Marketing to Men

Marketing to men is coming out of hibernation as males are shopping more. Ignoring them means brands could lose sales, according to an article posed on the Hub Magazine by Ken Featherston. For almost 100 years, marketers have tried to gain the attention of the female, who bought most products. However, men are making more decisions in household expenditures due to evolving roles and perceptions.

Featherston noted men currently in their 20s and 30s were more often than not raised by single moms and are not hampered by the traditional gender roles of he makes, she buys." The article quoted a number of studies that show this trend. A Yahoo! study found about six in 10 fathers consider themselves to be the primary household decision-maker in packaged goods, health, pet and clothing purchases. BusinessWeek reported 84 percent of men said they purchased their own clothes (up from 65 percent in 2001). Neilsen said nearly one in three principal household shoppers are men, up from 14 percent two decades ago, and statistics from Black Friday, Back-to-School and Winter Holidays consistently show men spending more than women on big-ticket items.

Men, who are living alone longer and shopping for a wider variety of items, have different shopping patterns than women, and smart marketers will address mens needs to boost sales. The article said male shoppers tend to take a functional approach to shopping, navigating on autopilot and not stopping to explore. Theyre less likely to be excited by shopping and more likely to be bored.

For women, a good" shopping trip means she had a good experience, including liking the environment and enjoying shopping companions, according to a Wharton study noted in the article. In contrast, a good shopping trip for men is all about the convenience.

Featherston said Hub Magazines own research shows men are less affected by the recession than women when it comes to spending patterns and behaviors; they are less likely to have traded-down to less expensive brands.  

However, the article pointed out men were more likely laid off, so many are taking over the stay-at-home duties such as changing diapers, doing laundry and preparing meals. Smart marketers, said the article, will capitalize on this by empowering men to be successful without sacrificing masculine qualities.

To do this, marketers need to redefine the male shopper. The formerly used six stereotypesthe buffoon, the joker, the action hero, the strong, silent type, the big-shot and the jockno longer apply. Marketers also need to build shopper-marketing programs that highlight product usefulness as opposed to price.

The article encouraged marketers to think about how a man pre-plans his shopping trips (most likely based on immediate need), reflect on points-of-contact in the male path-to-purchase (it suggests samples to build loyalty), sell through convenient retail formats (drug and convenience channels) and design packages that attract males (focus on key benefits with imagery or icons that address reasons to buy).