Appunti in inglese ultimi 3 capitoli esame Storia economica

6. THE NEW CONSUMER ETHIC: THE HOUSEWIVES OF THE BOOM

1. The spread of the marketing approach

Barilla 1964: a new way of representing women? It is a better-groomed,

more elegant woman, but the ‘new’ woman of the boom is still ‘in’ the

family. The new barilla woman did not even look like a housewife. Casually

dressed, of indefinite age, neither young or old, she is depicted alone with the

product: no kitchen, no husband, no kids. It would be an exaggeration to claim

that Barilla’s advertising now appealed to woman who had emancipated herself

from traditional demands. Her place was still in the family, and her cooking was

still done with others in mind. The main use-value of the product, however, was

not that it allowed her to live up to the expectations contained in a given social

role, but that, within the contours of that role, it gave her a space for

creativity,

So, everything remains the same, despite the thousand changes.

We start to see changes in advertising communication with the spread of the

marketing approach: the subjective reality of the consumer (his needs

and desires) comes first. Advertising

must not be ‘propaganda’ for new needs, but must understand

existing needs (marketing and psychology; marketing becomes an academic

subject).

2. The housewives of the boom

Thin, blonde, fashionably dressed, modern, yet modest, they were different

from both the ideal of the massaia promoted by the Fascist regime

before the war, and from the teenage-oriented ‘Hollywood beauty’ who

now appeared in the magazines aimed at a younger audience.

Marketing was about selling holes not drills, beauty not make-up, cakes

not stoves, and so on… The product benefit was to be at the focus of selling

efforts

3. Success of the brand

Progressive success of the brand and modern forms of distribution

(supermarkets and packaged goods). Despite an initial suspicion of the non-

traditional form of distribution, the marketing managed to overcome this

resistance.

The need to transform Italy into a market for mass consumer goods

(North-South issue).

The consumer is becoming increasingly important (market research, consumer

associations). So, it is needed to know the market more (and better!).

Interviews, focus groups, etc. (se MR down).

Growing standardization and the consequent need to find new elements to

differentiate products. It was important to create a reliable brand image

able to create trust and overcome the anonymity of the modern mass market.

4 The spread of MR (Motivation Research)

MR is a new branch of qualitative market research (understanding the

meanings gave to the product by consumers individually). To do so, MR

relied on in-depth interviews, group interviews, dramatization, projective tests

and even secret filming of interviewees as they answered questions or

interacted with consumer goods,

MR determined the presence of a resistance to new products (cultural

resistance: food, household appliances).

The solution was to present new products within a traditional context,

and as an element of social competition (Moplen). New products are not a

“Ex. With Gradina

threat, but an opportunity...

(Margarina) husband and kids will love you even though it’s not butter”.

From the culture of modernity to that of tradition

MR brings to the surface the true desires of consumers, their

hedonistic desires.

Over time, there is a shift from the ‘culture of modernity’ to the ‘culture of

tradition’: why and how? (See next chapter)