JOYCE-ANN GATSOULIS WROTE:
>>Remember David Ogilvy's famous line "The
>>consumer is not a moron; she's your wife."
TO WHICH LAURA HOOVLER REPLIED:
> This is a particularly sexist and insulting statement to be
> proliferating. I would hope that we've at least come to a
> time when attitudes like this might still be thought, but
> are not stated.
Yes, in today's climate, a line like this may be perceived
as sexist.
But those of us who've been doing media planning for a while
remember when the female 18-49 demo was the end-all, be-all
demographic for advertising. It's still the most
demonstrative demographic in advertising (just read your
'Media Week' once in a while) against which several billions
of dollars worth of media continue to run to this day. P&G
was built by, and continues to thrive by, advertising to the
"wife." Mediamark Research Inc. still differentiates
between 'respondent' and 'head of household.' Nielsen still
has a specific demographic for 'working women' versus simply
'women.' It permeates the industry. Sometimes there are
stereotypes not because a perception is false but because a
pattern is true.
And I think before we summon the thought police, it behooves
us to remember the words of Voltaire: "I disagree with every
word you say, but I will fight to the death for your right
to say them."
Jim Meskauskas
Media Manager
Mediasmith
jimm_at_mediasmithinc.com
555 De Haro
Suite 360
San Francisco, CA 94107
Phone: 415-252-9339
Fax: 415-252-9854
Cell: 510-499-6972
www.mediasmithinc.com
Received on Tue Oct 05 1999 - 21:25:44 CDT
