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Article: Targeting the female market; Almost from the start, Ford has aimed advertising at women, but over the years, the approaches have changed.(Ford at 100)
- Article from:
- Advertising Age
- Article date:
- March 31, 2003
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 Crain Communications, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Byline: Jennifer Pendleton
When Ford Motor Co. was born, American women were second-class citizens without even the right to vote. Few held paying jobs or lived independently. Only a handful had the purchasing power to buy an automobile. The auto market was a man's domain. That latter condition would stand until the late 1970s, when the forces of feminism chipped away at Detroit's ingrained habits.
Nevertheless, early on, Ford and other car manufacturers recognized women's influence in auto sales and dedicated a portion of their advertising and marketing activities to them. Men still controlled the cash, but Ford offered up ad pitches addressing ...