International Women’s Day campaign would take. 

• Ignoring The Theme:

Every year the United Nations sets a theme for International Women’s Day celebrations, and to celebrate correctly, your campaign and initiatives need to be in line with this theme. 

It’s more than helpful to understand the theme set, the narrative behind it, the colour was chosen for the celebration and apply these to your campaign rather than generic messages like ‘we stand with you.’

• Make It A One Time Thing: 

Celebrating women and striking conversations on issues that affect them shouldn’t be limited to March 8th only. 

In fact, no activism is better than performative activism, which is why it is important to create sustainable campaigns your brand can align with all year long. 

Ensuring longevity in your campaigns by committing to fair representation and equal policies in your organisation. 

You don’t need a specific day to do right by women. 

• Not Walking The Talk: 

Like we said earlier, it’s better to do nothing than pretend to do something just because everyone else is doing it. 

Match your words to your actions because, like they say, actions speak louder than words. 

It’s time to ditch performative activism, focusing on women’s issues one day in the year and rather replace this cliche gesture with long term fixes that generate impact. Don’t forget to check out the International Women’s Day website for more ideas on what campaigns to run in line with the year’s theme. No one does things better than the experts themselves.