Tuesday, February 05, 2008
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What sex is that chocolate bar?
What sex is that chocolate bar?


As I unwrapped my Fling bar, I couldn’t help but feel all girl.
I wondered how many men would be devouring a Fling that day?



My experience working on confectionery came rushing back. I’d sat in many brainstorming sessions workshopping and tasting potential chocolate bars.

Men prefer a heavy eat, a satisfying, sweet hit often with plenty of nuts and caramel. To them it’s fuel.

Whereas women prefer a bar that feels light and feel less guilt indulging.

It is true that chocolate bars are divided by gender types. Well at least their advertising suggests this.

For the men, you have Picnic, the ugly, yet filling chocolate. More recently we have had Mr T selling the Snickers bar. You’ll see these ads in men’s magazines and airing heavily on TV during sport.

During Desperate Housewives and through the pages of New Idea or Madison, we have pretty love heart Cherry Ripes, light hearted fairytale Flings and Rafaello masquerading as a chocolate, but with no chocolate at all.


I love that the everyday humble chocolate bar has a gender divide.

Of course, both sexes like eating chocolate of any description. But the marketers know that if they play to the genders eating behaviours, sales will reward them exponentially.

It’s marvellous to see alcoholic beverages in the same vein. Blokes love beer, chick’s get sold champagne. Real tough guys drink bourbon, girls drink Malibu and Baileys may be arguably ambiguous on purpose.



Know thy audience; the cricket is flooded with heavy TV weights of Johhny Walker and Warney’s VB. You won't see a sparkling wine commercial running in that schedule.

Interestingly Wolf Blass have made two campaigns – seemingly targeting men and women separately. During the cricket they ran the "male" ad, with cricketers reminiscing their great shots around a mahogany bar. Concurrently they ran a compelling visual feast capturing the imagination and appealing to the fashionable sensabilities of females.

Tone of voice is an essential key to effective advertising. We know from the most successful salespeople that the sales pitch changes from male to female.

So it begs the question … if these categories are getting it, when will the other categories catch up? Automotive, Banking and Finance, Real Estate, Travel and Tourism, Education Services, Utilities.

All of these categories are ignoring potential growth opportunity by failing to talk to both sexes well, instead opting to try and keep a gender-neutral message.

FMCG have determined not to be SMCG’s (slow moving consumer goods), because they really get their audience and they’re not afraid to split it.





 
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