An alternative Scalable Capital campaign

The main challenge of creating advertising addressing females is not to make it sound too female.

As a woman who invests, who actively encourages her friends (who are not yet) to invest, who is interested in improving financial literacy and who is also a Scalable Capital client, my attention was drawn to Scalable Capital's latest campaign aimed at women.

Especially to the copyrights with references to a wife and a manicure. But not in the way that it was meant to be.

I find the financial literacy programmes initiated by Scalable Capital clever. It is a smart strategic initiative that creates an expert brand positioning.

However, as for these references.

Typically, the modern independent woman positions herself through a) personality b) profession c) interests. But not through ‘wife’ status. Moreover, the average 35-year-old independent western European woman with spare cash, potentially ready to try investing, is not even married.

For the taste of women in my circle, who are potential broker clients (meet Y. - brand director in crypto start up, I. - business development director in robotics, K. - freelance producer for commercials shooting, U. - sales director in tech, M. - communications director in automotive), referring to the status of a wife, or even more so, to a manicure, is a sloppy handling of stereotypes. It reads as if a woman understands something only in manicure, and therefore she should be addressed through such simplified ‘feminine things’.

The next step is what? A recipe book about a dividend strategy? Let's gossip about stock growth instead of celebrities? Yes, I'm being a bit dramatic, but this is for clarity.

The same rule works here as when addressing some minorities — you should emphasise not their typical ‘minority issues’, but the fact that they are just like the majority, or better. Or if you are offering low prices — you shouldn’t say ‘our products are for the poor’.

A little hint how to check for gender relevance — translate the headlines into masculine terms and test the appeal. ‘Tradinghusband?’ ‘Pump not a barbell, but a stock portfolio?’ A little flat, isn't it?

That said, as a woman, I really liked the Scalable Capital campaign from 2024. It was witty, eye-catching and gender-neutral ;)

So, how else might we reach out women?

This is my spec ad for , the neo-broker I use, which aims to rise awareness about investing (preferably with it) among women.

Note: This is a spec ad and is not intended to infringe on any copyrights. It has not been authorized or commissioned by Scalable Capital and is shared solely as a creative exploration.