NORTH CAROLINA: Here is a study that should send warning signals to advertisers targetting women. The fairer sex is likely to be put off by products whose TVCs portray them in an unrealistic manner.

Frank About Women, a strategic consultancy dedicated to helping worldwide companies harness the loyalty and purchasing power of women, has released the results of a survey conducted in the US that indicate women are consciously avoiding brands that unrealistically portray images of women in their advertising.

Appealing or Appalling: Images of Women in
Advertising offers an eye opening perspective on how women view images in advertising. Frank About Women MD Carrie McCarment says," Unlike many of the images we see today, a woman's life cannot be airbrushed. Overwhelmingly, women are willing to make purchasing decisions based on the images used in advertising. Ads portraying women who have digitally perfected physiques or who lead seemingly carefree lives are not resonating with many female consumers. Our study found that companies whose advertising portrays the depth and variety of women's lives in a realistic way, meaning images of women actually doing jobs and chores versus posed pictures of women who may or may not be participating in the activity, will be rewarded."

Highlights from the survey include

Show Reality: The single greatest finding from the survey is that women are looking for more images that reflect today's reality in advertisements, rather than those that appear unnatural, unbelievable or unattainable. Many surveys have suggested that women want to see a part of themselves in advertising images,
which they will perceive as a marketer's attempt to understand them as unique individuals. This survey, however, reveals that women are consciously avoiding brands that unrealistically glamourise women or portray their relationships with friends, family and co-workers in an idealised way. Women clearly reward marketers who understand how to portray women, their lifestyles, friends and families as diverse and varied as they truly are today.

Reflect the variety of women's lives: Overall, women crave variety in how women are portrayed in advertising and will reward marketers who understand this. Hence, advertisers who present diverse, reality-based images that reflect professionalism and ageing garnered the most positive responses.

Age gracefully and actively: The study indicates there is a shift occurring in women's perceptions in regard to the ageing process. According to respondents, traditional models of elderly, frail matriarchs are giving way to ones of active and healthy older women, women participating in life rather than sitting on the sidelines.