Real You: “Ladies” you can ride, look pretty, but you cannot drive

Posted on | July 18, 2008 |

I must confess, until my lease expired two weeks ago, I drove a Mercedes SUV. The big one. I called him Doug (the license tag assigned to me was DUG 487, thus the nickname). Doug and I had a fairly good relationship, as far as cars and I go. His front and rear sensors were a bit sensitive, but I can appreciate that in a car. But then, suddenly, his lease was up and it was time for us to part.

Dare I say that I, like most women (yes I’m overgeneralizing) drive cars we like to get ourselves and the people we love from place to place. So, when Doug’s departure date arrived, I hadn’t given a thought to the next car. I am busy. Doug’s busy. He was especially busy as the Mercedes sales guy from the dealership took him away.

Carless (don’t tell my 16 year old I borrowed his car, he’s in camp), I began to pay attention to ads on television, specifically Mercedes’ as those were my people. I liked the Summer Love Event spots. At first. They were different. No cars racing down roads. Good. People enjoying themselves at a summer fair or carnival, artsy treatments. But the more I saw the spots, the more it became apparent something was missing.

Not one of the spots portrays a woman driving a Mercedes. (If I missed that spot, please tell me Mercedes.) Sure, in the SUV family of cars ad the dutiful wife sits in the front passenger seat, two kids in rear as husband drives down waterlog ride. C class? Couple plays games but then the shot is quickly to a man driving a car as if he is in the mini-races. The E class spot? A couple are very romantic, and then they jump into his car to have him drive her through the tunnel of love.

“Ladies and Gentlemen”, is how the Mercedes spots begin. But really, I guess it’s just the gentlemen.

At least, now, driving my Lexus SUV I know where I stand right away. Just ask ‘Joslin’ Jim Sloyan, the spokesMAN and voice of Lexus who takes a fast ride, in the new fast car from this brand and tries to read the script. It’s cute. Another twist on a car going fast with a man driving.

I know the automobile industry is having trouble, like many industries. But I also know, if you paid a little more attention to the images - and really A+ for creativity Mercedes, just D- for your inability to show an empowered woman - you might find yourself the one car company who is doing well. Specifically, doing well with women the number one consumer.

And then, maybe, I would love my car. But hurry. As Mercedes says, “the Summer Love Event” is only through July 31st.

Check back next Friday for another Real You column.

Kaira Sturdivant Rouda is the creator of Real Living, the first women-focused real estate brand. She has more than 20 years of experience marketing to women and is the author of Real You Incorporated: 8 Essentials for Women Entrepreneurs. To learn more, visit www.RealYouIncorporated.com and join the community.

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