¶ … Gap Inc.'s Social Media: Selling Feminism and Equality, Not T-Shirts

Forbes 9/30/2014 -- Clare O'Connor

http://www.forbes.com/sites/clareoconnor/2014/09/30/gap-incs-social-media-selling-feminism-and-equality-not-t-shirts/

This article highlights Gap's new media campaign which is less about selling any of its items and more about selling a progressive brand image. The company has taken a stand on feminism and equality in the workplace. If you take a look at the social media accounts of parent company Gap GPS Inc. And you'll see the 45-year-old retail giant has been carefully cultivating a web presence focused on feminism, equal pay and progressive values (O'Connor, 2014). Gap's competitors, such as Old Navy or Banana Republic offer content about styling tips by contrast.

The company is attempting to pick up and be associated with a larger social movement that is known as #HeForShe which was introduced and is backed by the United Nations. They have also embraced other similar campaigns that call for equal rights and pay in the workplace. In a blog post, Gap Inc.'s digital comms and marketing director Deirdre Hussey writes that "the workforce at Gap Inc. is 73% women -- and a place where both genders earn equal pay for equal work. At Gap Inc., employees are paid for the work they do, not who they are. (O'Connor, 2014)"

Gap's take on a social issue represents an interesting new phenomenon in marketing. Marketers in previous generations were often afraid to take positions on social issues because this would narrow there market by excluding potential consumers that do uphold the same opinions. However, as the target markets have steadily become more narrowed over the years, some companies have found that they can become more intimate with their customers through shared values and taking a stance on social issues is not as scary of a proposition as it once was.

Works Cited

O'Connor, C. (2014, October 30). Gap Inc.'s Social Media: Selling Feminism And Equality, Not T-Shirts. Retrieved from Forbes: http://www.forbes.com/sites/clareoconnor/2014/09/30/gap-incs-social-media-selling-feminism-and-equality-not-t-shirts/