Feminism-as-marketing is a trend that has gathered pace over the last few years. What is it, what what's behind it? A talk by @louisedoherty and @sarahjanecass on how brands are jumping on the feminism bandwagon, and the role that social media and celebrity endorsement of feminism has played. Is this trend a good or a bad thing for equality? This talk was given on 05.09.2014 at Bestival's Bestiversity tent as part of Feminism Friday.

1. Brands Like Beyoncé | #BrandsLikeBeyonce
The intersection of feminism, brand marketing and celebrity
@sarahjanecass & @louisedoherty | Bestiversity @ Bestival 2014

2. Being a feminist is cool again!
#BrandsLikeBeyonce

3. Campaigns create community on social media
#BrandsLikeBeyonce

4. Lean In: #BanBossy
#BrandsLikeBeyonce

5. Community + tech = highlighting inequality
#BrandsLikeBeyonce

6. Publishers are starting to notice…
#BrandsLikeBeyonce

7. And so are brands. Big brands.
#BrandsLikeBeyonce

8. Always: #LikeAGirl
#BrandsLikeBeyonce

9. Under Armour: #IWillWhatIWant
#BrandsLikeBeyonce

10. Pantene: #ShineStrong
#BrandsLikeBeyonce

11. Is adland’s brand of feminism helpful?
Highlighting ‘harmless’ language has consequences
Shows skill should be more important than gender
Points out practical changes you can make
Affinity with characters, and awesome role models
Aren’t you just trying to flog me sanitary towels etc?
I’m not allowed to apologise now?
So glad men will still hug me in bed though!
Did I need permission to defy convention?
My own words are the root of inequality?
!
#BrandsLikeBeyonce

12. Brands’ feminism is flawed, like Beyoncé
#BrandsLikeBeyonce

13. Do Beyoncé’s feminist flaws matter?
#BrandsLikeBeyonce

14. Dispute the methods… but REACH
“A word with a complicated history reclaimed by the most
powerful celebrity in the world. And then she projected it —
along with its definition […], into the homes of 12 million
unassuming Americans. Beyoncé would become the subject of
two-thirds of all tweets about feminism in the 24 hours after her
appearance….
“No, you don’t have to like the way Beyoncé writhes around in
that leotard […] but whether you like it or not, she’s
accomplished what feminists have long struggled to do:
She’s reached the masses. “Sure, it’s just the VMAs,” says
[Jennifer] Pozner. “… through her performance millions of
mainstream music fans are being challenged to think about
feminism as something powerful, important, and yes, attractive.”
http://time.com/3181644/beyonce-reclaim-feminism-pop-star/
#BrandsLikeBeyonce

15. Flawed, but fantastic
Global brands might be jumping on the feminism bandwagon,
with cynical ‘women’s messaging’ ad campaigns flogging
female products, using debatable definitions of feminism and
solutions we might not like…
#BrandsLikeBeyonce
!
… But you cannot argue with reach. That brands are putting
significant budget behind these campaigns means more
opportunities for non-feminists eyes to be opened to how gender
roles shape society, and disadvantage men and women.
!
Whether it’s brands or Beyoncé embracing feminism, it can
only be a good thing. !
!
Their voices plus our voices multiplied by the unstoppable force
of social media mean that feminism is BACK, in a big way.

16. What can you do?
1. 2.
3. 4.
#BrandsLikeBeyonce
Check out The
Telegraph’s Wonder
Women & Guardian’s
Women section
!
Hunt down and share
these ad campaigns on
your social networks
Follow our
#BrandsLikeBeyonce
Twitter list of awesome
women
Sign the No More
Page 3 Petition (and
buy a tee, especially
this one)
Stop saying sorry…!
5.

17. Reach! We’re BACK
#BrandsLikeBeyonce
@sarahjanecass & @louisedoherty