Brands must ditch the monolithic, narrow-minded view of masculinity and make a shift in how they reach men, to build stronger and more meaningful connections with their audiences.
That is according to a new report by Kantar, which maintains that brands which reflect more nuanced masculinities can drive growth and positive social change. Engaging more men in better ways makes business sense too: it helps predispose a brand to more people, and subsequently drive growth.
Ads which perform well on the Male Gender Unstereotype Metric – a tool devised by the Unstereotype Alliance and Kantar that captures whether portrayals of men set a good example for others – are predicted to be more effective, both in the short and long term.
Kantar’s analysis shows that better engagement with men brings better engagement with all audiences, and doesn’t always require male-only creative and media strategies.
Today, men look for more nuanced and authentic reflections of themselves.
Kantar’s 2024 Brand Inclusion Index revealed that when we go beyond gender identity, how men feel about their representation in advertising changes considerably.
In the past year, men who reported an incidence of a negative portrayal rose progressively with each generation, peaking with Millennials and Gen Z. More than twice as many LGBTQ+ men felt negatively represented by advertising last year, compared non-LGBTQ+ men.
The number goes up as high as 30% for men with a thinking or learning disability, along with 20% with mental health conditions and 16% with any disability – versus just 7% of men with no disability.
Men are challenging advertisers to do better – improving inclusivity and diversifying the contexts and roles men are shown in.
However, before identifying ways to better engage with male audiences, it is important brands know whether they are actually engaging with them in the first place.
Kantar’s LINK ad testing database shows that in categories traditionally perceived as gender-specific such as home care or baby care, most of the creative testing only seeks women’s’ opinions. So, not that far beneath the surface, the advertising industry continues to operate based on stereotypical assumptions.
Whether this comes from marketing strategies aimed at a so-called ‘chief shopper’, or assumptions about who uses these products, there is a failure to reach men in advertising.
Men account for c.£907m of home care usage in the UK each year (Kantar Worldpanel) – and it is a category that pretty much ignores what men have to say. Brands in this category must reconsider the commercial gains left on the table by their exclusion of men from 85% of creative strategies.
The personal care category also has a gender imbalance in creative strategies, with 81% of creative tests conducted exclusively with women. Worldwide, men are dedicating more time to personal care (Kantar Worldpanel). Brands formulate male versions of genderless products, from tissues to moisturisers, as an answer to this emerging demand.
Brands should reassess how gender-specific their products really are and consider what opportunities they are missing by focusing solely on women, instead of exploring the possibility of expanding their targeting to a male audience.
Brands must also be intentional in how they represent their audiences. Even the use of seemingly positive stereotypes of men, like being leaders or providers, reduces relatability, imposes unrealistic ideals, and limits genuine connections.
To uncover ways for brands to build more meaningful connections with male audiences, Kantar looked at ads where men are portrayed positively and identified three ways that men can be portrayed positively.
• Emotional presence: Audiences appreciate seeing men express their emotions. While family settings are often used to show this, brands have many other opportunities to connect with men through genuine engaged representations.
• Authenticity: Men who embrace their true selves, expressing themselves freely without being confined to societal stereotypes. They’re not just aspirational, they’re inspiring.
• Self-care: Sometimes it’s as simple as creating ads which depict men practicing self-care; pampering themselves, tending to their emotional or physical wellbeing, or simply doing things they enjoy.
The report concludes: “Creative and media strategies that break stereotypes don’t just lead to better resonance among men. They can enhance overall marketing effectiveness and grow brand value.
“For the good of your brand (and for the good of all mankind) brands must avoid gender stereotypes, or they will limit their opportunities to predispose more people.”
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