For women only

First came cabs only for women, then a radio station and now, a vodka too. Do women really need all this? Aastha Atray Banan reports

Imagine yourself heading home after a long day at work. You are a woman with a hectic career that takes up much of your time. The taxi that you hail is air-conditioned and spacious and comes with a female driver who is trained in martial arts. As you sink back into the plush seats, you sip on the ‘most beautiful vodka in the world’. And then you try and forget the worries of the day by tuning into a women’s radio that plays your favourite retro numbers and serves up some hot gossip on the side. Sounds interesting?
It is, and quite true too. Many such women-centric endeavours are trying to tap into the minds and lives of the most-preferred customers — the female fraternity. The whole exercise, that could easily be based on the ditty ‘Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus’, could be a fruitful one, that is if women buy the concept.

Pinky Vodka, packaged much like a perfume bottle, is marketed by the UB Group as ‘the most beautiful vodka in the world’. In comparison to other vodkas, which have the alcohol quantity of 42.8 per cent volume by volume, Pinky has a volume by volume of 40 per cent. But that doesn’t take away from its charm, assures Anant Iyer, business head, United Spirits Limited. “This is a premium vodka for women, who are well educated, emancipated and don’t let anyone take them for a ride,” he says, “India is so ready for a product like this.” Priced at Rs2,000 per bottle, the vodka is aimed at socially-upward women, who can shell out the moolah. But would women want to do that? Does it really make sense to drink a special vodka for women, when you could drink the male equivalent for much lesser? “Maybe, maybe not,” says actress Lekha Washington. “But I am quite frustrated with the assumption that women like all things pink. I am much more of a black and blue girl. But sometimes, it’s quite nice to have some girl space to get in touch with one’s feminity, such as a radio channel, with a sensitive and bitchy side,” she says, as she tunes her car radio to 104.8 Meow FM.

Meow’s catchline is ‘Thodi meethi, thodi catty’, something that would appeal to a listener like Lekha for sure. The station has shows that tackle issues ranging from parenting to relationships to even slightly personal issues such as sex and virginity during their late-night shows. The callers are all women, but the station figures show that as much as 42 per cent men tune into the show. Anil Srivatsa, COO, Radio Today, feels that the men might just be getting sensitised to women’s issues by listening in. “I think the women of India needed a place where they could speak out without being judged.” The best part: Even the music that is played is the kind that would appeal more to a woman than a man, so hard rock and metal are a big no-no whereas soft rock is the ideal choice. “We do play Bollywood, but our retro time is the most popular. We have made sure we play stuff that women can relax to,” says Anil.

But some women may feel that the effort to tap this market is futile. “I don’t even believe in Women’s Day,” says model Jasmine Dawda. “I don’t think you need a radio station or a vodka to show that you matter. Have you ever seen man-centric services? It just widens the gap between a man and a woman. It’s all depends on the marketing strategy rather than a demand.”

Therein lies the tricky question. Are such services creating divisions where there need be none? Are we taking the whole ‘blue is for boys, and pink is for women’ belief a bit too far. Anand Halve, brand consultant, Chlorophyll Brand Communications, sure seems to think so. “The question we need to answer is this: Does the product delivery cater to fundamentally different requirements for a man and a woman? Or is it just attempting to create a difference where you really shouldn’t,” he says. “Why do we need a different radio channel? Will a woman to react to something like inflation differently from a man? And the vodka — when you add the tonic or any aerated drink to it, it is going to taste like any other vodka. So what’s so special? A service that would be really necessary is a service that will empower women, much like a taxi service.”

What Halve has in mind is a taxi service like For-She Travels and Logistics Pvt Ltd, which also offers women security guards. For-She cabs will pick you up from anywhere and everywhere, and with a woman driver for company, you needn’t worry what time of the day it is. Revathi Roy, managing director, has a unique approach: She is aiming to empower women at all levels. “How are we doing that? It’s simple. We empower the upper class lady by providing her with safety and independence at any time of the day.
And we empower the lower class woman by giving them jobs that bring them dignity and respect,” she says, and it reflects in her academy, where women mil around in the blue and pink uniforms, looking confident and sure of themselves. Though right now Revathi faces restraints in pricing, as the cabs do not have a permit to function as metre taxis, she is sure that things will change soon. “Until then, we will just do the best we can,” she smiles calmly.

Whether they are successful or not depends on how many women embrace the idea of separate services that pamper their every need. But as the great Ovid had once said, “Whether they give or refuse, it delights women just the same to have been asked.”                                 
    b_aastha@dnaindia.net