Month: March 2018

March 29, 2018

Ignoring dads is never in fashion

It’s one thing to exclude dads by accident, and another to omit them intentionally.

But it’s an entirely different ballgame when a company tells the world it wasn’t even created for dads, nor intended for them. Never mind the fact that the product it sells is children’s clothing, which has nothing to do exclusively with motherhood. Dads are certainly capable of shopping. Dads care how their kids look.fabkids.png

So what gives?

FabKids was created in 2011 to offer stylish clothing, good selection and competitive pricing. Its Twitter page promises you’ll spend less by skipping the mall and shopping with them.

Yet if you’re a dad who wants to purchase its products for your kids, FabKids apparently doesn’t want you as a customer. Don’t believe us? It says so right on its about page under “Ode to Mom.” There you’ll find a cute message to which moms can relate – but so can dads. In reality, it’s an “Ode to Parents” that regrettably alienates dads right from the start.

You’ll also find confirmation of this on its customer satisfaction page which proclaims, “FabKids was created to help busy moms shop for kids,” not to mention one-sided testimonials from the “Let’s hear it from the moms” section.

All of it sends a contradictory message when you scan further, because FabKids seems to want it both ways. It insists FabKids is only for moms, but professes to be progressive by “revolutionizing the shopping experience” and for all parents on other pages.

  • From its front page: “Kids shopping designed for the modern family.”
  • From its how it works page: “Become a VIP (Very Impressive Parent)” and “Hear it from our customers.”

Judging by the FabKids team photo, the company seems to employ a fair number of fabkids2.pngmales. It’s hard to guess why these men haven’t stepped up and made a swift change to stamp out the overall exclusion, but let’s hope someone will. Dads matter to today’s modern families, and they’re not only equal, competent parents, but valuable shoppers in today’s online world.

FabKids also utilizes the faces of many boys to sell its products, boys who will likely one day become dads. Let’s hope they’re not being used today, only to become ignored later by the very company they represent.

To become a truly global, meaningful brand, it can’t continue this trend of ignoring fathers. How about it, FabKids?

 

March 7, 2018

All things being equal, some campaigns aren’t

There’s a lot of talk about equality these days, and with good reason. Exclusion is on the rise. People are being left out. Groups are ignored.p&g11.jpg

It’s no wonder that the mega, multi-national consumer goods corporation P&G started a #WeSeeEqual campaign, a push well-timed in today’s society of #MeToo and #TimesUp.

The campaign aims for a world free of gender bias that offers equal representation and voices for both women and men. It’s a powerful message that deserves praise and attention. Frankly, it’s hard to argue with or dispute any of its pleas. You can debate a lot of things in life, but equality isn’t one of them – it’s necessary and needed in a world filled with exclusion.

p&g8.jpgBut the campaign runs a bit contradictory when compared to another P&G effort, “Thank You Mom,” which resurfaces during each Olympics, as it did again during last month’s Winter Games. In it, we see an effort aimed at celebrating just one half of the parenting duo.

It’s one thing to market to a certain segment – as it’s doing with the “Mom” promotion – but another to want it both ways, as P&G emphatically implores us that “a world free from gender bias is a better world for all.”

Imagine what sports-loving dads were thinking when they watched regular nightly exclusion during the 17-day PyeongChang Games, as only mothers were thanked for helping athletes achieve their dreams. Meanwhile, these same dads would simultaneously encounter the #WeSeeEqual declaration, and another occasional P&G effort, #LoveOverBias – both exhorting humanity to treat everyone equally. Everyone, that is, except customers.p&g3.jpg

These conflicting messages aren’t just confusing, they’re actually illogical; it’s impossible to pair the word “equality” with brands that concurrently exclude fathers, but P&G has indeed done the impossible.

Media writers have praised the effort of #WeSeeEqual – and rightly so. On its own, it’s an incredibly commendable campaign and well-executed. But there’s no denying the mixed message it sends to dads and the parenting community.

If equality is going to mean something, the corporate world needs a genuine effort with a real, authentic backing – in word and in deed.

Otherwise a company is just selling products on a shelf, not a mission.