Table of Contents
Overview
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- What you need to know
Executive Summary
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- The market
- The male population is greying
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- Figure 1: Trends in the age structure of the UK male population, 2014-24
- More and more younger men are living on their own
- Financial confidence among over-65 males high going into the New Year
- Most men in the UK are overweight
- The consumer
- Sports the number one interest
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- Figure 2: Men’s top hobbies and interests, October 2019
- Men likely to turn to online resources for health advice
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- Figure 3: Where men would look for different types of health advice, October 2019
- Men most want to be seen by others as trustworthy and friendly
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- Figure 4: Characteristics men hope to be associated with by others, October 2019
- Musical art forms the most attractive for men
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- Figure 5: Men’s engagement with traditional “high-art” forms, Correspondence Analysis, October 2019
- Men want to be included in the gender equality discussion
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- Figure 6: Men’s attitudes towards gender and gender equality, October 2019
- A sizeable minority of men would boycott a brand using gender stereotypes
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- Figure 7: Men’s attitudes towards gender stereotypes and gender politics in advertising, October 2019
- Most men are eager to test out new brands
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- Figure 8: Categories men indicate an interest in experimenting with unfamiliar brands, October 2019
- Pricing and trust possible barriers for food and drink start-ups
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- Figure 9: Attitudes towards supporting start-up food and drink brands, October 2019
- Advertising central to the discovery of new products
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- Figure 10: Sources of information for new food, drink and beauty and grooming products, October 2019
- What we think
Issues and Insights
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- Men’s love of sports can be used to inspire them to live healthier lives
- The facts
- The implications
- Men and the feminist voice in society and advertising
- The facts
- The implications
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- Over-55s the fastest-growing segment of the male population
- Living alone increasingly common among younger men
- The average age of first-time dads hits another new high
- Two in five working aged men are self-employed
- Half of all over-65 males described their finances as ‘healthy’
- Men of healthy weight in the minority
- ASA now enforcing new rules banning harmful gender stereotyping
Market Drivers
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- Demographic factors
- The greying of the UK male population
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- Figure 11: Trends in the age structure of the UK male population, 2014-24
- More men are living on their own
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- Figure 12: Proportions of one-person households, by age and gender, UK, 2019
- Average age of first-time dads continues to rise
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- Figure 13: Standardised mean age of mother and father by year, England and Wales, 2009-18
- Economic factors
- Male employment currently at healthy levels
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- Figure 14: Employment and unemployment for UK men aged 16 years and older, August-October 2009-August-October 2019
- 19% of working age men are self-employed
- Over a third of men describe their financial situation as healthy
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- Figure 15: Financial situation amongst men, by age, December 2019
- Financial confidence is highest among older men
- Men’s health
- Majority of UK men are overweight
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- Figure 16: Proportion of men aged 16+ who are overweight or obese, by region, 2019
- Regulation
- ASA begins to enforce a controversial ban on gender stereotypes
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- Sport the most common interest amongst men
- Over-55s prove the keenest of travellers
- Tech plays a key role in health in advice for men
- Most men want to be regarded as trustworthy and friendly
- Musical art forms are the most appealing for men
- Men want to be included in the gender equality conversation
- Most men are keen to try out new brands
- The right mix of new and old food and drink brands key for retailers
- Support for new brands is strong, but pricing and trust possible barriers
- Advertising vital in the discovery of new products
- Social media an important resource for under-35s
Men’s Hobbies and Interests
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- Sports prove most common area of interest...
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- Figure 17: Men’s top hobbies and interests, October 2019
- …while health/exercise falls some way down the list
- Sports as an avenue to normalising healthy living habits
- The more relatable the campaign the better
- Targeting the travel interests of the over-55s
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- Figure 18: Proportion of men who include “travel” as amongst their main hobbies/interests, by age, October 2019
Sources of Health Advice
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- Health websites a key resource across all categories
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- Figure 19: Where men would look for different types of health advice, October 2019
- Use of health apps and social media strongly skewed towards under-35s
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- Figure 20: Proportion who would consider using social media or health apps for health advice, by age, October 2019
- Men commonly use multiple resources
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- Figure 21: Repertoire analysis on where men would look for different types of health advice, October 2019
- Standing out from the crowd via social media
How Men Want to Be Perceived by Others
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- Men overwhelmingly want to be seen as trustworthy and friendly…
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- Figure 22: Characteristics men hope to be associated with by others, October 2019
- …with this at odds with how men are usually portrayed in advertising
- Over-the-top aspirational ads could start to face regulatory scrutiny
- Younger men are still more likely to be swayed by fashion-focused self-expression
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- Figure 23: Selected characteristics men hope to be associated with by others, by age, October 2019
- Tapping into the over-55s’ love of family
Engagement with Different Art Forms
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- Musical art forms hold the most appeal to men…
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- Figure 24: Men’s engagement with traditional “high-art” forms, Correspondence Analysis, October 2019
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- Figure 25: Men’s engagement with traditional “high-art” forms, October 2019
- …while other forms of art are less widely relatable
- The new “Renaissance man”
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- Figure 26: Proportion of men who consider selected art forms to be “Engaging”, by age, October 2019
Attitudes towards Gender
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- For many men, gender equality is about improvements for both genders
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- Figure 27: Men’s attitudes towards gender and gender equality, October 2019
- Changes in society resulting in the need for a more balanced approach
Attitudes towards Gender in Advertising
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- Half of men think advertising has become too focused on gender politics
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- Figure 28: Men’s attitudes towards gender stereotypes and gender politics in advertising, October 2019
- Most men believe they are just as likely to be stereotyped as women
- Men want ads that depict diversity in an authentic way
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- Figure 29: Men’s attitudes towards diversity in advertising, October 2019
Experimenting with New Brands
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- Men are unafraid to try out new brands
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- Figure 30: Categories men indicate an interest in experimenting with unfamiliar brands, October 2019
- Tapping into men’s interest in food and drink
- Financial risks put off experimentation in tech category
- Men under 35 the most willing to try out new brands
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- Figure 31: Categories men indicate an interest in experimenting with unfamiliar brands, by age, October 2019
- Appealing to older men still possible if the message is on point
Attitudes towards Food and Drink Start-ups
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- Men are excited by new brands and welcome the added variety…
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- Figure 32: Attitudes towards supporting start-up food and drink brands, October 2019
- …but overabundance nearly always leads to confusion
- Support for new brands is strong, but cost and trust are potential issues
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- Figure 33: Attitudes towards supporting start-up food and drink brands, October 2019
- New brands need to prove their worth to overcome any scepticism
- Smaller brands are in a better position to stress authenticity
Sources of Information for New Products
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- Advertising key for men when discovering new products
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- Figure 34: Sources of information for new food, drink and beauty and grooming products, October 2019
- Friends and family influential in spreading word about new foods
- Social media an important resource for men under 35
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- Figure 35: Social media as an information source for new products, by category and age, October 2019
Appendix – Data Sources, Abbreviations and Supporting Information
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- Abbreviations
- Consumer research methodology
- Methodology
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