Most people think that since men are mostly the bread earners and women mostly look after the household, it must be men who take most of the purchase decisions. Or at least that's what advertisers think, these days. Why then are advertisement targeted towards men in general? Quite often I see ads with scantily or inappropriately dressed pretty females promoting a product, where her attire has nothing to do with it. Have you seen real women using a washing machine in her undergarments? Have you ever seen housewives owning million dollar homes ever enjoy and even get a kick out of cleaning their floor and furniture with a vacuum cleaner? Do they even do it themselves? Do you really think women will get so turned on by your Deo that they'll smother you or even get laid?



I don't think so, and neither should you. I'm not trying to say that women don't appreciate other beautiful women, if that's what you're getting at. Neither am I saying that females shouldn't be included in ads. But such lurid and senseless use of pretty girls does not appeal to the sense of the average woman, so to speak. They're not so foolish to see through the misfit. Women have a sharper eyed critic of their sex then men. They recognize true beauty when they see it – they don't fall for the artificial doll types, unlike men. Sadly, advertisers spend very little time, money and attention to analyze the average woman. More often than not, they make quaint efforts by asking their wives or their female employees. They don't bother to learn about their problems and their point of view. Either he fictionises her, or endows her with qualifications that appeal to his interest.

Surprising statistics:

Women buy 74% of the total family merchandise. Out of this, 52% is selected without seeking advice from their partners! Of the balance 22%, they have an important voice. At least 60% of automobiles are bought with the approval of women. Here's more: Women actually buy 40% of men's clothing! Out of this, 25% is in collaboration with their men, while the rest 15% she buys without their intervention! So what is the real way to find out about the typical average woman for your particular advertising proposition?

The answer is to make a survey. You first select the women who are of the kind that you deal or hope to deal with, and then you have a statistically sound basis on which to construct your picture of the typical woman for your purposes. By carefully seeing to it that you select a proper proportion of all kinds of women who are included in your typical customer list, you avoid a defective picture. The women should be selected from all levels of wealth that you expect to appeal to; from all geographical points you expect to reach; from all sizes of towns and types of living conditions you cater to. They must, in other words, be good “samples.”

Once you have this data, you need to move fast. This is because there are radical changes in the wealth and social changes of people, especially women. These rapid changes will tend to make your data outdated, if not used on time. It then becomes a very boring and expensive task to revise the data and trash the old one, if you're not taking its advantage on time.