Used car ads can be agile and effective, and some even go viral because of their intelligence, but others lose their brand.
Some are so wrong that they deviate towards sexism and misogyny.
Enter driving by ladies: For decades, the term has come to mean that a car has been “driven smoothly.”
Today, many consider it an old-fashioned term.
Sarah Pelletier, born in Sudbury, Ont., Who lives in Ottawa, was consulting the used vehicle section of the Kijiji online marketplace in the Greater Sudbury area, curious about prices and availability.
Her search showed dozens of ads, and some of them frustrated her.
He posted the following tweet, saying it made her “angry for so many reasons.”
What about the people (in northern Ontario, specifically) who post used cars for sale in Kijiji with “driven by a lady” in the description !? This makes me angry for so many reasons.
– @ sfpelletier1
In a post-CBC News email, Pelletier said: “This language has been put under my skin because driving cannot and should not be considered gender.
“The act of driving, adhering to the rules of the road, paying attention to obstructions, are not skills, traits or qualities inherent in a particular genre, but may derive from the way in which one can teach the people to drive differently and have different expectations imposed by their gender or how they present themselves “.
The term also focuses on women and men, leaving people of different genders out of the conversation.
“Clear is the new smart”
CBC contacted the four Kijiji billboards that Pelletier tweeted about and asked them about the condition of their vehicles and what they meant by the term women-driven.
Two of the four ignored the message.
Sarah Pelletier was frustrated after seeing the term “lady-driven” appear in her search for used vehicles in Kijiji. Pelletier, who was born in Sudbury and now lives in Ottawa, believes he is a sexist, old-fashioned and outspoken and non-binary. (Submitted by Sarah Pelletier)
However, the third party replied, “Sorry to write the statement in this way,” and explained the condition of the vehicle. And the four posters said that for them, “lady-driven” means, “Grandma never went on all fours with him on bushes or drag races.”
Half of the listings are still in place.
So, is the term an effective marketing strategy?
Not really, according to one expert, according to experts.
“As we move forward, we learn and grow as a society, this term [lady-driven] “It may not necessarily be right for some people,” said Jean Beauchemin, a business professor at Cambrian College in Sudbury. “I would suggest that you get to know your customer base and really get involved in these discussions, and this could help you build long – term partnerships.
“Clear is the new smart.”
Beauchemin said the strength of the product outweighs the tricks when it comes to making a sale.
Undo myths about women drivers
There are two conflicting myths surrounding women drivers: they are kinder to their vehicles than men and they are bad drivers.
It doesn’t matter when a mechanic pulls out the hood.
Jean Beauchemin, a professor at Cambrian College, says that while “lady-driven” may have been an effective marketing term years ago, it is no longer widely accepted. Instead, he says, the new smart is clear. (Submitted by Jean Beauchemin)
Stefanie Bruinsma, an automotive service technician in Kitchener, Ontario, said that relating gender to the type of shape a vehicle has or its suitability for certain people is “ridiculous.”
“It’s not even right. So, above all, it makes me laugh and a little sad that we’re still here,” said Bruinsma, who is part of the Waterloo Center for Automotive Research at the University of Waterloo, where he is a committed manager with the industry.
Bruinsma runs a business called Auto Cate, which aims to educate vehicle owners to prevent them from being scammed at a car dealership.
Her 72-year-old mother recently had a car accident with her Toyota Matrix. Bruinsma said that while her mother was feeling well, she complained of a sore knee pain after her legs crashed into the board on impact.
Bruinsma’s mother was driving with the adjustable seat all the way forward to reach the accelerator and brake pedals and to see the control panel. Their injuries are common in women who have suffered a collision.
“When engineers design the interior, all the functions around the car in terms of how high the engine should be for an average person and how they get in and out of the car, how you should make the seat for the car. The average height and weight of a person, all these limitations and numbers are based on the average male body, “Bruinsma said.
“Which literally means cars aren’t built for the average woman or the average human being. So, statistically, women are more injured in car accidents.”
The high and low of it
In addition to being more prone to collision injuries, people of shorter stature face inconvenience and driving challenges, even when it comes to otherwise mundane actions such as braking and accelerating.
One of Bruinsma’s friends, a small woman, complained to her about how much she hated driving. When asked why, he told Bruinsma that he had to physically lift his foot and move it to the brake pedal, then back to the accelerator pedal.
“One, she’s exhausting her poor leg muscles, and second, she’d be 100% more of a bewildered driver,” Bruinsma said.
The size of the friend, of course, was not taken into account when designing the vehicle.
The alternative action for someone taller is to keep their foot on a pedal and pivot on their ankle, as that person’s feet are larger and their legs longer.
Bruinsma herself is high for a woman and she hadn’t even thought that the lower people had to find a solution.
The lady impulse does not encompass the issues surrounding smaller drivers, such as design, safety, and sudden acceleration.
It may not even help sell the car, experts say.
As Beauchemin said: there is no need to resort to tricks or agile but inaccurate language; just be transparent.
LISTENING | Up North producer Bridget Yard talks to host Jonathan Pinto about the term ladies-driven:
North9:20 A deep dive into the term “lady-driven”
You see it in all Kijiji car ads: lady driven. It purports to convey that the vehicle in question was being driven smoothly, but has sexist implications. Up North producer Bridget Yard was intrigued after reading a tweet about the term and investigated. He talked to host Jonathan Pinto about what he found.