WASHINGTON – New ads reflect a new reality.
More men are pitching in to do chores around the house, according to the Wall Street Journal, and brands marketers are taking notice.
“Companies are retooling products and advertising to help men learn how to do unfamiliar cleaning tasks and to give women more peace of mind about delegating,” reports the WSJ.
One example: In 2012, Proctor & Gamble introduced Tide Pods – the small pouches of laundry detergent that can be dropped into the wash – in part to ease worries women may have about other people in the family doing laundry.
And it’s not just an advertising ploy either. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, men spent more time doing housework in 2011 than in 2003 while women spent less. The WSJ reports men’s time is up by two minutes, while women’s is down six.
Today, men on average do almost a third of housework, Scott Coltrane sociologist and dean at the University of Oregon tells the WSJ. In 1965, they did less than a fifth.
“Gender roles fall away when they no longer make sense.”
As shopping roles change, researchers are paying more attention to the habits of men. The WSJ reports men plan ahead for shopping less than women, but spend less time actually shopping. They also have more brand loyalty.
Read more at The Wall Street Journal.
WTOP’s Del Walters contributed to this report.
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(Copyright 2012 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)
