7 facts marketers should know about male consumers



7 facts marketers should know about male consumers

When most people think about shopping, they think about women, but that way of reasoning may not be the most accurate way to describe consumer behaviors.

There is a lot of research that shows men play a huge role in commerce in ways that go against traditional gender roles.

To ensure their campaigns have maximum effectiveness, marketers need to take into consideration the changing role of men in shopping in the modern age. Here are seven recent statistics to help marketers create better campaigns for men.

1. Millennial usage

According to Nielsen, 70 percent of U.S. millennial males use social media, while only 38 percent of older men use social media. This means it is essentially twice as hard to target older men on social media than younger men.

2. Video ad possibilities

The same study also found that millennial males watch less traditional TV than any other group. The study noted millennial males spend an average of 20 hours per week watching traditional TV, compared to 23 hours for millennial females, 28 hours for Gen X males and 38 hours for boomer males. Marketers should use video ads on websites like YouTube or Hulu to reach more young men with ad content.

3. Radio play

A different Nielsen study noticed a similar trend in regards to millennial males and traditional radio. More than half of Americans ages 18 to 34 who listen to network radio are male.

4. Smartphone ownership

Men are more likely than women to have smartphones. According to Pew Research Center, 61 percent of U.S. men own smartphones, compared to 57 percent for women.

5. Sales offers

Despite the stereotype that women are the thrifty shoppers, research shows men like a good sale, too. Nielsen reported that on-sale items account for 34 percent of U.S. women’s spending, compared to 28 percent for men.

6. Cooking and shopping

Men also do more cooking than tradition would have people think. The same study from Nielsen found that 47 percent of U.S. men do more than 50 percent of their families’ shopping and cooking.

7. Branded advertising

Men respond to branded advertising better than women. This is true across various forms of media. A study from Nielsen reported that globally, more men than women trust branded advertising on websites, on TV, in newspapers, in magazines and on the radio.

Targeting men through marketing can be challenging, but using the data from these studies shows a few tricks marketers can use to target men online. These studies also show that men are good target audiences for areas that were traditionally considered the domain of women. With more men cooking, searching for coupons, working in the home, etc., it gives package good retailers a lot of new avenues to consider when creating campaigns.


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