How To Market to Men In 2010.
Marketing to men is changing.
The first great ad directed at men was written in 1915.
It was a print ad for Cadillac, and it resonated for decades. The headline was “The Penalty of Leadership.” It was beautifully written, and it isolated the intense desire to succeed as a platform for appealing to men. (See my analysis of this ad under "The Ad Breakdown")
In the early 20th century, when that ad was written, Madison Avenue was just realizing they could market more effectively if they began linking products to the longings and desires of men. It was an epiphany. It was then that Madison Avenue realized one of its most powerful insights.
Men are really two men: The man they are, and the man they want to be.
With that in mind, the Yahoo event I attended recently produced some interesting insights about marketing to men in 2010.
Radha Subramanyam, Head of Corporate and Media Research at Yahoo NY, said, interestingly, that the recession affected men much more than it did women this time. That the middle manufacturing jobs were most affected, the place where the majority of men work. It rattled their confidence in a profound way. She also mentioned that when men go through big life changes - like getting married, or having a baby, or getting that first big promotion, or even sudden job insecurity, one supposes - it represents the best time to introduce new brands to them. It is a window of opportunity to get a foot in the door, introduce a brand, or convince a man to change brands.
I believe this. Some of the biggest innovations in history happen during times of war. As Rahm Emanuel says, why waste a good crisis?
Radha also mentioned something that surprised me. She said men turn to the net because it allows them to communicate in delicate subject areas. The example she gave is when a father is uncomfortable about realizing his teenage daughter is having sex. He’s uneasy talking to his daughter about it, so he will express his feelings in a “safe” place, meaning online. Men are turning to the internet for intensely personal and emotional reasons, not just sports scores.
Janet Kestin, co-creative chief of Ogilvy & Mather, said husbands have been treated as idiots for too long now. That this has to change. I have always said that WASP hubbies are the only safe target in advertising – you can poke fun at them with no fear of reprisal. Janet believes we have reached the end of that era. Time to stop treating Dads as “successful losers.” A fascinating turn of phrase. It suggests that the advertising industry depicts husbands as good, successful providers who fail at home. She quoted a stat that men in 7 countries have all voiced a dislike of that stereotype.
(On a side note, I got an interesting email from a listener to our radio program saying he, too, was fed up with being portrayed as an an idiot father. He is now embroiled in a custody battle with his wife, and the stereotype is being played out in court to his detriment.)
Another interesting insight was that men listen to friends and families for advice, and “strangers with experience” online. Men search out answers on the internet and have no problem seeking answers to important life questions from people they don't know. The web is a big provider of comfort to men.
Sandra Kennedy, Director of Marketing from Harry Rosen, said men like to find information BEFORE they shop, therefore spend a lot of time online. Women, on the other hand, like to go into the stores to get information. Clearly, a great insight for advertisers and retail stores who cater to men. Men want information, not just price & item. Smart advertisers will revamp their websites and make sure they are giving men information, arming them with tips and advice. As they say, men are hunters. Give them something to track down.
At the end of the day, the question most marketers should be asking themselves is - how do I get bookmarked?
What do I have to offer men to ensure I am one of the 10 websites they surf more often than any others.
All websites should be conversations.
Is yours?
