By Jessica Depatie
International Women’s Week ended in a marketing frenzy as hundreds of women, and a few men, strolled through the National Women’s Show immersing themselves in mainstream feminine consumerism at the Ottawa Congress Centre March 13 and 14.
Although most women were drawn by marketing gimmicks, some like Luba Podolski chose not to attend and questioned the ideology behind the show.
“I think it downgrades women, they should be marketed to like anyone else, no differently than anyone else,” says Podolski, who is the president of the Ottawa Council of Women.
Advertised as the “ultimate girl’s day out,” for a $10 admission fee, women were greeted by a shopping bag full of goodies into a consumer’s paradise ranging from golf and fitness clubs to cosmetics and fashion.
Businesses from around Ontario vied for a piece of the feminine consumer, offering promotions, contests and free gifts.
While advertised as a fun chance to be “girlie”, many women still expected pushy exhibitors trying to sell their wares, but were pleased to find the opposite.
“It’s been great. Not too aggressive, and there are nice prizes and gifts,” said Yvette Petersen, who went with her daughter.
Others, however, did sense a marketing agenda seeping into each exhibition.
“You can really tell the whole thing is geared toward marketing,” said Dominique Charbonneau as she walked past a fitness centre exhibit.
“The first thing they say when you walk by the food displays are ‘it’s low fat’.”
While they were there to sell their products, exhibitors were positive about the overall atmosphere of the event itself.
“Women are getting a lot of information out of the show,” said Wanda Iafrati, from the GeoHoliday Services Inc. exhibit. “And I think the people who have things to sell, are selling them.”
Saying they enjoyed themselves thoroughly, Petersen and her daughter Kari-Anne said they would have liked more athletics-related exhibits.
“It would be great if they had women’s sports teams, hockey or soccer or something, it would be good for young girls, more sports in general would be nice,” said Kari-Anne.