It may seem like sexism, but the corporate world just calls it marketing. The photo that went with the story doesn't seem to be available, but they all just looked like big TVs to me.
One of these 32" flat-panel LCD televisions is specifically designed to appeal to women
With buying decisions no longer driven just by men, manufacturers turn to designs that appeal to both sexes
By Keith Reed, Globe Staff | November 21, 2005
Scanning rows of carefully displayed high-definition television sets at the Best Buy store in Braintree, 31-year-old Kristen Leetch of Quincy stopped in front of Sony's 32-inch Bravia model.
Its black finish and rounded edges contrasted with the silver ones around it and had a softer, friendlier look than the ''obnoxious, huge" sets she always sees advertised. Satisfied that the Bravia fit her apartment's decor, she shelled out about $4,000 for it and some accessories.
Leetch didn't know it, but Sony had her sense of decor in mind.
The Japanese electronics giant designed the Bravia line, which debuted in September, to appeal to both women and men. Women are buying high-definition TVs in ever-larger numbers, or they greatly influence purchasing decisions in many households.
And what appeals to men -- big brawny sets that showcase macho sports such as football -- doesn't necessary interest women, so manufacturers had to come up with another approach.
''TVs used to be in the realm of boys and their toys. It was this notion that we jumped on creating a product that both genders could live with," said Christopher Fawcett, Sony's director of corporate marketing.
For example, Sony's market research found men, predictably, cared about screen size and picture quality most. But women tended to see a TV set more as a piece of furniture that needs to fit in, hence an interest in shape and color, or how much space a set takes up, rather than its technological prowess.
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here's the link.
http://www.boston.com/business/personal ... _to_women/
