Rethinking Brand Safety: Why Women Matter in Advertising

Marketers face a daunting challenge, how to engage female audiences in a brand-safe environment amidst a chaotic news cycle and pressing social issues. Traditional brand safety measures often lead advertisers to shy away from controversial topics, inadvertently missing out on opportunities to connect with women on issues that matter most to them. This can be addressed.

Reproductive rights, childcare, wage disparity, and paid family leave, are only a few of the key issues for women, who are seeking solutions to these pressing issues. Brands that signal support to women’s issues can win in the long run. According to the Skimm’s State of Women study with The Harris Poll, millennial women overwhelmingly value brands that speak honestly about current realities and actively strive to improve women's lives. However, the conventional brand safety playbook often steers advertisers away from these crucial conversations. By rethinking brand safety approaches, advertisers can better position themselves to resonate with female audiences, which appear to be more and more progressive among younger audiences.

One massively powerful avenue and toolset advertisers and the brand safety community may want to pursue more intently, is AI. Magic Studio, part of Canvas' collection of AI-powered tools, represents a significant step towards leveraging AI for positive change. By centralizing AI capabilities, Magic Studio aims to democratize design and ensure accessibility, safety, and inclusivity. Canva's commitment to building equitable and bias-free AI tools reflects a broader shift towards responsible marketing and harnessing AI to empower diverse communities. As AI continues to evolve, its potential to enhance accessibility and inclusivity in design becomes increasingly apparent, aligning with Canva's mission to make design accessible to all.

As countries worldwide move to regulate AI, concerns over the reliability and ethical implications of AI-powered tools have come to the forefront. India's recent tightening of regulations for social media companies underscores the importance of ensuring AI tools do not compromise the integrity of critical processes such as elections. The evolving AI landscape requires platforms to prioritize safety and trust, emphasizing the need for responsible AI development and deployment.

Progressive brand safety requires a paradigm shift that recognizes the importance of engaging diverse audiences, particularly women, on issues that resonate with them. By embracing authenticity, transparency, and responsible AI development, brands can foster meaningful connections with female and other intersectional audiences and contribute to positive societal change. It's time for advertisers to challenge the status quo and seize the opportunity to truly connect with their audience.