Year 12s: what will be the first way you research your future options? >>

Burger King's stupid "pink tax" ad.

Burger King recently did its competitors a favour with this gem of an ad highlighting the supposed "pink tax" on women consumers. The like to dislike ratio speaks for itself: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rtHmSfYDbs

The women's chicken fries are $3.09 vs the regular price of $1.69. This is supposed to protest the fact women's products sometimes cost more than men's.

Except women's products are often different, both physically and in their ingredients. On top of that, male and female consumers also behave differently. Women obviously have a higher willingness to pay for certain products, whereas male consumers have a lower willingness to pay. The price of a product is typically determined by market forces such as supply and demand, and it all comes down to profit at the end of the day. It makes no sense for companies to collectively miss out on billions each year by not also charging men higher prices for fancier products. Anyhow, if some of these products really are the same, there is literally nothing stopping women from buying the cheaper versions.

Different products marketed to different consumers sometimes cost different prices. It's basic economics. Could this "pink tax" myth just die already?

Reply 1

Just my opinion

30 to 1 dislikes on the video.

Any gap in price between two exact same products where the more expensive one just happens to be pink is a stupidity tax.

It would be interesting to see the gender wage gap for Burger King.
Any body know how to do this

(edited 5 years ago)

Reply 2

Dez

There's a certain irony when a multinational corporation stages a protest against capitalistic practices. Or there would be, if the whole thing wasn't obviously just a massive (and poorly thought-out) marketing stunt.

Reply 3

username521617

Original post by Dez

Poorly thought out would be an understatement. I think businesses are generally safer avoiding things like social commentary and politics in the first place.

They might try to blame the horrendous like-dislike ratio on "Alt-right trolls" however.

Reply 4

Just my opinion

Audi did one showing a young girl winning a box car race and how she is worth as much as a boy, only for their gender wage gap to come out showing they were as bad as any in the industry.
Cue Audi PR department spluttering...yeh but no but....yeh but...