It’s no earth-shattering statement, nor is it a flattering commentary on our society: ads featuring attractive, provocative women have a proven track record selling everything from cars to beer to men’s fragrances to hokey get rich quick real estate plans, advertised on hilarious late night TV ads in the 80′s.
But can it sell Business Intelligence software?
Should it?
There is a video ad that seems to think so, which I stumbled upon via a fellow WordPress blogsite “Integrate the Clouds.”
The ad in question is here (SFW):
“I know what you’re thinking,” says as the attractive model as she dives in a pool. Well, as a husband and father of two teenage daughters, I was thinking about the SAP BusinessObjects ad marketing team’s assumption that IT decision makers are all men (and that this ad is the right way to market to them).
In that light, the ad is a sobering reminder of how few women choose to pursue computer science degrees and careers in technology. Indeed, only about 9% of all CIOs are female.
That said, why would any company risk alientating 9% of its market? Carve the BI/DW market up based on verticals, namely higher education, with women occupying about 25% of CIO posts, and suddenly this ad is risking irking a quarter of that particular vertical.
