Making the decision about what demographic your messaging will reach should be your number one priority. You may choose to speak to a broad demographic in a one-size-fits-all campaign, or a smaller niche audience in a more targeted campaign. Either way, it's important to leave the door open to new prospective buyers who are not part of your original target.
Harmful Omission
If you decide to create a campaign that will identify with a specific demographic, be mindful of the audience you're omitting--you could potentially do more harm than good. In 2011, Dr. Pepper created the "Not for Women" ad campaign that focused solely on cornering the male market in an attempt to promote the Dr. Pepper TEN diet drink. The advertisement featured displays of masculinity and red-blooded aggression, and mocked femininity with phrases like, "You can keep the romantic comedies and lady drinks. We're good." On the social media side, the Dr. Pepper TEN Facebook page was viewable only by male audiences, featuring the Dr. Pepper TEN "Man'Ments" (a play on the "Ten Commandments") and shooting games to destroy feminine products.
The campaign's results were less than satisfactory. Not only did it exclude and anger female consumers, but also made some men feel self-conscious about their decision to purchase, resulting in low sales. Taking flack for being overtly sexist, Dr. Pepper received numerous petitions to remove the advertising campaign.
A campaign targeting a specific gender can potentially offend the demographic it was meant for even more than the one it was not. An example of this is the "BIC for Her" pen campaign of 2012. The campaign touted pastel-colored, aesthetically pleasing pens and promised women an "elegant design--just for her!" Thanks mostly to social media, the campaign caused quite a stir, and both men and women took to Amazon.com to post snarky, sarcastic reviews on the BIC for Her product page, playing up portrayals of women as helpless and/or brainless, who need pens specifically designed for their dainty hands.
The Right Way
Niche marketing can be tricky--especially where gender-based marketing is concerned--but it's not impossible. Heineken was able to successfully market to their intended male audience without angering hordes of female beer drinkers with the "Walk-In Fridge" campaign. The campaign may have been geared toward men, but it did not exclude women. In fact, the commercial initially seems to be targeting women until halfway through when it suddenly shows men giddily screaming at the sight of a walk-in beer cellar. The ad got its point across in a humorous way, which consumers of both genders can appreciate.
