The Hindu Business Line : What women want

From playing stereotypical roles of an ideal daughter or daughter-in-law, Indian women have evolved into multifaceted and versatile personalities who are financially independent and have a mind of their own, reveal the findings of a study.

THEY like humour and reality shows but hate family soaps; they want to live life without any strings attached; and they believe it's necessary to have "a big house and a big car to be happy."

So reveals a study conducted by Grey Cells, the strategic planning division of Grey Worldwide. So, what's new?

`They' aren't a bunch of teenage boys but about 4,000 unmarried women in the 19-24 age group in nine major cities of the country. And it's across SEC A and B.

`Eves Dropping,' as the study is called, shows the changing face of the Indian woman who is versatile, financially independent and dislikes stereotypical roles, says Naresh Gupta, National Head, Account Planning, Grey Worldwide.

And this description just skims the surface of what the study presents. From attempting to become an epitome of perfection, then, to accepting imperfection and living with it; from frugal living to guilt-free materialism; from aspiring to become a doctor or chartered accountant to shunning those heavy work-load subjects, preferring careers in modelling or TV journalism which bring instant money, success and fame; from being accommodating to one who needs her own space and control over it ... there has been a dramatic change in the way a young woman thinks.

"Societal norms are being questioned," says Gupta, whose study spanned the metros of Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata, in addition to Bangalore, as well as smaller cities — mini-metros as the study calls them — like Ahmedabad, Nagpur, Chandigarh and Lucknow.

Nuclear families, which had gained a fair acceptance, may lose out to an `arrangement of convenience' wherein the husband's mother and father also find a place, but there are riders attached. The woman would lead life on her own terms with complete independence; the extended nuclear family is merely a support system and not an act of benevolence, says the study.

The woman of tomorrow is a conspicuous consumer, helped by the financial independence she has. She will be driven by impulse, and thus flirt with new brands. And her quest for instant money, glamour and success will drive her to careers like journalism, management, designing and advertising. Nearly half of those surveyed opted for journalism, TV that is!

These careers, the women believe, will help them attain the "symbols of richness" — a big car and a big house — which brings us to, what according to Gupta is, another important learning. The divide, which earlier existed between the top cities and the next-rung ones, is now vanishing.

In most issues about which the women were questioned, the mini-metro figures seem to concur with the national averages. For instance, 73 per cent of the respondents in mini-metros want to continue working even after marriage; the national average is 76 per cent. Similarly, 58 per cent of those surveyed in the mini-metros seem to think that dating is a must for their age, a figure which isn't too far from the national average of 65 per cent.

The study has noted that the "symbols of richness" in metros is undergoing a change. Just below one-thirds of the metro respondents have said it is "necessary to have a big house and a big car to be happy." The comparative mini-metro figure is a whopping 86 per cent. The difference, according to Gupta, is because the concept of a `big car' is probably different in mini-metros. That is, in the mini-metros, the respondents would probably classify, say, a Maruti Esteem as a big car while those in the metros would think of the Mercs, Mitsubishis and the like, he says.

And then there are the things that the marketers could well avoid. The surveyed women like ads that are "peppy, unexpected" and have a touch of romance. So, Hutch, Samsung, Asian Paints, Amaron Batteries, MTV Promos, Cadbury's Delight and Saffola score. They dislike Chevrolet's `I am your prayer' ad, commercials for paan masalas, spices and fairness creams such as Sunsilk and Fair and Lovely.

While the women believe that celebrities in advertisements bring an aura to the product, they wouldn't much trust such brands.

Nearly 60 per cent of those surveyed reckon ads don't show women in good light.

On to the bigger screen; films such as Dil Chahta Hai and Jhankar Beats are liked for their realistic portrayal of everyday life. Even romantic films like Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge and Titanic are right up there on the preference charts.

There seems to be another disconnect between mini-metros and metros - this time it's the Kyunki ... issue! Nearly two-thirds of the respondents in mini-metros, compared with a much lower 36 per cent in metros, have said they would want to be like the character Tulsi (from Kyunki ... ) once they get married. According to the study, "Smaller towns have a greater affinity to the stereotypical Indian bahu. Metros don't find it cool."

The list of durables that a future homemaker wants has also undergone a big change, Gupta says. Televisions and refrigerators, which used to be high on the list, are hanging on to their positions while washing machines and music systems have been pushed down to lower rungs by cellphones, which are now the new status symbols in the mini-metros, and food processors. Air-conditioners come last in the list. Predictably, a `must' in the list of the earlier generation — the sewing machine — is off the list.

If the study were to be believed, old marketing tricks won't tick for long. As Gupta puts it: "There is a serious need to rethink marketing strategies (in the light of the findings). There is need to address a new audience."

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