It's goodbye Mr, as advertisers focus on Mrs

Independent incomes and a wealth of choice means women are taking over the consumer market

International Women's Day may mark the day the world gets together to celebrate womanhood, and address the issues that affect the gender, but for the city's marketing and advertising execs, every day seems to be Women's Day.

Today's women, not only influence household decisions, but also play a pivotal role in charting marketing and advertising strategy for major global brands.

Take the case of 48-year-old Amita Nadkarni, a banker and a shopaholic, who makes most of her purchase decisions based on advertisements on TV or in newspapers.

"Being a working woman, I can go out shopping only on the weekends, so I tend to watch and read all advertisements through the week, so that I know about different products and offers in the city," says Nadkarni. Advertisements help Nadkarni gain an insight into what various products have to offer and how they stack up against one another. It also helps her save time browsing in supermarkets.

Housewife Kanchan Chetty, 49, does not always buy into the alluring copy that can adorn ads, although the look of the ad could sway her. "If the advertisement is attractive and the message is conveyed through clearly, then it does have an effect on me," says Chetty.

Chetty is of the opinion that a product will resonate with women, if it is being marketed by a woman, and specifically targeted at women."

That's a trend advertising execs are quick to latch on to. “Most advertisements are targeted at women, as the advertisers know that there is a heavy cash flow available from that segment,” says adman Prahalad Kakkar, who runs Genesis Film Production. “Women influence market trends and advertisements as they are the ones making most buying decisions today,” adds Kakkar.

For Ashok Karnik, managing director of Bread Communications, however, it is a trend that has been long time coming, but now that it's arrived it's bigger and better than ever. “Women have always been a target audience and at the centre of action, as they are the ones who buy things for the house. Now, a larger number of women are self-reliant, they have the capacity to spend and have the confidence to make their own decisions,” says Karnik.

Karnik feels that even products that were once considered the bastions of the male buyer are tumbling to the power of women: From financial products and automobiles, to mobile phones, women have the capacity to buy what they want.

So what is the reason behind the rise and rise of the female consumer? To Gibson Vedamani, CEO of the Retailers Association of India, the answer is rather simple. Men, he says, simply do not have the patience to shop, and are basically laggards when it comes to trend-spotting. Women, on the other hand influence about 70 to 75 per cent of shopping trends.

“The process of shopping involves five stages, initiator, influencer, decider, buyer and user,” says Vedamani. “In most of these stages women are the ones who take the lead. A man might know what brand to buy, but the colour and other trends, only a woman would know.”

Women are born analysers, and though many men may find that facet of their character tiresome, to the advertiser it's a valuable lesson. According to most experts, women tend to weigh the pros and cons of a product before reaching into their purses. 

“In most Indian families, it is the women who decide what to buy; a fate of a product is determined by women. Women are also useful in publicising the product, as they will talk about it to other women if they like the product,” says Prabhakar Mane, chairman of Apna Bazaar Cooperative.

And if men harbour any delusions that they may one day wrest control of the consumer reins from women, they've got a long wait.

“This trend will not only continue into the future, but women will become more powerful and will definitely continue to dictate market trends,” says Kakkar.

b_ameya@dnaindia.net