Are you being conned into Spending More because of your Gender?

It does not matter if you are Male or Female – you are likely to be spending more money at the checkout on certain items because of your Gender.

It is a Marketing ‘Secret’ that you can package up the same goods and charge more, depending on the demographic you are targeting … and I am not just talking about which socio-economic group you identify with.  You could be paying more because of your gender.  This is known as Gender Marketing

Here is a visual quiz for you:

Did you guess right?

I did a quick Google search on Dove soap and found that the Dove for Men Soap is 20% larger for the same price as the ‘Ladies’ soap.   Apparently square-shapes and lines are ‘masculine’ shapes.  Dove has used this concept when designing a Soap specifically targeting men.  It is shaped and tinted for ‘manly’ hands as opposed to the smooth-lined, pure white soap for delicate ladies’ hands. LOL!

It doesn’t end there … I found Veet Hair Removal gel online, where the pink tube was twice the price of the blue tube.  They both remove hair and the packaging is the same size.  Hmmmm … you work it out.

Recently I heard an interview with an Advertising Executive who said he markets three different brands of deodorants for his client.   The three brands have identical ingredients.   Presumably each one has a different scent, and/or different packaging and each is advertised to different target markets.

Men’s toothpaste

So what about Toothpaste specifically ‘designed’ for Men Only.  Is that taking Marketing too far?

You can read about Unilever’s product in more details here and let me know what you think:  http://www.premiumbeautynews.com/en/unilever-launches-first-toothpaste,6401

This got me thinking; what products can we double up on with our partner to Save Money and Save Space in the bathroom cupboard ?

Deodorant:

I compared my roll-on deodorant with the ‘Men’s’ variant of the same brand and found that I was paying extra for having the word ‘Ladies’ on the packaging.  All the ingredients were exactly the same.  I was sure the scent would be different … right?  Maybe I’m getting old, but I couldn’t pick the difference.  So, I am giving the Men’s roll-on deodorant a try.  It seems perfectly fine to me.

Shaving Cream:

I save $1.00 by using my husband’s brand of Shaving Cream and I save even more because I don’t have to double up.  Even better, that added more room on the vanity shelf!

Shaving Balm:

I have started using my husband’s Shaving Balm after shaving my legs.  Not only does it seal any cuts and moisturise my skin, but it also gives my legs a nice sheen. Cha ching!

Razors:

I buy mine in the men’s section as they are cheaper, no matter which store you purchase them from.

Most stores layout their products according to gender to make it easier for you to find ‘your’ product.  So, next time you walk down the aisle of your Supermarket; Pharmacy; Drugstore or Discount Store, have a look in your opposite gender’s section to do a price comparison.

Compare product ingredients   [ the first 5 ingredients are the most prevalent ingredients ]  and see if you are paying more for your gender.

In most cases the difference will just be the scent used and the packaging.

 

What have you found that you are paying more or less for in accordance to the opposite gender?

Until next time,

Glenda

About Growing Snowballs

I have been described as Savvy; a Bargain Hunter and Tight. My fav is Value Shopper. I love a bargain to save money. I do this in-store, online, buying 2nd hand, recycling & upcycling. This is good for my pocket & good for this Planet. Check out some of my quirky projects as well as read about how you too can save yourself some money & time.

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Tagged with: budget, economical, economy, frugal, Gender Marketing, money, save, savemoney, savvy, shopping
Posted in bathroom, hair and beauty, shopping