In the article about gender marketing we talked about different strategies used to commercialise gender products. In our daily post we will focus on the economic meaning of that gender distinction. Also, we will introduce you to Billie, a women razor brand that aims at breaking gender stereotypes by getting rid of girly texts and colours. Why? Let’s find it out together.
Pink tax and gender pricing
It all started from the pink tax, a term that identifies the price increase of the female version of some products. It is not a real tax, mainly an evident overcharge of pinky products. Over the years many consumers noticed it and shared this inconsistency between prices for men’s and women’s products. It is a widespread phenomenon in many countries and it has grabbed everyone’s attention, even some government agencies are strongly interested in the subject. For example, the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs conducted a specific study on Gender Pricing in New York City named “From Cradle to Cane: The Cost of Being a Female Consumer”.
The following diagram, published by The Huffington Post, shows this pricing difference between some male and female products.
A matter of style
Why should women pay more? Usually the overcharge is not influenced by concrete differences in quality, quantity or functionalities of the products. Often it only depends on the product image and its packaging visual design. For instance, let’s compare pinky boxes (really pink!), tapering shapes and elegant typefaces with dark packages with straight lines and impressive fonts. As a result, price increase is probably related only to commercial strategies, according to which women would be willing to pay more than men for certain products.
Razors are among the items normally hit by pink tax, especially disposable ones. Women’s hair removal products are always more expensive than men’s ones, although the latter are often much more complex, requiring more blades and therefore additional material. This is a clear example of identical products which are only different in colors and texts.
Consequently, many women reacted and started to buy the male version of the same products. Likewise, companies like Billie didn’t waste any time and also reacted immediately to this trend.
Billie chose to produce razors designed just for women. These are not just male products adapted for the ladies, like many other famous brands do, but women-centered products that always keep women in mind. Billie’s shape and functions are dictated by real female needs. In fact, women use razors on larger body areas and in less comfortable positions than men (e.g. in the shower). Another important benefit of Billie is the price, which is much lower than other female razors available on the market, and in line with the prices of other male razors.
Billie embraces women’s world by getting rid of cliché, pinky colors and pink tax. It is doing this by using neutral packagings which are customized with simple illustrations featuring girls in different daily activities, like swimming and jogging. The visual design used is really essential, for instance the use of flat drawings and a limited color palette, which identifies the whole brand. This is a great way to stand out from the crowd and show how much its product is worth.
Have a look at the pictures below to discover Billie and say goodbye to the pink tax.
