Gender has a major impact on the household, whether in terms of aesthetics, demands or roles acquired by its residents. However, as gender roles and characteristics evolve, predicting or assuming household behavioral patterns based on gender becomes a difficult proposition. Euromonitor’s newly released Strategy Briefing – Households and Gender – aims to identify the major shifts in gender within the household and their impact on brands, marketing and overall demographics. By analysing the impact of changing male and female consumers on the home, with gender-based case studies and statistics, this Strategy Briefing sheds light on the evolution of the modern household.
The female breadwinner
The proportion of female household heads globally is growing, as are female disposable incomes. This is creating a newly-empowered generation of female consumers in the household. While women have traditionally controlled purchasing decisions in the home, they are also now becoming the dominant earner in the household, increasing their appeal as a consumer even more.
The increasingly influential role of the female, both within the household and as a consumer, is encouraging brands traditionally aimed at men to approach women. Marketers are moving beyond the typical female empowerment image and speaking to women as women.
The new male domain
Men are becoming more involved in the home than ever before, as gender roles blur. The adoption of grooming trends have translated into demand for “male spaces” in the bedroom and bathroom, while male aesthetics are becoming more apparent in kitchen designs. Numerous household product lines have intelligently targeted the “male aesthetic”, including high-end kitchen knives like the Global G series, smart-home services like Control4, and furniture manufacturers such as La-Z-Boy.
Marketing that plays up to gender can be very powerful, but it can also backfire if used in a patronising or stereotypical way. Brands must be careful, as consumers do not necessarily want to be reminded of the gender separations in their environment.