Marketing & Women

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-03-2006
Marketing & Women
12
Thu, 06-22-2006 - 2:24pm
I just had a conversation with one of our receptionists where I work and it intrigued me to get some responses. She told me she would have more confidence in herself if she had bigger breasts. I told her, that there was nothing wrong with her and she is very beautiful. Then I said if you had bigger breasts, then you would find something else. Sure enough, then she said she had some cellulite. She said don't guys want women like those in the magazines. So I told her those women airbrushed, made up, et.c and they are not real. I understand that marketing can be psychological and I believe that some marketers play on the insecurities of others to sell a product. But do most women fall into that trap of comparing theirself to these women in magazines? I really hadn't thought about this much until I had this conversation.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 09-06-2005
Thu, 06-22-2006 - 3:10pm

Good question!
Yes, I believe most women fall into the trap of comparing themselves to women in magazines. We're all human and those women on magazines and tv have their flaws also. They're just blessed with great make up artists.

I happen to be happy with the way I look. I would not get any breasts augmentation or anything else that I feel would make me more appealing to men. Being happy with ones appearance exudes self confidence all the way!

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-19-2006
Thu, 06-22-2006 - 3:18pm
I would say that women who know they have flaws (we all have them. I hate my feet) but are still comfortable with themselves are more confident. I would gather that women who constantly compare themselves to unattainable magazines or who feel their life is lacking because of that flaw, it just insecure. I think they would benefit more by working on themselves from the inside, instead of the outside. Because once that "flaw" has been fixed, there will be something else that they will obsess about. it is a continual trap.
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-11-2003
Thu, 06-22-2006 - 4:19pm

What you said to the receptionist was great, twoscoops. I agree with what you said, and I also agree that it's better to view ourselves from the inside out.

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-19-2006
Thu, 06-22-2006 - 4:25pm

"I understand that marketing can be psychological and I believe that some marketers play on the insecurities of others to sell a product."

Marketing can by psychological. Most retailers will have a psychologist within the corporation to conduct studies on the average shopper, but it is not to get into the mind of the shopper and influence them. They get into the mind of the shopper to see how they shop, why they shop and where they shop. It is a part of competitive review. Because if we know how the average woman shops, then most retailers will conform to that.

I work in retail advertising and have worked on the fashion side and I don't feel that retailers are trying to play off the insecurities of the average woman or any woman at all. They're simply trying their best to get women and men into the store to buy product. With that being said, they want the product to look as good as possible. So they will airbrush out dimples sometimes, but more then anything what is airbrushed (it's really called retouching) is the wrinkles on a skirt to smooth out or to make the skirt hit at the leg where it is supposed to hit, i.e. at the knee.

If you look at Sears, Kohls, Walmart and Kmart you will see that they use attractive yet realistic models and they will use plus size models too. Walmart even uses their own employees. And these are the top five selling retailers.

So I really hope that people don't feel marketing plays off insecurities, because in my experience, they don't. They want to customer to feel GREAT wearing their clothes, because if they don't, they will not return to buy more.

Like I stated before. I feel it is the insecure women who make themselves feel like they need to compare, not the other way around.

Okay. I am off my tangent now.....

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-03-2005
Thu, 06-22-2006 - 5:33pm
one word... yes!
iVillage Member
Registered: 11-01-2005
Thu, 06-22-2006 - 6:44pm

My current pet peeve with marketing and advertising is the emphasis on youth. All the models are about 15 -- and that perfect (airbrushed), childlike look is what's being pushed as the ideal.

I am very happy with the way I look, my body, etc. I am, however, struggling a bit with the fact that I'm not 21 anymore -- and I think that's why the ads irk me so much.

So, for me, it does come down to accepting yourself the way you are and having confidence in that. In fact, I have recently started to appreciate the signs of age in others (laugh lines, etc) as beautiful and as marks that show character. So, I hope to soon be able to accept my own in the same way.

AJ, enjoying life with C.

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-11-2003
Thu, 06-22-2006 - 6:48pm

"So, for me, it does come down to accepting yourself the way you are and having confidence in that. In fact, I have recently started to appreciate the signs of age in others (laugh lines, etc) as beautiful and as marks that show character. So, I hope to soon be able to accept my own in the same way."


Well said! I feel the same way.


Avatar for cl_shywon
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-20-2003
Thu, 06-22-2006 - 7:08pm

You can tell your receptionist to wear a pair of larger breasts for a week or month, try to shop for them, try to sit for any length of time with them, just live with them- and I'll bet she'll come to appreciate her smaller breasts.


Anyway, my answer is yes.

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-21-2005
Thu, 06-22-2006 - 8:22pm
YES.
iVillage Member
Registered: 01-03-2006
Fri, 06-23-2006 - 8:30am
Thanks for all the responses. I totally agree with your post shywon. I think this stuff is hitting the younger generation harder. One memeber of my family is only 12 and a couple of weeks ago I found out she is bullemic(sp.?). She is all ready developed, if you know what I mean and hs a "serious" boyfriend. She has been taking pills, and she puts her finger down her throat after she eats. I wonder where kids get these ideas these days. It's pretty sad and it's probably more common than one might think.

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