Over the past couple of months, while supporting many clients in creating success with innovative New Media efforts, by helping them reach out to their target audience, a good chunk of what we do is RESEARCH on the CONSUMER BEHAVIOR.
Now obviously, I am not suggesting that we work only for products. But to create success with any client, we have to understand the target segment in a much deeper manner. Many a times, interact with the same if need be.
The Female Consumer
One of the interesting insights emerging overtime has been that of the female consumer. Now at very stage of her life a woman is a consumer of products/ services, like every other human. But specifically if we focus on the age group between, 18-35, these are the mot active consumer segment.
The Other Day at The Market
I was at Lajpat nagar, one of the biggest and the most crowded markets in New Delhi. Standing in front of a shop, I witnessed a pattern. Right parallel to where I was standing was a shop with a dingy staircase which led to a small shop on the first floor.
To attract customers, (the ladies) this shopkeeper, had two guys standing downstairs, shouting at the top of their voices, jeans – denims, tops, madam please aaiye, ekdum naya stock hai (madam please come and visit us, we’v got all new stock with us)! And i noticed many women just went past, without paying much heed to this guy!
Suddenly this group of almost around 12 ladies came and this guy shouted the same words, and they went past, only to return back, when this guy shouted again, Madam sab SALE mei hai (madam, we’v got an attractive sale). And suddenly there was a whole group of 12 ladies walking upstairs.
Now obviously I looked at the guy shouting and we both smiled across, understanding each other’s mind.
What Does SALE does to a Woman?
I went across to almost majorly all women I know and did an impromptu study as to how the word SALE changes the decision making behavior of a lady in the mentioned age group. And I was astonished to see it, almost all women react the same way to the word SALE.
The SALES CYCLE
To understand the SALES CYCLE:
- upon hearing the word SALE, majorly all women, immediately get interested
- even if they have enough of it, they may still consider stocking up the good, just that it is under SALE
- many women, also believed that this SALE concept, is just for eyes and actually has no relevance, but still they said, they get so interested when they hear the mention
Interestingly SALE as a word has a common perceptive level effect on women who then go through respective sales cycles in their minds, while making the purchase.
As influential the female buyer is becoming, with the new generation being in a way led by women, the purchasing patterns of a family are going to largely depend upon how the leading lady decides. Corporate hence have to align themselves with the thought while creating products which are to suffice the mentioned target audience.
