Authentic marketing has become incredibly challenging, especially recently and especially to women. It is obvious that some things should be marketed to women (makeup, diet food items, household cleaning products). However, most women are household decision-makers and generally choosing everything from HVAC experts to the razors their men are using. So how do you appeal to them without making the usual pitfalls towards female stereotypes?

A recent video dubbed “Adland Girl” has been going viral and is essentially a social commentary on everything women hate about advertising. From the “muffin girl” who can’t escape cupcakes to the “ditzy girl” whose life basically consists of pure moments of elation resulting from yogurt, the “superficial girls from Adland” are a go-to guide of what NOT to do:

The answer is simple; your desired customer is savvy. She knows more than you think and she is less shallow than you think. A company that has hit the sweet spot of understanding women and their desires, while maintaining authenticity, is Dove and their “Real Beauty” campaign.

Dove could easily take the superficial route, praying on women’s fear of getting cellulite and wrinkles. However, some genius in their marketing department had a crazy notion. To not tell the people they want buying their products that they are ugly. Instead of scaring them into purchasing they have established a reputation as a brand that cares about their customer.

Their most recent video is a perfect example of this and women are loving it. In the three minute piece we are introduced to a forensic artist who begins sketching women based on their own descriptions (without seeing them). We hear snippets of their accounts such as, “I have a pretty big forehead.” Next he draws them based on descriptions of people they just met.

The most heartfelt moments are when the women are shown both sketches. The drawings based on the others’ descriptions are beautiful and resemble their true appearance almost eerily while the versions they described themselves are distorted and cartoonish. It’s a revelation for the women in the video as well the ones watching it. It ends simply with “You are more beautiful than you think” then, finally, a Dove logo. There is not one product placement and it’s the first and last appearance of their logo.

This is how you establish credibility. This is how you continually develop a brand that is respected and revered. This is how you get customers for life.