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Defense of Masters Thesis: Part I: Findings on Why the Marketing to Women of an Unattainable Ideal is So Successful Part II: What we can do About It: The Social Marketing Challenge By Iris Jumbe Thursday, October 11, 2012 Krems a.d. Donau 1/10 2/19

This presentation will explore: Part I The problem with the current beauty ideal Key findings among women based on thesis research and secondary data Part II How women can reclaim the definition of beauty The 5 Ps: product, place, price, promotion and politics! Takeaway & Conclusion 3/19

Part I: Findings on Why the Marketing to Women of an Unattainable Ideal is So Successful 4/19

The Problem with the Current Beauty Ideal Video

Literature Review The Effectiveness of Traditionally And Realistically Attractive Models In Fashion And Beauty Advertising? Buyology: An Analysis Of Why And How We Buy Beauty and Consumer-Generated Advertising Beauty and Feminism The Beauty Mirage Age and the Pursuit of Beauty The Influence of the Herd How Advertising and the Media Depict Women The Role of Men The Business and Homogenization of Beauty Regulating Cosmetics Advertising Beauty and Race 6/19

Maintaining an attractive appearance through enhancement is a regular and immovable part of womens lives Women get internal and external benefits from beauty As women age, the value of B&PC products takes on a more abstract, but equally important, meaning When some non-white women picture archetypical beauty, they picture women of a race different to their own Race and age affect womens self-image. Self-Image, Habits and Current Memory 7/19

Attitudes There are some very dramatic statistics which show how some women are held hostage by the idea of beauty. Women are fully aware of the unrealistic idea portrayed by advertising and they disagree with digital manipulation This condemnation of manipulation of images does not extend to a change in purchasing behaviors. Most women consider themselves immune to advertising. While women do want more regulation of beauty ads, they do not want the promotion of unrealistic beauty curtailed. 8/19

Motivations, Needs & Values Women use B&PC products to achieve multiple aims They are driven by different factors to start and stop using certain brands There is a gap between expectation of beauty products and satisfaction with it Women still perceive beauty and personal care as a gender-specific domain. The use of TAMs works because it feeds into wish fulfillment. Race and age are the areas where women would like to see more diversity. 9/19

Media B&PC Cos Plastic Surgeon s Fashion Industry Romantic Interests When women perceive beauty, they see through the male gaze Women today are both wary and weary of feminism. Perceptions, Beliefs, Knowledge and The Role of Men 10/19

Whos to Blame? Blame the media. They promote and reinforce unattainable ideals that lower self-satisfaction and can have other harmful psychosocial effects Blame society. The media is only depicting what our tastes are. In the same way that high prices reflect high demand for products and services, unrealistic media portrayals of beauty reflect the consumers own desires. 11/19

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Part II: What we can do About It The Social Marketing Challenge Social Marketing is the application of commercial marketing concepts and tools to influence the voluntary behavior of target audiences to improve their lives or the society of which they are a part. Alan Andreasen, Marketing Professor, McDonough School of Business, Georgetown, /19

Women Must Change The Way They Perceive Beauty! If they are unaware… If they are aware but not doing anything to change… If they are aware but do not want to change… Education Social Marketing Law The exact same product can be viewed in a totally different context – by choice! 14/19 How can this be achieved?

Social Marketing: A Model for Interventions that Facilitate Change What is the health problem? What actions could reduce the problem? POLICY/RULES THAT INFLUENCE THE ACTION Policy, rules, legislation WHO MUST ACT TO RESOLVE PROBLEM WHAT ACTION MUST BE TAKEN Product or Behavior HOW YOU TELL ABT THE WHAT, WHY, WHERE, AND HOW Promotion WHY THEY WANT TO DO IT WHERE (HOW) THEY CAN DO BEHAVIOR Place Social Marketing as a Model for Interventions that Facilitate Change Susan D. Kirby, 1995 Price 15/19

ProductPricePlacePromotionPolitics A greater sense of wellbeing A louder voice in the dialog on beauty A wider diversity of beauty in society Higher confidence and self-esteem for young girls, teenagers and grown women Internal recalibration Narrower range of products No high end brands for a while A feeling of downgrading Every single socialization channel – family, friends, school, media, culture Magazine covers Via a celebritys social media account. Informal discussion at home Group discussion at school At the doctors Point of purchase displays Policies should be put in place that invite voluntary change – not force it. E.g. Schools that initiate and promote healthy lifestyles can get more funding

Anything that emphasizes one specific type of body shape, height, breast size, age, eye color, hair color, hip-to-waist ratio etc. A New Definition of Beauty!

Takeaway and Conclusion Society places too much value on beauty as defined through a single, very limited standard This ideal costs women a lot: economically, emotionally and in terms of physical health Having half a population straining under this single standard has its own socioeconomic costs The change has to start with the consumer – as individuals and as groups