What men want from a brand relationship
Share
By championing masculinity and the role of the male in family life, brands can increase their engagement with consumers and grab a bigger slice of the £150bn-a-year market that men aged between 30 and 50 represent.
- Click here to read how men feel about advertising
- Click here to read about media brands for men
- Click here to read about personal care for men
The battle of the sexes has taken an unexpected turn, as men – and in particular the “average bloke” – are emerging as the new overlooked, underserviced consumer group.
Little effort has been invested in reaching those who have the highest incomes and are the biggest spenders – men aged between 30 and 50 years old. Using government household spend statistics, this demographic represents a £150bn market that remains relatively untapped.
This may come as a surprise to those who have championed the importance of women as an influential consumer group, but industry representatives who have decided to champion the cause of men argue that it is not about a role reversal or backlash against women. Rather, an appreciation that as women’s roles have changed and marketing has reflected this, the same should be happening for men. Instead, they say, this group has been forgotten, ignored and represented in a clichéd manner in the media.
There are more challenges now than in the early Nineties when a clearly defined “lads culture” prevailed in the UK. After the lad man came the “metrosexual”, which many brands based their marketing strategies around. But in 2010, labels are harder to define, says Patrick Horton, Bauer Media’s head of marketing for men’s magazines.
“It’s very difficult to label people in the way you used to, which is probably what makes it very difficult for brands to sell to men,” he says. “You can’t just have one defining characteristic, you have to look at things in three or four ways.”
Marketers need to focus on the new roles that men play in society. Chris Bates, director of Bloke, an arm of research agency 2CV that is dedicated to delivering insights around “the average guy”, says: “Masculinity has been redefined. Men are taking more of an interest in themselves, in home design, cooking and other areas that have traditionally been seen as female.”
The marketing industry has focused its efforts on reaching out to different demographics, including young people, ethnic communities and even the retired community. But brands should move away from “tired clichés” of men as either hapless fools or suave heroes, as has been the case to date, suggests Bates, and celebrate the lives of everyday men. “Success is now measured in much more rational and everyday ways. Masculinity is now about a journey of small victories,” he explains. “That can be anything from a bit of praise to cooking a decent meal, spending time with your family or making your wife laugh.”
FHM: Emerged from laddism, but the magazine is now catering for a new man
A new powerful “everyday” man brand ambassador could easily convey these “small victories”, with TV personalities such as Ant and Dec and Adrian Chiles all fitting the bill. Even Heston Blumenthal, with his celebrity chef status, has enough of the average guy about him to be an appealing spokesman, suggests Bates.
As the UK emerges from the recession, the average guy group could help lift many brands back into profit. Statistics from consumer insight agency GfK NOP show that men are generally feeling more confident about the economic situation – only 19% believe the recession will have a significant impact on them, compared with 28% of women (see Men vs Women box).
Statistics about future purchasing behaviour show men are less likely to cut back than women. Areas where men show they intend to maintain their level of spend include eating out, holidays, buying new furniture and large electrical goods as well as shopping for organic or ethical products.
Men are a powerful purchasing group and should not be ignored, argues Ivan Brown, GfK NOP director for consumer products and retail. “No one is saying frivolous spending is back, but there is a big difference between the attitudes of men and women.
“Women are more cautious and more likely to protect household spending. This shows there is a real opportunity to inspire spending.”
A project to uncover “the secret life of British families” has led advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi to conclude that men have become virtually “invisible” in advertising. Championing masculinity and the role of men in families is key for brands to expand their engagement with consumers. The project, which saw Saatchi & Saatchi planners move in temporarily with 30 families from all over the UK between February and September, helped the agency to understand where brands are going wrong.
Saatchi & Saatchi strategy director Richard Huntington notes: “In marketing, we followed the progression of women and women’s roles but the narrative for men is much thinner.”
Brands that celebrate positive masculine values and real male relationships have a lot to gain, he claims. “By showing they understand men, brands have a better chance of having a rewarding relationship with them. If you want consumers to take part in the life of your brand, you must demonstrate that your brand cares about the things people care about. There is a huge territory here that is underexploited. We have observed that the conversation [between men and brands] doesn’t exist.”
Media company Bauer – publisher of men’s magazines such as FHM, Q, Car, Zoo and Empire – has also recently embarked on a research project it calls 4D Men. The company has surveyed 1,500 UK men aged 15 to 40, and set up a panel of men producing blogs and video diaries to illustrate their day-to-day lives.
Bauer’s analysis of the feedback concludes there are six “clusters” of men – a concept that moves away from the notion of a dominant “tribe” of men, such as “lad” types or “metrosexuals”.
Bauer’s Horton explains: “The biggest surprise for us was that this idea of tribalism just doesn’t exist any more. FHM came from laddism, which united men across ages and different social backgrounds, but it’s just not that straightforward any more. The post-lad was probably the metrosexual, which also united a lot of different people, but again it’s a tribe that doesn’t really exist any more.”
The six clusters of men that Bauer uncovered are the beer swilling Little Big Man, the extended adolescent Cinderella Man, the impulsive Single Man, the health conscious Marathon Man, the friend and family focused Anchor Man and the engaged and rounded Man for All Seasons. Horton says this shows how much more complex men are compared with ten years ago, when a similar Bauer study showed that more than half of men could be classified as “lads”.
Some men might fall under more than one category, explains Horton: “Men today are a lot more diverse, building this mosaic identity and cherry picking elements that appeal to them. It’s easier now for them to add depth to their personalities, with a vast access to a wealth of information, making them more dynamic.”
FHM’s editorial positioning in particular has been altered by the results of the 4D Men study, reveals Horton. “There is a much bigger focus now on the useful element of our content. Ten years ago, you would lead with girls and that would be up to 80% of what FHM would do, with a bit of humour and a sprinkle of fashion tucked away at the back. There is a much more balanced approach now where we still deliver sexy women but we also want to help our readers filter all the information that’s out there and give them useful advice towards their lives.”
Grooming, fashion and general self-improvement have become more important elements of the magazine, Horton adds, in line with the modern man’s increased interest in their image. And he also claims that magazines like FHM have become more appealing to women, compared with ten years ago when the magazine sector was more polarised.
It’s very difficult to label people in the way you used to, which is probably what makes it very difficult for brands to sell to men
Patrick Horton, Bauer Media
One tactic Horton is employing is for Bauer’s men’s titles to better cater for an increasingly diverse audience in what he calls “micro-marketing” – promoting individual pieces of magazine content through online and social media. This reaches a wider audience, he says, and complements traditional above-the-line brand activity for each title (see Media Brands For Men box).
Despite new insights emerging that will help brands better target men, marketers need to invest further time and money to find out which type of man they should be targeting.
Fresh Minds research commissioned by Marketing Week reveals that many adverts are failing to resonate with a male target audience (see Spotlight on Focus Groups box).
Unilever’s Dove Men+Care brand manager Paul Connell believes there is a long way to go before brands really understand what men want. He says: “Every major toiletry brand now has a male variant, but only 60% of men use a deodorant specifically for them and only 25% use a shower gel for men. There is still a large job to do with this older audience,” (see Male Personal Care Brands box).
Saatchi & Saatchi’s Huntington warns that marketers are still much more informed about women and their needs. He believes that marketers need to do a lot more work to really understand the male market. “We haven’t yet scratched the surface when it comes to men,” he concludes.
Spotlight on focus groups
In the best-selling Nineties book Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus, author John Gray presents his case as to why men and women are fundamentally different. If people can understand this, they can have more productive relationships, he claims.
But focus groups commissioned exclusively by Marketing Week show that in many ways men and women are on similar wavelengths. Research agency Fresh Minds has been investigating the similarities and differences in purchasing behaviour and brand attitudes between men and women. Encompassing 32 people aged 20 to 50 – half men and half women – the results show some surprising similarities and some stark differences.
Seven different brand commercials – including executions from BT and Comparethemarket.com – have been analysed by the focus groups, as well as each person’s favourite advert. Just over 30 ads have been rated by the group as male, female or neutral and the group has even been assessed on their different approaches to shopping.
Wide range of brands
Advertisements that resonate among both men and women include everything from chocolate commercials to car ads, the research shows. Honda’s “nuts and bolts” ad is praised for being well put together and visually captivating by both sexes, while the Cadbury gorilla and Comparethemarket meerkat ads are perceived as amusing by both men and women.
However, men have a greater like for HSBC’s Indian market ad and campaigns by Gillette for men, Paddy Power, Ribena and Fiat, while women prefer brands such as Alfa Romeo, BT, and, interestingly, Foster’s lager.
Alfa Romeo’s Giulietta campaign gets women’s attention for putting actress Uma Thurman in the driving seat, while they laugh at the Foster’s ad where a man phones a Foster’s helpline to ask if his girlfriend will end up looking like her mum.
BT’s Adam and Jane series strikes a chord among women too, but not men. A woman in the 35 to 50 age group notes: “I think BT has chosen to talk to women in these ads, using the actor Kris Marshall because he’s the safe guy that will stand by his family.” However, a member of the men’s group in the same age bracket says: “This is an incredibly boring series of adverts. They are soppy and cheesy.”
The Old Spice “smell like a man” viral gains approval for its humorous approach, but many doubt whether it will make them reconsider purchasing an Old Spice product. “It’s a good ad, but it’s still Old Spice. You don’t want to buy something based only on comedy,” observes a man in the over-35s group.
The group discussions reveal that some believe the Old Spice campaign is being used to change women’s perceptions of the brand so they will buy it for their partners. However, rival toiletry brand Lynx, which depicts women swooning at geeky men who use the deodorant brand, gets an overwhelming negative response, with its ads labelled as “idiotic” and “patronising”.
Jaguar’s ad for its X-Type model, which plays almost like a short film, is largely disliked for being pretentious and out of touch, although some of the older men say it is “beautifully shot”. On the other hand, Fiat’s Faithless promotion – a tie-up with the chart-topping band – is “engaging” for its similarity to a music video.
Male, female or neutral
A total of 33 brands have also been put to the test by these focus groups, with respondents grading them as male, female or neutral. Technology firm Apple emerges as gender neutral, as does Nintendo Wii, although this brand creates some division between the sexes, notes Fresh Minds managing director Alistair Leathwood.
He says: “Both the younger female and male groups perceive it as more male, while the older male and female group perceive it as female. The younger male group concludes that Wii has made an effort to market itself to women and families, not necessarily because women would buy it but because it makes it more acceptable for men to buy it.”
Drink brands Coke Zero and WKD have been identified as using male-oriented ads, but many are unconvinced that these approaches are successful. Despite use of the word “zero”, men still see this Coke variant as a diet drink. One member of the over-35s men’s group says: “I know the ads are more male-related but my first reaction was that it’s all about calories, and being low in calories is a female thing.”
Although WKD adverts depict men playing pranks in bars, the consensus is that few men actually drink it. “I know more women than men who drink WKD, but the adverts are all about men playing tricks and misbehaving, so I guess they want men to drink it more,” says another from the over-35s men’s group.
Warburtons bread is considered a male brand, despite an overall perception that other brands in that category tend to be aimed at mothers making school lunches. “Warburtons is a man’s bread,” according to one of the under-35s men.
Old Spice: Campaign is trying to change women’s perception of the brand
Shopping habits
Sanex and Radox are personal care brands that are favoured by male participants when it comes to a shopping trip task that FreshMinds set the group.
Women tend to favour brands such as Nivea for Men, Sure for Men and Original Source when they go shopping for a man. Women are more likely to stick with brands that they like, while men are more likely to opt for discount offers, the shopping task reveals.
Brand awareness, scent and appearance also play a part in the decision making process. Some look at how a product will look in their bathroom, while others note that they have bought a certain brand before.
“Women tend to buy the male version of a brand that they know smells relatively neutral,” notes FreshMinds’ Leathwood.
Keep smiling
Humour emerges as the best way to market a traditional women’s product to men. In discussions around marketing a theoretical low-calorie hot chocolate drink to men, participants in this study agree that a humorous scenario challenging the perceptions of masculinity might convince some men to purchase a low-calorie drink.
“It’s not about using the concept of getting a girl to make it appeal to you, it’s more about making it acceptable among your own peers,” comments one member of the under-35s age group, while another from the over-35s group adds: “You’ve got to have a sense of humour, but it’s got to tax your intelligence as well.”
“Humour has a powerful appeal,” says Leathwood. “A humorous ad can position a brand higher up in men’s consideration, simply through developing this positive association.”
Media brands for men
Media brands have been evolving to reflect a growing demand for content that better meets men’s needs. In traditional media, free magazine title Shortlist has quickly developed a loyal following thanks to its use of witty columnists, while television channel Dave has carved out a niche by providing engaging content for men.
The channel appeals to “everyday men”, says marketing manager Julia Restall. She explains: “We didn’t deliberately set out to call it a man’s name. But everyone has a friend called Dave – it’s an everyman name, not intimidating; a friendly, middle-of-the road name that doesn’t alienate.”
Dave’s tagline, “the home of witty banter”, is driving the channel to commission its own original content, evolving it beyond the days when it only broadcast material from the BBC archives.
It has recently launched Dave’s One Night Stand, which involves high-profile comedians doing one-night gigs in their home town. The channel has attracted male-oriented brand partners such as Cobra beer in addition to brands that wouldn’t typically be associated with men, such as Cadbury and Penguin Books.
Restall adds: “It’s less about whether a brand is male or female but about targeting brands that are like-minded and have a similar tone and personality to us.” She also reveals that Dave is open to extending its brand into products beyond TV.
It’s not just television and magazine brands that are turning their attention to what men really want. Online content is an area that brands are rushing to exploit because young men are the earliest adopters of online video, according to data from the Broadcast Audience Research Board. Content distribution service ChannelFlip is just one outlet that is tapping into this with its online video service reaching a largely male audience aged 17 to 35.
ChannelFlip has helped develop a partnership between comedian David Mitchell and toiletry brand Bulldog to create the Soapbox series (see Personal Care Brands For Men box). It has also developed and syndicated branded content for clients such as O2, Dave, Cadbury, Volvo, Olay, Pepsi, Sky and Magners.
Developing branded content is a successful approach, claims ChannelFlip co-founder Wil Harris, because viewers see the brand message as part of the show, and not as an interruptive advertisement. “By giving viewers entertainment in return for their attention, the brand understands the need to create communities and dialogue with their audience,” he says.
Sales director Barney Worfolk-Smith adds that ChannelFlip’s brand partners have evolved over the past year, moving from the entertainment and technology sectors to automotive and, most notably, large FMCG brands, indicating a growing awareness of a male audience in this online space.
Personal care for men
In the past five years, the men’s personal care space has expanded well beyond deodorants, shower gels and moisturisers, with make-up even making it onto some men’s shopping lists. According to Datamonitor analysts, 88 make-up products made for men were launched globally in 2009, compared with just three in 2005.
However, the use of chiselled actors and sports stars to promote men’s toiletries is wearing thin among the target consumer group, according to brands such as Dove and Bulldog, which have both made efforts to break this outdated mould.
Unilever brand Dove Men+Care has shaped its marketing strategy around the results of global research conducted in 2009, which surveyed 7,500 men aged between 30 and 55. The brand wanted to reach this audience in a new way after it discovered that 68% of men feel they aren’t realistically portrayed in advertising, while 71% find it difficult to relate to men of their age who are shown in commercials. The brand’s Manthem TV ad uses humour – and real men – to convey the stages of a typical man’s life in a 90-second slot.
The brand has followed this in the UK by partnering with retailer Tesco’s customer magazine, to produce a special Man Alive supplement featuring content that celebrates the lives of real men.
Dove Men+Care brand manager Paul Connell explains: “Tesco had repositioned its magazine to speak to real women, so we wanted to work with the supermarket to see how we could do this for men. It gave us an opportunity to tell guys what we were about as a brand and deliver content that was relevant and which we couldn’t provide through conventional above-the-line advertising.”
While Dove’s approach might have paved the way for brands to question how they target men, Connell claims Unilever is continuing to push boundaries by exploring new ways of engaging with real men in 2011. He says: “I’m confident we will continue to speak to men in different ways but as to how that will look and feel over the next two years, we haven’t quite finalised that yet.”
Bulldog, a natural male grooming brand, is also trying to break the male stereotype by encouraging men to buy products such as anti-ageing moisturiser. The brand is getting its message across by sponsoring online comedy series Soapbox, which is fronted by comedian David Mitchell, with each episode book-ended by Bulldog brand messages.
Bulldog co-founder Simon Duffy says: “Our rivals produce commoditised for-men versions of female products. Adopting a traditional approach by plastering a leading sportsman onto billboards all over London would be too expensive for a challenger brand like us.”
The Bulldog image has also been adopted as an antidote to the male stereotypes in this category. Duffy says: “He’s loyal, tenacious and a daily companion. It’s a positive way to look at being a man.”
Men vs women
19% of men believe the recession will have a significant impact on them, compared with 28% of women.
28% of men believe the economy will recover soon, compared with 21% of women.
57% of men believe they will maintain their level of spend on eating out, compared with 47% of women.
59% of men think they will spend the same amount on holidays as they did before the recession, compared with 45% of women.
51% of men say they will continue to buy new furniture, compared with 38% of women.
50% of men plan to buy large electrical goods, compared with 41% of women.
63% of men intend to spend the same amount on organic or ethical foods as they did before the recession, compared with 57% of women.
Source: GfK NOP
Readers' comments (1)
Anonymous | Wed, 28 Mar 2012 7:21 pm
Very interesting piece here, good to see it backed up by real and extensive statistics also.
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment