What Brands Are Doing to Celebrate International Women’s Day

What do women want?

Several brands and agencies have turned their participation in the month- or daylong festivities into a data-focused endeavor. WPP agency Berlin Cameron teamed up with market research firm Perksy to see how women felt about the way brands treat IWD—and they didn’t look kindly on any companies still pink-washing their initiatives in March.

The poll, which included more than 1,000 women ages 13-75 found that 90% think women should be celebrated year round. Beyond that, 30% said they think brands advocating for women in ads are just trying to drive sales. It proves that “one month of women-focused initiatives aren’t enough to make women feel seen and heard,” said Berlin Cameron president Jennifer DaSilva. “If brands want to show real support for women, they must find ways to celebrate them every day of the year.”

International consulting firm Kearney found a similar sentiment in its 2020 Women Consumers Survey, released just in time for IWD. Over 75% of women surveyed said they’d pay more for products that truly support the advancement of women, but walk away from brands they don’t see helping a cause.