The “modern man” is moving away from the stereotypical macho persona, according to new research from Leeds’ CreativeRace.
The agency’s report entitled, Man size no longer fits all, explores gender perceptions for men aged between 16 and 21.
It also outlines what it believes marketers need to do, in order to engage and communicate with this demographic.
“Men have radically changed the way they consume media and interact with brands. The death of the ‘lads’ mag’, marked by the closures of Zoo and FHM at the end of 2015, heralded a new era in publishing and marketing,” explained Joey Whincup, insight & planning director at CreativeRace.
“As well as a decline in ‘lads culture’ over the past two decades, the uptake of news via mobile and social media by men has completely reshaped the marketing landscape. As a result, a new approach is needed in the development of advertising and creative campaigns that can successfully target different generations of men.
“It is evident that societal shifts are taking place. Younger generations are becoming more progressive and accepting of differences, embracing their own individuality. At the same time men are re-evaluating their own role in society. Brands have a unique opportunity to help men shape new, clear and real identities and through this develop long-term meaningful brand relationships.”
According to the research, fewer than 10% of 16-21 years olds identified with established male or female stereotypes, which for men includes: ‘strong’, ‘masculine’, ‘athletic’, ‘tough’ and ‘not emotional’.
One in 10 Generation Z men described themselves as being “gender neutral”.
The agency found that 52% of those questioned read a newspaper, with 62% heading to YouTube for news, lifestyle, culture, music, opinion and sport. 61% would visit Facebook for the same information, but only 28% would buy a magazine.
It highlights Lynx’s new Find The Magic campaign as one of those which resonates with the modern man:
