Learning from Bus Buddhists
In psychological terms, context is almost everything. Much as we like to think that we know how we will act and react in a given situation, without the richness of...
When it comes to observing consumer behaviour, or any aspect of human behaviour, there is an important tip you would do well to keep in mind. The process of observation needs to be as detached and objective as possible.
It’s also worth remembering that you will learn the most when your presence as an observer isn’t something the people you’re observing are aware of: “I’ve just come here to watch, you carry on as normal” is not going to work.
You’ve just raised the question of what “normal” is and virtually guaranteed that someone is going to be consciously aware of their own actions.
Yesterday I had a fascinating insight into sexist behaviour. You know the sort of thing, putting women down, not treating them as equals, pushing people into gender stereotypes. It can get you a little cross can’t it.
Who was guilty of this? Would you be surprised if I said a group of middle-aged men? Probably not, that’s just one of those things you’ve come to expect.
Oh, I nearly didn’t mention, some boys too.
Oh yes, and some girls.
And some women. Ranging in age from twenty-somethings to ladies in their seventies. Including one who is a social worker.
In fact, everybody in the room was at it. It was like a convention for sexism. Except, in fact, it was the annual draw for Wimbledon tennis tickets.
Each club that’s affiliated to the Lawn Tennis Association receives an allocation of tickets for the championships. Members of the club were there to watch the draw to decide who would get a ticket. The earlier your name came out the sooner you got to choose which day of the tennis you would attend.
So the choice people made was a good indication of what they wanted to watch. What was first to go? Centre Court tickets on men’s final day, of course.
What was last to go? Any day the men weren’t playing (ladies’ quarter finals, semi finals and even the ladies’ final).
So whilst the organising bodies in women’s tennis have achieved equal pay in the main tournaments, it seems that the tennis-watching public isn’t seeing things as being equal. Of course, if you asked the ladies present if the prize money should be equal, they wouldn’t hesitate to say “yes”. But what people say, and what they reveal through their behaviour are rarely the same thing.
Whilst this was going on I was sitting next to a lady with a baby, just five or six weeks old. On three occasions she had cause to go up to the board where the choice of tickets was displayed and, on each occasion, she passed the infant to someone to hold.
She always passed it to another woman. She never asked me. Nor did she ask any of the other fathers in the room.
Was this all sexist behaviour? I’m pretty sure it was.
You see, despite what we like to tell ourselves about what we think, our behaviour will give us away.
Our unconscious works ahead of our “nice to have” conscious notions, to find the safest route for us to pursue.
To be honest, the chance of a woman knowing what to do with a baby are much greater than a man; it’s not guaranteed, but it’s a safer bet.
And tennis elitism is a male preserve; fewer errors, better movement, higher quality (this is all statistically verifiable); not that that matters. People know what they’d rather watch: a first round men’s match featuring a great male player, than a grand slam final featuring two of the best female players.
So if you make sure those conscious pretentions don’t get in the way – your own value judgments and those of the people you’re interested in – you may be surprised (or disappointed) by what you see.
But however you feel about it, it is the way things are. You can try and fight it or you can recognise it and tailor your marketing accordingly.
For example, if you put a mixed sex group of people in a room to watch a TV programme, and asked a lady to start the DVD player, but fixed it so that it wouldn’t work, who do you think she would turn to? Would she look at one of the other women or one of the men when she realised she needed help with something technical?
Trust me, I know plenty of very technically competent women and, for the record, my golf teacher is a woman, but I’m fairly sure most of the time the person would look towards a man. So if you’re putting a voice-over on your TV ad for an electronics product or retailer, does the choice of a female voice make sense? I suspect not.
It’s a shame that we should have to choose between pragmatism and idealistic values, but I would never recommend to one of my clients that they embrace the latter over the former.
Philip Graves
I would rather see the women’s final than any early round mens match esp with Sharapova playing…
But I would choose men’s finals, semis, quarters before women’s finals. I just think that watching the top men play each other is amazing. Last year’s final was one for the ages…
We made the pilgrimage to Wimbledon a few years ago, and they were just underway on the roof, this year it will be ready for the Tournament.
when are you going?
Seize the Day,
Rob
Sales Expert For Small Business Owners
Personal Asset Protection For Small Business Owners
That is a lot to chew on. My head is spinning.
Bob Kaufer
Z Health For Life
We see women on the cover of men’s magazines and women on the cover of women’s magazines. Almost never men. What does this tell you?
Christian Haller
Good Food Fast & Easy
Healthy Italian Recipes
Christian brings up a very good point, and it’s true.
Lynn Lane
Success Strategies For Life
Success Today
Fascinating information on what consumer behviour reveals about sexism.
Pam
Invest in Your Future
I find it funny that you label anything that isn’t equal “sexism”, as though any situation where one sex is more popular than the other in somehow unnatural. In the Olympics I prefer women’s gymnastics but find the WNBA exceedingly boring.
This is just the way the world works and is reality. In some sports or other activity people prefer to watch one sex compete over the other sex. Probably human nature since it’s been going on since the beginning of time.
Steve Chambers, The Sales Expert
The Sales Eagle Solution – 12 months to dominate your market
i get your point. my clients are about 98% female. one of my surveys ask of my clients given the choice between a man or a woman of identical skills, which would they prefer to put shoes on their horses. 92% indicated they would prefer a male.
Don Shepherd
Central Oregon Camphiker
Hi Phil,
Ive been to the last couple of Australian open finals and I have to say that I watched a couple of the womens semi finals and then the mens and there was daylight between the entertainment values of both!
I can’t see why women in tennis are paid the same as the don’t generate anywhere near as much revenue as the males do and its all about ROI in my book
Duane
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@Steve Chambers
I take your point, and in some ways it is the point I’m wanting to make; on the other hand the rationale put forward for paying equal prize money is that men and women should be treated with equality; the implication is that not doing so is gender bias (another way of saying sexism).
I should probably have put the word sexism in quotes.
Philip
Phil,
We should not mix up “equality” with “sameness”.
Out of 10 people attending my FREE intro on Pure Numerology (Understanding Personality for Better Influence & Persuasion), only 2 are male, the rest are female. I’ve been briefed by an insider that it’s predominantly female who are interested in “intuitive science.”
John Ho
Numerology Expert Helps Understanding Personality for Better Influence & Persuasion (WordPress Blog)
Numerology Expert Daily Numeroscope (Vox Blog)
Numerology Expert Helps Understanding Personality for Better Influence & Persuasion (Money Page)
I watch big name women’s tennis, but I don’t watch much elite male tennis. I find the women’s tennis more entertaining. Also, I like women’s Olympic gymnastics much more than men’s gymnastics. As for basketball and other sports, I watch the men’s versions. I agree with Steve’s point that this type of “sexism” is just the way the world works and is reality.
Health, Fitness — Darryl Pace
Fitness Product Review
Putting sexism in quotes would have been of little help. There are just differences and when there are differences, there are preferences. It is when we get too attached to what these differences and preferences mean that we cause problems. We should look into and question everything at some point but there isn’t always a need for a conclusion. This are what they are as they are.
Anthony
http://www.anthonylemme.com
The Most Powerful Personal Growth and Mind Develpment Tool on Earth
What a thought provoking post.
Gender bias is a very interesting subject. You’ve given me a lot to think about.
JJ Jalopy,
Coaching Mentoring Expert JJ Jalopy
How to become a coach with JJ Jalopy
Indeed, I admire how you demonstrate your points with WHAT behaviour people actual DO. Actions are quite telling.
Interestingly enough that is part of what is so useful in the Grief Recovery Institute’s process where I lead seminars. It is an ACTION program which enables grievers to complete their emotional pain. We don’t just think about it. It is a slow gentle sequence of action steps.
The proof is in the pudding, indeed. And the raquet!
Best regards,
April Braswell
Boomer Dating Expert, Relationship Success Coach
Widow Support and Bereavement Counseling Outreach Workshop Henderson, NV, Nevada, Las Vegas