Customer Understanding

www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwrK-foCTa

Gender Ads was begun a number of years ago to provide gender studies educators and students with a resource for analysing the advertising images that relate to gender. Its founder, Dr. Scott A. Lukas, had produced a PowerPoint that focused on gender and advertising, and because students had requested copies of the presentation, he decided to produce a website to host the images and interpretations. Since the PowerPoint was produced with 100 images, the website has grown to over 2,500 advertising images, and it is one of the largest collections of gender-related advertising materials on the Internet. Dr. Lukas has used his website to connect with other gender studies educators, and he frequently responds to interpretive requests from scholars and students throughout the world. He has served on the Ratings Advisory group of the national advocacy organization Dads & Daughters and has presented his website to national audiences, including the National Women Studies Association.



The Surface Meaning

The advertisement consists of a muscular male standing in his underwear with a nude female positioned on a bed wearing no clothes.

The Advertiser's Intended Meaning

The advertiser is trying to point out the comfort of the particular underwear and that the brand can be worn in different settings, they are lightweight, and unlike any other underwear on the market. As a product, the underwear will "benefit" men.

The Cultural or Ideological Meaning

The specific use of the phrase "for the benefit of mankind" connotes a number of ideological meanings. At one level, the phrase (as well as the composition) speaks to the constructions of patriarchy in U.S. culture. Men are typically the ones who "benefit" from popular. As well, the use of "mankind" suggests the superiority of males in society. The visual composition and poses of the two figures also speaks to the dominance of males over females. Another meaning is that of male sexuality and the notion that women are presented to serve men, sexually and in other respects. The advertiser will also benefit from the association of male virility and the specific product being sold in the ad.

1. Men are obsessed with sex but will forego sex in order to watch football or drink beer.

2. Women are locked in a constant battle with their weight/body shape/hairstyle.

3. Career success is entirely based on your ability to impress your boss.

4. Mums are often harassed but NEVER depressed/unable to cope.

5. Any act of male stupidity (e.g. walking across a clean floor in muddy boots, putting the dog in the dishwasher, etc.) will be met with a wry smile, not genuine annoyance/anger.

6. Married men will flirt with other, younger women but NEVER act upon it.

7. Anyone with a scientific career will have a bad haircut and dreadful clothes.

8. If you work for the emergency services, you are a better person than the general population.

9. Elderly relatives NEVER suffer from senile dementia.

10. Scandinavians are, without exception, blonde and beautiful.

11. Women have jobs they never do in real life, e.g. dockworker (who looks like a model).

12. Children will not eat fruit or vegetables. Ever.

13. Both men and women find driving deeply pleasurable, never boring or stressful.

14. Men are inherently lazy/slobbish; women are the reverse.

15. Chocolate, however, will cause women to immediately fall into the languor of the opium eater.

16. High Street bank staff are (A) friends of the customers, and (B) of slightly above-average attractiveness (only if female).

17. Modern men own a cat.

18. Hot beverages have miraculous rejuvenating effects.

19. Professional people have strangely trivial preoccupations, e.g. a female barrister who is morbidly obsessed with finding a healthy snack bar.

20. All women (except stay-at-home housewives) have interesting and enjoyable careers.

21. Any over-the-counter medical product will work instantly and 100% effectively.

22. Children know more than adults.

23. Women never merely hop in and out of the shower, instead preferring to act out some sort of soapy Dance of the Seven Veils.

24. School is a happy experience for all children.

25. Tortilla chips are the most exciting experience any group of young people can experience.

26. Playing bingo is THE number one pastime among 18-25 year old British women.

Male vs Female

The study of differences and similarities between women and men is compelling for both its personal and its political implications. Issues of femininity and masculinity are emphasised strongly in our culture and can be important aspects of individual identity and self concept.

To help society address men and women as ‘male’ or ‘female’, there are certain principals underpinning our understanding of these two specific words. Apart from the obvious physical appearance, certain attributes are associated with males and females that group individuals into one or the other gender.



The above table illustrates the summary of stereotypical ‘male’ and ‘female’ traits. It is very clear to see that both genders are of opposite characters; for example males are seen to be brave, who are more independent and confident where as females are seen as cowards, who dependent on others (such as a male partner) and do not have the confidence that males demonstrate.
The labels female and male carry powerful associations. Advertisers use the information the labels provide to guide their behaviour toward other people and to interpret their behaviour toward themselves. Sex or gender stereotypes are socially shared beliefs that certain qualities can be assigned to individuals based on their membership in the female or male half of the human race (Lips, 2005).

People adjust their stereotypes of women and men by taking into consideration the roles they occupy: If women tend to be in roles that demand nurturing behaviour and men taking charge, observers will assume that women and men have the qualities required for such roles.

Psychologists have become increasingly aware that physical appearance is a critical aspect of stereotyping. In terms of gender stereotypes, physical appearance may have strong implications for how masculine or feminine a person is thought to be. Although physical appearance is important in both males and females, beauty is generally defined as peculiarly feminine attribute and preoccupation with one’s appearance is seen as part of the feminine stereotype (Ivy & Backlund, 2004).
Stereotypical masculinity, too, is reflected in physical appearance particularly in strength. As Lips (2005) has pointed out, Rostker claims that men are not immune to concerns about how their bodies will be judged – perhaps because concern with one’s appearance is supposed to be a feminine quality – it seems less acceptable for them to talk about it. Perhaps this is due to the fact that the products advertised are aimed at target male and target female audiences, thus resulting in a higher level of specificity in gender-portrayed roles.

Gender Targeting

Research conducted in the 1970’s laid out the basic aspects of the advertising portrayals of both men and women. According to Craig (1997), overall, men were portrayed as more autonomous than women, with men portrayed in many different occupations as compared to women being shown as housewives and mothers. Men were far more likely to advertise alcohol, vehicles, or business products while women were found mostly in advertisements for domestic products. Men were far more likely to be shown outdoors or in business settings while women were shown primarily in domestic settings.

Recent studies suggest some changes such as significant declines in portrayals of men’s traditional roles such as husband, father and athlete. For example, a qualitative analysis of 40 beer adverts found a very strong relationship between drinking and stereotypical view of masculinity (Craig, 1997). In contrast, women are viewed as a mere audience for male activities. Men who are sensitive, thoughtful, gay or complex are not present in beer advertisements. While the gender stereotyping had decreased slightly, men still are more likely to be depicted in themes of sex appeal, as career- oriented, and in activities and life outside the home.

Although more and more men are becoming self-conscious, it seems their concern is not to look attractive to society or specifically to the opposite gender, but mainly to be fit, active and healthy for their own benefit. Therefore advertisers use this to their advantage and create certain needs and wants according to the behaviour and expectations of society. Advertisers abuse these needs and wants from men and women by playing on their weaknesses such as beauty and lack of self-confidence in women and manipulate messages to influence the decision making process.
Gendering enables advertisers the ease of breaking down target consumers. It helps to eliminate the undesired group(s) instantly therefore efficient in terms of time as, ‘time is money’. This is also due to the differences in how members of each gender perceive themselves and how they want to be perceived by the members of their own and the opposite gender (Batchelor, 2003). These particular beliefs are played on by advertisers which increase motivational impulses and when triggered, can influence purchasing power (Batchelor, 2003).

Adverts for the same products, which focus on different genders, seem to be similar on paper (or wherever they may be seen) but in fact, there are significant differences. Adverts present messages tailored to fit the beliefs and values of the target audience to persuade its reader.

REFS:
Lips, H.M. (2005). Sex and Gender: An Introduction (5^th Edition). New York: McGraw-Hill.