Targeting Miss Daisy: Using Age and Gender to Target Unethical Sales Tactics

Marketers often advocate the use of targeted promotional strategies because they are presumed more effective. However, common targeting variables (gender and age) can also serve to stereotype some consumers (female or older) as more vulnerable to sales pressure. The current research shows that this can cause sales agents to target these stigmatized groups with inferior products. In contrast, encouraging sales agents to empathize with target customers was effective in reducing the targeting of these groups with substandard items. Implications are discussed.