I saw some recent happenings regarding the Mkt team been unable to reach the female audience, despite the possible efforts to do so. I would like to make a few suggestions to maybe turn your task more successful.
When you do some sort of action aimed to support the female audience, please don’t. Try to make your advertising gender neutral. For example, the fact that you have a t-shirt size for women is very cool, I don’t like neither use men size t-shirts. But you could just shrink the t-shirt instead changing the slogan. If you think about it, your male audience probably will feel affected by the fact that they are using “Linux for Ladies”. And as surprising as that can be, women would like to be treated just normal. We would love to be also the “human beings” that supposable, Ubuntu is for.
Maybe it is hard for you care about “such a tiny insignificant issue“, as the “even some wives” episode on the Ubuntu Weekly News were defined. But you know, there is 51 to 52% of the Earth population that you not been very successful to reach – women. If you claim the Ubuntu project is doing right a lot of things that other projects may doing wrong, you could try to make this one right too. The percentage of women in FOSS community is ridiculous 2% – how about making this number bigger? The brave women on the community that stick using FOSS despite all those episodes may have a huge piece in teaching you how to reach that audience. You should listen to them more often.
Update: they promised to create other with the same logo. I wish they also burn all the “for Ladies” ones, or at least no one buy it 😀
Prezado time de Ubuntu Marketing
Tenho observado alguns episódios relacionados ao time de Marketing, nos quais o time não tem sido muito bem sucedido em atingir o público feminino, apesar dos aparentes esforços. Eu gostaria de fazer algumas sugestões para quem sabe tornar sua tarefa mais produtiva.
Quando vocês pensarem em fazer algum tipo de ação direcionada ao público feminino, por favor não o façam. Tentem fazer sua publicidade sem apelo de gênero. Por exemplo, o fato de que vocês fizeram camisetas babylook é sensacional, eu não gosto nem uso camisetas de tamanhos masculinos. Mas se vocês pudessem apenas encolher a camiseta sem mudar o slogan, seria melhor ainda. Se vocês pensarem bem, provavelmente seu público masculino pode não se sentir a vontade de saber que está usando um “Linux para Damas“. E embora possa parecer chocante, mulheres em geral gostariam de ser tratadas normalmente. Nós adorariamos também ser os “seres humanos” que supostamente, o Ubuntu é para.
Talvez seja difícil para vocês se importarem com um detalhe tão insignificante, como o episódio de “e até algumas esposas” na newsletter semanal foi definido. Mas sabe, existe 51 a 52% da população mundial que vocês não estão conseguindo alcançar – as mulheres. Se vocês gostam de definir o Ubuntu como um projeto que está fazendo certo o que talvez outras distros não estejam, vocês poderiam tentar fazer isto certo também. A porcentagem de mulheres envolvidas em projetos FOSS é de ridiculos 2% – que tal tentar melhorar isto? As corajosas mulheres na comunidade que permanecem nela apesar de todos estes episódios talvez tenham um grande papel em auxiliar-los sobre como alcançar esta audiência. Vocês deveriam ouvi-las mais vezes.
Sulamita Garcia 
I thought that king of things only happend here, in Brasil, but seems to be global.
Women of world, my apologies. If I would explain why men do these things I would need much more space than available here.
To men that will read this post, consider differences between gender only in specific cases, never about capabilities. They can do anything they want.
Ah, let me guess, that t-shirt, is it pink? 😉
I (female) am always really happy, when there’s a girlie-shirt, but wouldn’t want a special ‘setting appart’-motive either.
If the t-shirt was pink, I would not even comment. I would thought that was a silly cliche, but whatever. But instead of the “Linux for Human Beings” slogan, which we all were used to, they put “Linux for Ladies”.
But they promised to create other with the same logo. I wish they also burn all the “for Ladies” ones, or at least no one buy it 😀
It’s really bad that they changed their slogans for Linux for Ladies, not only because some idiots wouldnt like to use a Linux “for ladies” like you said, but also because it gives the impression that they really see men and women different… IMHO, they should do the t-shirts with the slogan “Linux for Human Beings”, but also keep the ones with the slogan “Linux for Ladies” ;D I dont know why you girls didnt liked… It’s kinda cute and classy ;D Oh, like you said… Pink is really becaming a cliché. But not only pink, black too ;D All of Linux t-shirts I have seen are black… ;P
Completely agree, Sulamita. I was really embarrassed when I saw these for sale in the new web store.
I think this particular t-shirt was targeted at men buying geeky clothes for their significant other. I doubt any women actually got one for themselves.