Women
were traditionally viewed as a very passive customer
group who had little or no say in most matters. They
were, thus, not associated with the more serious functions
like decision-making. But after World War II, businesses
attempted to create a predictable market out of the
growing families. The ideologies of `breadwinning
fathers', new ways in which children were being viewed
and raised, and the notions of women as `stay-at-home-mothers',
were being reconsidered. The new market focused on
women as primary consumers and the need of the day
was to promote the `cult of domesticity' in order
to sell their products. However, this promotion required
a certain number of women to enter the professional
sphere in order to sell and teach women the task of
making a home and the science of consumption. This
is the juncture of time that we presently are at.
Today's
`woman' has really redefined herself and is starkly
incomparable with the rigid and dogmatic perceptions
of a woman that many clung on to. Unlike in the earlier
times, today, women are educated, sometimes more educated
than their male counterparts. She is more independent
(most important financially) therefore she has grown
to the stature of a `buyer' from that of a `user'.
Today, most societies are made up of nuclear families
where, most probably, the woman (mother) of the house
is employed. Most families are thus double income
earning entities. In addition, there's also a substantial
growth of singles who may be employed or unemployed
individuals (males or females). This clearly indicates
that the composition of the buyers' market is changing
on various lines. This composition change has lot
to do with the dynamics of marketing, advertising
and more importantly consumer behavior. |
