Quote from Percy

Men and women are completely different when it comes to shopping. Take grocery shopping for instance. A woman knows how to shop for groceries. She makes a list of the things she needs, and then goes to the store and buys these things. Simple.

And many other things she didn’t list and doesn’t need and didn’t know she wanted until she saw it ‘on special’. She frowns a great deal while grocery shopping.

She will carry a handbag full of shoppa-dockets that take 2c off. She will search for small signs telling her that this or that is reduced. If a voice in the air announces that there is 4c off bananas she will stampede to the other end of the building with two hundred other women. She will FIGHT over a friggin' banana!

She will do this anything up to seven times a week.


A single man does not shop on a frequent basis. He waits until the only items left in his refrigerator are an opened can of tonic and a hairy unknown object with evident intentions to crawl away. Then he goes grocery shopping.

It is quite fun for most chaps. He gets to walk around with a trolly and pick and choose without interuption. He can perve on women. Even chat them up. There are always plenty to choose from, but most are in a bad mood. He likes to watch stampeding women but only from behind the frozen food chest.

A man buys things that looks good, most of the time just reading that much off the package or tin to ensure that it's edible. Some of the things he buys are not used and /or later rot or attract weevils.

She ‘hates’ grocery shopping and wants him to do it instead.

Her hatred often leads to coercing him into shopping against his will, and using threats of explosion.

It's a funny thing, Percy.
If you gave a man and a woman identical shopping lists and you timed them (without letting on to them of the situation) to see how long it took each of them to get to the check-out, I'd imagine the results would be rather telling.

One thing a lot of people don't realise is that supermarkets in a given area or even country are invariably all set out the same.

However,
I always take a shopping list with me, not doing so, has often meant me going back to get the essential things I forgot in the first place.
And I always stick to the list, I don't as a rule tend to eat junk food, so I'm never really tempted by all the chocolate and other rubbish they stack around the check-outs.

Quote from Marx

What got my attention in this advert is HOW it was put forward - the company, Boots, have done something that takes real big balls in our current trend.

They acknowledge that - and even question why - women get ALL the good stuff.


OK, so ultimately it's only a sales pitch, but to dare have the audacity to say it in the manner they have chosen, that is just risky - as they're a cosmetics, pharmacutical (sp) and baby-care highstreet shop; their target audience has always been women - never men.

Men will show if they like it with their wallets. If this campaign won't be successful, then stop whining. As someone who is studying marketing, you campaign based on what sells. I wouldn't market anything for men, unless they're going to buy it because of the presentation in that way. It's common sense, really.

Most of you aren't fooled, I'm sure. Those "great products" are a monumental waste of money- and they don't work anyway.

Astute, Tera, this is unquestionably true. I happen to work in this area myself and could tell you much. I should note though when I say I work in this area I mean what I sell/import/provide are natural or simpler alternative products, treatments, etc. to provide the same general effect as many of these beauty products. There is a strict caveat however in that I won't lie, nothing short of surgery is going to make you look 'ten years younger', but there are things, cosmetic things, which will make your skin softer, healthier, etc. These can have a notable effect on your appearance, I won't deny the standard cosmetics do work in this fashion but long term use can lead to skin damage, they are also far too expensive. These natural alternatives are getting very popular. I got into the market at a very good time, just when the trend was beginning so that I had a somewhat established presence, and business, by the time it peaked; from then on it's been gravy.

What got my attention in this advert is HOW it was put forward - the company, Boots, have done something that takes real big balls in our current trend.
They acknowledge that - and even question why - women get ALL the good stuff.
OK, so ultimately it's only a sales pitch, but to dare have the audacity to say it in the manner they have chosen, that is just risky - as they're a cosmetics, pharmaceutical (sp) and baby-care high street shop; their target audience has always been women - never men.

I agree Marx, it's bucking the trend in many ways and on the face of it, it's a positive thing. But there is a negative side to it also in that this industry is very exploitative, it damages peoples self-confidence and preys on their fears and hopes for money; I wish it were something women did not have to put up with though in many ways; they bring it upon themselves, nevertheless, I can understand the mechanism which causes this to happen and frown no less upon the industry for exploiting that part of human nature which makes us act out of step with our best interests. This has been something men have long been resistant to, but will men, to, in time come to suffer the same under the pernicious influence of this industry?

In the end, the problems the women suffer as a result of this industry are their own responsibility. They must deal with it themselves; I encourage them too, but it is nobody else’s fault, or problem. The same will be true of men, let us hope they have the maturity and responsibility for it to never become an issue in the first place. Until then I say bring on the choice and I applaud any company which actively markets to men in this female-dominated marketplace.

Yes, it is risky. As I told Tera, I work in this area myself. I have a 'men's space' in most of my stores, with various products, vouchers and services which, in my mind, might appeal to men (I use some of these things myself) and these things do sell. Not many men enter my stores, but women often buy these things (presumably for men) also some of the services I offer are not strictly 'cosmetic' (different types of massage and other natural therapies) so it is hardly risky to be gender neutral when marketing these things. Nevertheless I have added and subtracted various products to the men's space over time but the whole men's space in full is such a little thing that any loss it incurs is hardly tragic on my part, but see it as a macrocosm. If I was running a multi-billion dollar cosmetics empire; my tiny 'men's space' would be a much bigger affair with each failing product meaning the loss of large volumes of money, and even the loss of jobs.

This explains the rarity of such gestures.

Men will show if they like it with their wallets. If this campaign won't be successful, then stop whining. As someone who is studying marketing, you campaign based on what sells. I wouldn't market anything for men, unless they're going to buy it because of the presentation in that way. It's common sense, really.

I don't think anyone is 'whining' as you say. And as someone who knows marketing, someone who's been heavily involved in retail for many years, with a long background in imports, retail and wholesale I will give you this piece of advice; you say, for one, you are 'studying' marketing, which to me infers your studies are not yet complete, this makes sense to me as you appear to neglect a vital element of the marketing ethos. I will tell you, though no doubt others will also before your education is complete, and no doubt they will phrase it better and more holistically.

Campaigning based on what sells is only part of the story; playing conservatively and minimizing risk is an important element of business, of course, but in the end if anything new is to be done (apply regression to this to understand that by anything new I mean anything at all) good marketing must allow for the creation of new markets and the penetration of new demographics, there is always an element of risk here, but if one balances well between selling within established markets and the penetration of new ones he risk can be minimized to an acceptable level and offset by vital growth.

Advertisers rarely aim adverts at men. Even cars are aimed at women these days. Houses are advertised in supplements awash with primary colours to attract woman and use as little word description as possible. No home ad ever tells you about the electrical wiring or the water heating or even the friggin' rates.

This is true. Sometimes it can be quite frustrating when an advertisement furnishes you with no real information about the product. Many companies have lost my business this way. I don't know if you've noticed, either, Percy, but being that you're from Australia too perhaps this will strike a chord with you (we can be sure any difference is not due to international qualities but perhaps more down to personal perception) but do you perceive how PC advertisements are being subtly changed, and indeed have been changed over the last few years to gradually lean away from simply stating the specs of the computer in question, until now where they tend to minimize the focus on the specs (usually only telling you the monitor size, processor and amount of ram) with large notices about various irrelevant features such as colours, bundled software, etc. Does this seem to you to be their attempt to target women?

What she likes is 'shopping' shopping.

A woman ‘loves’ going ‘shopping’ shopping to the Mall, usually with her girlfriends.

It is, to her, recreation. She spends all day there trying every single dress, blouse, shoe or hat on, and giggling around racks of underwear, and then returns home without buying a single thing, because, 'They didn't have a sale on today'.

Heh, I must admit I actually enjoy this kind of shopping. Though, I will say I'm not bothered about sales and I rarely go out without buying something, I mean I might go out to buy some new clothes, but seeing nothing suitable I'll have lunch out instead. Nor do I go out if there isn't something I want or need, or at least something I wish to examine.

Quote from dad_savage

Astute, Tera, this is unquestionably true. I happen to work in this area myself and could tell you much. I should note though when I say I work in this area I mean what I sell/import/provide are natural or simpler alternative products, treatments, etc. to provide the same general effect as many of these beauty products. There is a strict caveat however in that I won't lie, nothing short of surgery is going to make you look 'ten years younger', but there are things, cosmetic things, which will make your skin softer, healthier, etc. These can have a notable effect on your appearance, I won't deny the standard cosmetics do work in this fashion but long term use can lead to skin damage, they are also far too expensive. These natural alternatives are getting very popular. I got into the market at a very good time, just when the trend was beginning so that I had a somewhat established presence, and business, by the time it peaked; from then on it's been gravy.



I agree Marx, it's bucking the trend in many ways and on the face of it, it's a positive thing. But there is a negative side to it also in that this industry is very exploitative, it damages peoples self-confidence and preys on their fears and hopes for money; I wish it were something women did not have to put up with though in many ways; they bring it upon themselves, nevertheless, I can understand the mechanism which causes this to happen and frown no less upon the industry for exploiting that part of human nature which makes us act out of step with our best interests. This has been something men have long been resistant to, but will men, to, in time come to suffer the same under the pernicious influence of this industry?

In the end, the problems the women suffer as a result of this industry are their own responsibility. They must deal with it themselves; I encourage them too, but it is nobody else’s fault, or problem. The same will be true of men, let us hope they have the maturity and responsibility for it to never become an issue in the first place. Until then I say bring on the choice and I applaud any company which actively markets to men in this female-dominated marketplace.

Yes, it is risky. As I told Tera, I work in this area myself. I have a 'men's space' in most of my stores, with various products, vouchers and services which, in my mind, might appeal to men (I use some of these things myself) and these things do sell. Not many men enter my stores, but women often buy these things (presumably for men) also some of the services I offer are not strictly 'cosmetic' (different types of massage and other natural therapies) so it is hardly risky to be gender neutral when marketing these things. Nevertheless I have added and subtracted various products to the men's space over time but the whole men's space in full is such a little thing that any loss it incurs is hardly tragic on my part, but see it as a macrocosm. If I was running a multi-billion dollar cosmetics empire; my tiny 'men's space' would be a much bigger affair with each failing product meaning the loss of large volumes of money, and even the loss of jobs.

This explains the rarity of such gestures.



I don't think anyone is 'whining' as you say. And as someone who knows marketing, someone who's been heavily involved in retail for many years, with a long background in imports, retail and wholesale I will give you this piece of advice; you say, for one, you are 'studying' marketing, which to me infers your studies are not yet complete, this makes sense to me as you appear to neglect a vital element of the marketing ethos. I will tell you, though no doubt others will also before your education is complete, and no doubt they will phrase it better and more holistically.

Campaigning based on what sells is only part of the story; playing conservatively and minimizing risk is an important element of business, of course, but in the end if anything new is to be done (apply regression to this to understand that by anything new I mean anything at all) good marketing must allow for the creation of new markets and the penetration of new demographics, there is always an element of risk here, but if one balances well between selling within established markets and the penetration of new ones he risk can be minimized to an acceptable level and offset by vital growth.




This is true. Sometimes it can be quite frustrating when an advertisement furnishes you with no real information about the product. Many companies have lost my business this way. I don't know if you've noticed, either, Percy, but being that you're from Australia too perhaps this will strike a chord with you (we can be sure any difference is not due to international qualities but perhaps more down to personal perception) but do you perceive how PC advertisements are being subtly changed, and indeed have been changed over the last few years to gradually lean away from simply stating the specs of the computer in question, until now where they tend to minimize the focus on the specs (usually only telling you the monitor size, processor and amount of ram) with large notices about various irrelevant features such as colours, bundled software, etc. Does this seem to you to be their attempt to target women?



Heh, I must admit I actually enjoy this kind of shopping. Though, I will say I'm not bothered about sales and I rarely go out without buying something, I mean I might go out to buy some new clothes, but seeing nothing suitable I'll have lunch out instead. Nor do I go out if there isn't something I want or need, or at least something I wish to examine.

I would be nice if men didn't earn more money while women spend more. Just look at engagment rings. Thousands which the man could have spent on a tv, vacation, computer, jet skis etc but is just wasted.

lmao@computer ads ignoring specs. The great thing about our PC is that it comes in GREEN! Go buy now!