The Hindu Business Line : Catch him, 40 plus

The affluent Indian men (SEC A) between the age group of 40 and 45 are at the peak of their careers and at the height of their earning power. Being the chief wage earners, it is around them that the family wheel revolves. However, Grey Worldwide's research arm, Grey Cell, strongly believes that this powerful segment is being grossly overlooked by advertisers and advertising agencies.

The agency recently launched an extensive study on this segment of Indian consumers, titled Puppet Kings, to know their consumption pattern , their changing role in the family as well their decision-making patterns.

The study, which was conducted among 1,400 men across cities such as Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad and Bangalore, throws up facts such as a major role change of the Indian man in his family set-up. From a set-up where the man was the sole decision maker, it shows a strong involvement of the wife in all major decisions involving the family. There is a growing closeness between the spouses and the man today strongly believes that without the spouse's support it is impossible to run the family. He is also proud to have a working wife and is also willing to help her out with the daily household chores.

Role reversal

The study also points out a reversal of roles of dads and moms today. It says that the father is increasingly losing the power to decide about kids' career and life, as it is the mother who has started controlling them. Kids look at fathers as friends and unlike earlier, it is the fathers who encourage them into indulgence by giving them what they want.

The wife and kids, according to the study, also have a say when it comes to shopping for clothes and books and music for the man. While the women of the house decide on the furnishings or on the furniture to be bought for the house, when it comes making an important investment such as buying a house it is the man who has a say.

Therefore, the Puppet King's tip to advertisers is to adopt an approach that would convince not only the wife and the kids but also the man of the family, who would ultimately pay for the product.

The study also throws up areas where advertisers could tap this segment of the consumers. These could be areas such as kitchen products, as kitchen is no longer a domain of the wife, as it is an era of sharing and doing things together.

According to Mr Naresh Gupta, National Head (Account Planning), Grey Cells, "Most advertisers today are focusing only on the youth, and it is high time that advertisers include the 40-45-year-old males in their branding strategy, as they are the ones who actually pay for their brands."

Mr Gupta says that it is imperative for the premium car brands and luxury brands to talk to this segment, as it is they who are the actual audience.

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