Debbie Laskey's Blog: Let's Celebrate International Women's Day with A Timely Brand Experience

Sunday, March 8, 2026

Let's Celebrate International Women's Day with A Timely Brand Experience

Today, March 8th, is an important day. It's "International Women's Day," a global holiday celebrated annually to commemorate the cultural, political, and socio-economic achievements of women. To celebrate today's significance, I'd like to share a timely brand experience designed specifically for women, and I hope today's post inspires you to advocate for gender equality everyday!

First, a little history (or HERstory). International Women’s Day grew out of the labor movement to become a recognized annual day by the United Nations. The seeds were planted in 1908 when 15,000 women marched through New York City demanding shorter work hours, better pay, and the right to vote. First celebrated in 1909 in New York City as "Women's Day," Clara Zetkin posed the idea for the day to become internationally recognized in 1910. The holiday was celebrated in 1911 by over a million people in Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland; and the United Nations adopted International Women's Day as a global holiday in 1977.

According to the United Nations, “Women of the world want and deserve an equal future free from stigma, stereotypes, and violence, a future that’s sustainable, peaceful, with equal rights, and opportunities for all. To get there, the world needs women at every table where decisions are being made.”

And now, the timely brand experience designed specifically for women:

According to Will Ford, general manager of Ford Performance and great-great-grandson of Ford Motor Company founder Henry Ford, "When we made the decision to re-introduce the Ford Bronco, we knew we had to differentiate ourselves from the competition. We saw an opportunity for building a Bronco community, but we also saw an opportunity for education. A lot of the people we talked to said they liked the idea of off-roading, but the first hurdle is that they don't know where to start. They don't have friends in the community to show them the ropes. And they didn't have a place to learn safely or responsibly. Bronco Off-Roadeo could be all of those things.

We've welcomed over 65,000 people since opening our first locations in 2021, and over 26,000 of those were guests that came with Bronco owners. Half of the guests had never owned a Ford product before. That makes Bronco Off-Roadeo their first real experience with the Ford brand, and in a lot of cases, it keeps them coming back. Since 2022, around 4.3 percent of Bronco Off-Roadeo guests have bought a Ford product after their visit — everything from Bronco and Bronco Sport to F-Series, Super Duty, and Maverick."

The Ford Bronco Off-Roadeo is an immersive off-road driving experience designed for new Bronco owners, though non-owners can purchase a half-day adventure. The experience is guided by experts and teaches skills for driving in various terrains at five locations around the United States: Moab's Red Cliffs Lodge (Utah), Las Vegas' Mt. Potosi (Nevada), Gilford's Gunstock Mountain (New Hampshire), Maryville's Great Smoky Mountains (Tennessee), and Horseshoe Bay's Grey Wolf Ranch (Texas).

According to A Girl's Guide to Cars, "Girls-only has long been a precious space — in classrooms, gyms, clubs and other places — that allows women to let down their guard, find their voice, and develop confidence. Women-only can be a great strategy for women to learn in male-dominated fields. But often, women find themselves to be the only girl, feeling intimidated, pressured, alone. Off-roading can be one of these places. Even though women buy a lot of off-road capable SUVs, many don’t know how to use the systems and capabilities. Luckily, there are places where women can learn, including the Ford Bronco Off-Roadeo, and now, on select days each year, the Ladies-Only Off-Roadeo."

Without a doubt, Ford leadership analyzed its target audience and made adjustments in order to welcome a previously-ignored segment of the market so that women would be offered the same brand experience as men. In fact, Newsweek named Ford Motor Company as its "2025 Marketing Disruptor of the Year" because the Bronco Off-Roadeo does more than turn attendees into Bronco fans, it makes them into actual Ford customers.

Ford has demonstrated its dedicated to women customers and fans. What can your brand learn from Ford's example, not just today on International Women's Day, but everyday?