The traditional advertising stereotypes of bumbling men and housework-obsessed women no longer resonate with younger consumers according to a new “prosumer” report issued this week by Euro RSCG Toronto.
The report, Gender Shift: Are Women the New Men? is based on a study conducted by Euro RSCG Worldwide, which interviewed 2,500 millennials (people aged 18-25) and 500 Gen Xers/baby boomers (people aged 40-55) in five countries: China, France, India, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The data outlined in the Canadian report is based solely on the responses from people in Western countries.
The study found that today’s Western women are more empowered than at any other time in history. The notion of a “battle of the sexes” is a completely foreign concept, and many young women are less inclined to believe that their rights are a cause to be fought for and are instead increasingly focused on individual achievement and satisfaction.
The findings have significant implications for marketers, said Euro RSCG in the report, noting that millennials’ attitudes towards traditional gender roles and expectations have changed markedly from previous generations.
“Marketers must change right along with each generation, constantly repairing disconnects created over time,” said the report.
One of the key findings, it noted, is that marketers should dispense with the trope of men as incapable buffoons. “Judging from the content of TV commercials and sitcoms, men are a sorry lot,” it said. “It’s a wonder they’re able to brush their teeth without the supervision and assistance of their far more capable wives.
“While the bumbling, skill-deficient guy may be good for a laugh, young people want to see demonstrations of male strength and responsibility.”
Instead, the report urged marketers to consider what it called the “new couples paradigm,” depicting married couples as a successful brand or company and demonstrating how they work together to manage day-to-day responsibilities. “Rather than depicting a dominant/subordinate or capable/incapable scenario, show how each person’s strengths combine to create a stronger whole,” it said.
The report also stressed the importance of eliminating what it called the “culture of pink,” which puts females into a box based around beauty rather than brains or aptitude, and even creates distinct boys’ and girls’ versions of even the most basic products.
Among the “do’s” for marketers is creating advertising that reflects the blurring of gender lines. “Gender distinctions are no longer set in stone,” the report stated. “The NFL is targeting women; men are enjoying herbal wraps at the local day spa. It only makes sense to move away from ‘either/or’ in favour of ‘and.'”
Some marketers like Dolce & Gabbana have already grasped the concept, it said, pointing to the company’s creation of the Anthology fragrance line for men and women that includes five scents intended to reveal a particular side of the wearer’s personality.
In an interesting corollary, however, the report noted that marketers shouldn’t entirely eliminate the notion of “courtliness” from their work. “Just because we’re living in a more egalitarian society doesn’t mean women–and men–don’t value a chivalrous turn,” it said. “Young males and females appreciate those everyday acts of courtesy that create a connection between two strangers–extending a hand to someone who has fallen, offering a seat on the bus, doing some small act that reminds us of our shared humanity and of what really matters in our frantically paced world.”
The complete report can be found here
