Using our unique consumer survey, Simmons NCS, and consumer expenditure (CES) data, Mintel gives the reader an acute sense of how males 18-24 behave, what they buy, and the most effective ways to reach them.

Using data from CES, we show a five-year aggregate spending size for male heads of household under 25 as well as the consumer expenditure categories that young people index highest in. These data give marketers a floor from which to project sales and a jumping pad from which to develop products.

We also focus on males 18-24 concern for portability and flexibility, and the desire for products that travel from the bedroom to the car and provide a variety of functions. College students in particular tend to be willing to splurge for products they really want, or save up in order to afford them. This is a group that likes to stay abreast of technology, and desires new styling and features.

Finally, we show how activities such as gaming and online social networking present new challenges to traditional media like television, and suggest ways to reach a young male audience that is saturated with media activity.