Values and Consumer Behavior
Over the years, there has been a massive shift in gender roles and masculinity in the United States. Women have seen an increasing role in the workforce, and many have become the breadwinners of the household. Therefore, the society as a whole saw a decline in masculinity with men assuming roles that were once reserved for Women, such as with stay-at-home dads. This change in societal values effects consumer behavior significantly.
Companies have realized this shift in society to a more balanced representation of the species, and are introducing new ideas to their marketing strategies. Traditional products that were once reserved for a particular gender are now being used for the opposite sex. We will analyze some of the ads, such as Dannon Yogurt targeting men, Mariachi Beer targeting women, and Tide Detergent targeting men.
Gender-Based Marketing
Traditionally and historically, the United States has been a masculine society, but there is a shift taking place (Mothersbaugh, 2015). In a few years, we could be seeing a much more balanced representation of genders in all aspects of society. This change does not go unseen by marketers, and they have reflected these changes in advertisements throughout the years.
As our values begin to change, so do our consuming habits (Consumer Behavior), which is why it is important for marketers to understand where the change in values is trending (Mothersbaugh, 2015). There is no doubt that gender-roles in the United States have been slowly changing, so let’s take a look at some advertisements that are reflecting this change.
Dannon Yogurt Men Ad
In the past, yogurt has always been targeting women as being a low-fat snack, but Dannon Yogurt began targeting men with a creative campaign that spun the product in another way. Instead of focusing on the low-fat aspect of Yogurt, the brand started focusing on the high-protein found in Yogurt, which we can see in the example ad below (Buss, 2013).
Source: BrandChannel.com
Men are becoming more health conscious, yet want to maintain their masculinity. Protein is one way to speak to a man, since it can be related to grilling, and that protein is an important contributor to maintaining muscle mass.
Mariachi Women Beer Ad
Beer ads are primarily geared towards men. However, there have been some brands that have been targeting women to increase their consumer base and increase revenue. A beer brand out of Mexico, named Mariachi has taken a unique, yet direct approach to marketing to women (Sandu, 2017).
Source: designyourway.com
The ad clearly depicts women enjoying Mariachi Beer while dancing at a party. We also see a lady carrying the beer in a gun holster with shot glasses in place of bullets. Guns and bullets have traditionally been associated with men, so this departure from the norm reflects that change in values seen in society.
Tide Detergent Men Ad
According to Mothersbaugh (2015), the results of a 2008 Gallop poll showed that 68% of respondents said that the wife does the laundry. But since the rise of women being the breadwinner of the household, man men have decided to become stay-at-home dads or stay-at-home fathers (SAHF) to focus on raising the children and doing the housework (Kane, 2015). According to Kane (2015), 16% of all at-home parents are SAHFs, and this a trend that could continue to rise. Tide has responded to this change in values with a TV advertisement. A still from the video can be seen below.
Source: CBSNEWS.com
The ad wanted to break the stereotype that doing and folding laundry is only for women, and it did an excellent job of doing so. There will be a lot more ads of this type targeting the SAHF since they will be a growing group that can be marketed to.
The change in values of society clearly change consumer behavior and buying patterns. When it comes to gender-roles and the changing dynamics of the American household, marketers are taking advantage of these change and have changed their marketing strategies to reflect those changes. Dannon Yogurt changed their strategy to appeal to a male audience, while Mariachi Beer decided to focus on women beer drinkers. Tide, on the other hand, pre-empted a rising trend in stay-at-home fathers and began communicating with them early on.
