Women, Marketers & WomanMood

FCB Ulka is out with the third edition of its women centric study WomanMood. WomanMood III has been conducted on a much broader spectrum vis-à-vis the previous two WomanMood studies. It has created a new framework with development of seven key paradigms: a. Her self, her roles, her spaces, b. Her wishes, her worries, her adaptability, c. Her money matters, d. Her shopping, e. Her health and grooming, f. Her societal persona, g. Her dark side.

Interestingly, the study has been helmed by three women: Kavita Gadkari – Strategic Planning Consultant, Arthi Basak – General Manager, Strategic Planning, Interface Communications and Ruta Patel – Head Strategic Planning, FCB Ulka Mumbai.

The study, as per Arthi, would bring great value to marketers. She explains, “FCB Ulka’s 15 year journey on WomanMood brings out the broad strokes on the most organic changes that define the Indian Woman and set her firmly apart. Women represent the largest market opportunity for brands. Despite women’s dominant buying power many companies continue to market mostly to men, or women - through the eyes of men! Our aim is to show the changing role of the woman and how she needs to be addressed by marketers today.”

The study encompasses Tier 1 and 2 towns in India using its dynamic Mind & Mood™ technique. It was conducted among women from SEC A and B: 18-24 (unmarried), 25-34 years (single or married, with or without children, working or non-working), and 35-50 years (married with older children). As for the methodology adopted: 25 Mind and Mood Workshops and 18 In-Home Women Interactions in the cities of Jaipur, Meerut, Nagpur, Ranchi, Jodhpur, Vijaywada, Madurai, and Coimbatore.

As to why the study was conducted in tier1 and tier2 towns, Arthi says, “Our idea of taking this study to Tier1/ Tier 2 towns was to get a pan-India perspective of the Indian woman. There were not many studies available on giving marketers a pan India understanding of women. Our hypotheses initially suggested that women in these towns would be a step behind the women in metros. But our findings showed that in spite of the shortcomings around her the women in Tier1/2 towns had the same attitudes, behaviour and aspirations as that of her metro counterpart.”

WOMANMOOD III: Immersion and Insights

Paradigm 1: HER SELF, HER ROLES, HER SPACES
The woman today is feeling better about herself and what she can manage for her family. She is a lot clearer about her own identity within her family and external groups. She has incorporated the rest of the family whether her husband, children or even in-laws into providing a new meaning to her entity and role within the family.
She is now well aware of a life beyond her. Her ‘me-time’ often revolves around her friends, some shopping and her hobbies.

Paradigm 2: HER WISHES, HER WORRIES, HER ADAPTABILITY
Educating her children well is her strongest desire. Educational milestones like 10+2, graduation are now considered the basic minimum and only when it is upward from here can she dream of a glorious future for her children.

The unequivocal intent for women to work across all age groups is impressive. This mind-set was not necessarily from a financial standpoint but rather from the ability to partake in important family decisions and a sense of power in her role.

She yearns for a happy marriage but is well aware that it may not be the end all! However when it comes to raising her child she takes over the role form being a mother to a mentor, caretaker, teacher, friend, disciplinarian, advisor ...and the list could well be endless. When it comes to her children...she knows best!

Paradigm 3: HER MONEY MATTERS
Her husband controls the purse strings yet she budgets, manages and quite often negotiates for more money towards necessary expenses. In a way, it may seem like the husband is plainly speaking the ‘money making machine’ while she herself may well be the ‘employer’! She prides herself at being able to manage her limited funds prudently and managing to sneak in a ‘savings’ at the end of the week or month.

Paradigm 4: HER SHOPPING HABITS

Beauty & Personal Care:
The Indian woman now seems to want to look her best! While cosmetics and deodorants were discussed very excitedly although mostly impulse purchases, women seem to follow no particular daily beauty regimes.

Food:
She is the ONLY decision maker when it comes to her kitchen. Her mother-in-law, husband and children are now the influencers. She knows ‘food at home’ is an important event of her daily routine and a time of bringing the family together. She is willing to innovate to create that excitement for her kids and the family. While the taste of food will be her masterstroke, nutrition is now also a key element in her cooking.

Automotive:
The 2-wheeler is her most reliable, personal self-ride carriage. Whether young or old, married or single…there is a 2-wheeler in every home. Affordability, convenience of ride especially for short distances from point-to-point with the added benefit of having multiple users in every household, makes 2-wheelers the preferred choice. They are concerned about the safety on roads with their children as pillions and therefore restrict their movement on 2 wheelers. The need for a 4-wheeler seems distant and unnecessary for their current lifestyles.

Technology: Mobiles, Internet & Online Shopping
Mobile telephone usage is entirely functional however WHATSAPP is really their playing field. It’s all about instant chat, jokes, videos and group chats.
When it comes to Internet usage, they are wary of their usage and it therefore becomes need-based. It’s always referred to as a mechanism that is important for more formal and official interactions therefore not essential for their personal use. Their older children sometimes are their conduits while surfing the internet for information.

The younger women hold ‘online shopping’ flags high! Clothes, footwear and cosmetics are often searched and compared…books occasionally.

Durables & White Goods:
They actively participate in home furnishing decisions. New curtains, tapestry, paint, layout changes and furniture are decisions they lead. This is in spite of her husband allocating the budgets and finally approving.
They keenly participate in decisions regarding the purchase of white goods – refrigerators, washing machines and ACs as well. And in fact, her kitchen appliances fall entirely in her domain – mixer grinders, cooking stoves, pressure cookers and pots and pans are all her own decisions. The purchase of these essentials is mostly managed out of her monthly savings or her kitty funds.

Paradigm 5: HER HEALTH & GROOMING
It is safe to say that keeping fit and healthy is not a top priority for women unless there is medical attention required. Our woman today also seems to fight a losing battle to convince her husband about keeping fit with regular exercise. So she keeps a check through the food she cooks for the family. Their kid’s health is paramount with mentions of nutritious, home cooked meals.
Women quite candidly speak about the importance of looking your best especially in public forums. But believe being thin and ‘model-like’ is not for real women like themselves!

Paradigm 6: HER SOCIETAL PERSONA
She strives to keep a respectable image for herself and her family. She wants to be socially visible at gatherings – weddings, temple visits, community functions to underline the togetherness of her family. This according to her is a measure of having a successful family life.
Social networking is by far the most popular hangout with younger women and stokes some curiosity from the not-so-young as well.

Paradigm 7: HER DARK SIDE
Recent happenings in the country have made her resilient and have pushed her to a point where she would like to take these issues on safety very seriously. Her bolder persona helps her rationalize on why she needs to be more alert on the crassness of issues people and particularly women are subject to in our country.

In the same meter, she takes vicarious pleasure even through her entertainment… it’s no longer bouquets for the ‘Saas bahu’ sagas. Those seem passé now with ‘Reality Shows’ doing the trick to win her chuckle!

In sum, our woman today faces daily challenges like she has never experienced before. Not just the world around her, but she also has her share of personal trials and self goals to identify and conquer. FCB Ulka’s 15 year journey on WomanMood brings out the most organic changes that define the Indian Woman:

• From someone who believed that she had a tough and at times unfair life to now a far more assertive member of the family
• From seeing the man as the head to of the family to defining a clear and more relevant role for herself as the emotional anchor of the home
• From looking down on working women to today viewing working as a necessity
• From making her family and kids the sole dimension of her life to a more holistic belief system where she does not feel guilty about demanding her own space and time