Women that Shoot: The “Suffering” Movement.

The right to vote for women was called the Suffrage Movement and continued for years.  Women involved in the shooting sports are involved similarly in a “suffering movement.”  I believe they suffer from a lack of respect given by too many of us and are intellectually insulted on a daily basis.  I was fortunate enough to be near some women at the SHOT Show in Las Vegas and overheard some interesting dialogue as they walked by some exhibits.  It was like looking at the same pictures with new eyes.  This intelligence was too good not to share.  The women were a good representation from what I have seen in the shooting sports.  They were highly educated professionals and not the “Hooter” girls with guns seen in the ads.  It is time for us to consider some new methods to marketing to women that shoot.

First, let me tell you that these pro-gun women didn’t respond the same way most men did to the medically enhanced models we saw either in posters or in person.  Some things infuriated them that I saw but was indifferent to.  We just take some stuff for granted.  Secondly, I found out that women are not moved by the color pink on a firearm.  Despite the penchant for manufacturers to create such choices, it’s for men who don’t know any better.  It is cute for your daughter but might insult your wife.  Sex still sells, but one size doesn’t fit all.  Women are not moved to buy things from the same primal emotions that capture a man’s attention.  Failure to change how we market could not only lose a sale, but our future.

Gun rights advocates have started to embrace different cultures and look to grow our firearms legacy, but we are still acting like we did when it was just one homogeneous group involved.  This makes it easy for anti-gun people to paint us as Neanderthals, and keep us divided.  Firearms instructors and retailers have to really be careful with this as all of us are ambassadors to the gun culture.  Our actions and practices affect generations to come.  Although we are products of our environments, and take “stuff” from our teachers, we have to be careful to evolve personally when we present to the public.

And lastly; I am not so enlightened that I have always said or done the right thing when working with women, but I plan to do better.  I ask that you do too.  I’ll talk more about this sex thing in my normal offbeat way on episode 155 of The Urban Shooter Podcast.

This week also on Episode 155:

• Interview with the ultimate coat company’s Chris Cronin of Kitanica.net
• “Overpriced Crap”
• the new USP App is cool
• And whatever feels right.

Thanks for listening.

Kenn Blanchard

www.urbanshooterpodcast.com