WAF
Internet forums provide an unusually personal glimpse into changing social values. Trendsetters.com, February 2003 Internet forums provide an unusually personal glimpse into changing social values. While men are generally considered head of household, a phenomenon called "WAF" shows just how vulnerable this position has become. Here's a post from a videophile wanting to buy expensive gear: "Go ahead for plasma!! I have the WAF on my side for a new plasma after the first of the year. We're moving into a classic 1917 bungalow and had issues with where the TV stuff would go." What's WAF you ask? This post sheds more light: "Solving the WAF is easy if you have a dedicated room. My wife calls the shots in the entire house except for my home office, home theater and kitchen, when I'm in there cooking. The living room has to meet her specs 100%." WAF is online speak for "Wife Acceptance Factor." Home Theater Spot dedicates an entire forum to this topic, hilariously titled The Wife Acceptance Factor - Not in my house! It's clear that women, by controlling checkbook and décor guidelines, wield a great deal of power over household spending. "Most marketers don't recognize the power of indirect influence," says Marti Barletta, author of Marketing to Women. While the widely quoted figure of women influencing 80% of household spending can't be attributed to any specific study, Barletta notes the median income of women has risen 63% in the past three decades, compared to just 0.6% for men. "It would be a great idea for manufacturers to design a whole suite of consumer electronics products aimed at women," says Barletta. If they're aiming for a high WAF rating that may well be the only way to go.
© 2003 ICONOCAST Inc. All Rights Reserved. ICONOCAST, Trendsetters.com, "Tracking the Future of Cool" and "Cool Hunt" are trademarks of ICONOCAST Inc. You may freely distribute material herein, as long as it bears this attribution, Source: 2003 Trendsetters.com.
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