Marketing to Men

It's no longer news that men shop, so marketers need to look well beyond the old stereotypes. There are opportunities for both brands and retailers to attract the male shopper, so it's important to understand his mindset and his shopping habits."People have for too long focused on how males and females are different and have made sweeping generalizations like 'men hunt' and 'women gather,' and 'men just want to get in and out as quickly as they can' versus 'women like to browse and linger,'" says John Wilkins, vice president, strategic client development at Atlanta-based Miller Zell. "In some cases these might be true, but the male shopper is just as complex as the female and has many shopping scenarios and need states."Miller Zell's research — consisting of online surveys, focus groups and shopalongs conducted in 2009 and 2010 with more than 2,000 men ranging from age 20 to 65 — found that contrary to long-held stereotypes:Guys are not always in a hurry: 60% say they don't set time limits on shopping trips.They are willing to browse in multiple channels, most likely: electronics, big box/mass merchandise and home improvement.While 47% say they make lists, they also tend to be impulse buyers across all channels.Miller Zell also found that, when it comes to men and the in-store environment, atmosphere (e.g., music, color choices) is important; they want displays with relevant information; and they prefer not asking for help especially in categories such as home improvement, where they think they should already be knowledgeable.For some guys, shopping has even become entertaining: 43.5% of males age 20-29 (and 32.6% age 30-39) reported "fun" as a reason to go shopping. "One of the ironies of the 21st century is that the divide that used to exist between males and females now exists between different generations of men," says Paco Underhill, founder, CEO and president of New York-based Envirosell. "As a 59-year-old, I would never call up one of my guy friends and say, 'Let's meet at the mall,' but younger generations would think nothing of doing so." Because so many young men spent their teen years hanging out in malls, says Candace Corlett, president, WSL Strategic Retail, New York, they are more likely than older men to visit "department stores, enclosed malls, specialty and discount stores for their clothes, and specialty stores for electronics and vitamins."Citing data from WSL's "How America Shops" 2010 reports, Corlett says that the No. 1 reason men age 35 and over give for shopping online is to save time. But, saving time is only the No. 5 reason for young men, she says. "Younger men's use of the Internet is much more holistic. They shop online to find the lowest prices, for the vast selection, and to get advice from peer reviews to help them make choices."For marketers, more important than looking at age is to look at life stage, says Liz Robinson, SVP strategic planning director at Rivet in Chicago. "Two Millennial males, one married with a family and one single, will have two significantly different approaches to brands, shopping, what is important and what is relevant," she says. "The same thing goes with Boomers. Similarly aged male Boomers, one retired and one working, will also have different attitudes and approaches to brands and situations."A June 2010 Checkout Study from Denver-based The Integer Group and M/A/R/C Research, Irving, Texas, also finds different behaviors between married and single men. Twenty-three percent of single men cited shopping as a fun, everyday activity, compared to only 15% of married men. "Married men are more into coupon clipping; 40% saying they seek out coupons and use them for everything they buy, versus 30% of their single friends," says Craig Elston, SVP, insight and strategy, The Integer Group. "And not surprising, single men seem to have more of their identity tied up in brand names, with 21% noting brand names are extremely important to them, whereas only 10% of married men felt the same."While Elston says they can't currently cut their data by minorities who are male, there are clear differences in shoppers across various ethnic groups. Thirty percent of Hispanics and 26% of African Americans agree that "what I buy has a lot to say about me," while only 16% of Caucasians and 17% of Asian Americans agree. "Everything from buying motivations to the actual shopping experience are impacted by ethnicity," Elston says.In-Store HabitsMen typically have a shorter path to purchase than women. "They typically research less, think about 'shopping' as more isolated to the actual physical journey, spend less time in the store and definitely spend less time discussing brands with peers," says Brad Fuller, EVP managing director and head of strategy development at Rivet. Rivet's June 2010 survey of male and female shoppers showed that males were 17% more likely than women to stick with brand names they recognize, 26% less likely to shop with a list, and 17% less likely to hunt for bargains in-store. Also, cause marketing appears to play an important role. An August 2010 cause survey conducted by New York-based PRWeek and Barkley, Kansas City, Mo., found that 88% of men say it's important for a brand to support a cause; 61% have purchased a brand because it supported a cause; 67% would be willing to try one that did; and 55% would pay more for a brand that did."Insightful marketers are seeing that men are more brand loyal in some categories, and that means challenger brands have to scream louder and be more direct, especially at retail," says Fuller. "And if you are lucky enough to be chosen by men and form a relationship that's based on value and trust, they are likely to remain with you. Give them solutions more than limitless options. Give them straightforward communication at point-of-purchase. Give them a fair deal that allows them to feel they've succeeded."Retailers who make it easy for men to find products will be rewarded, says Mike Norton, director, communications for Procter & Gamble male grooming. "More than 25% of men claim they left a store without buying a product because it took too much time or was too difficult," he says, citing Cincinnati-based P&G's data.Fifty percent of men surveyed by Miller Zell, says Wilkins, say they occasionally or frequently call home or their significant other while shopping. "Sometimes that is to say, 'The store is out of something ... what should I get instead,' or 'Honey, do you need anything else?' But often the question is to ask where something is located. That speaks volumes because it suggests that they have more confidence in someone who is not even in the store and does not work for the store than they do in the retail staff and signage in the store." If marketers pay attention to in-store navigation, it would not only greatly assist the male shopper, but "certainly will not alienate the female shopper."To make it clear where to find male grooming products at San Antonio-based supermarket chain H-E-B, P&G worked with the retailer to create a "Men's Zone" store-within-a-store. More than 500 products such as shaving items, face wash, shampoo and body sprays (P&G brands as well as others) are merchandised in one aisle. Arched endcaps, blue floor lighting and photos of guys make it clearly visible. Flat-screen TVs can show sporting events or other content while small touchscreens offer product advice and grooming tips. "Having all of the products in one section allows men, and the women who shop for them, to easily compare men's products across features, benefits and prices leading to better purchase decisions," Norton says. "The in-store environment is a key location to reaching the male shopper."P&G is also reaching out to guys in-store with on-pack targeted sampling programs. Gillette Fusion Thermal Scrub, launched along with Fusion ProGlide razors in June 2010, has been sampled in the ProGlide cartridge packaging. Also, Old Spice's new Fresh Collection body wash has been cross-sampled as an attachment to the line's body spray. Additionally, P&G promoted the ProGlide razors during "SaturDate with Beauty" events at Walgreens. The drugstore chain billed the events as "the first SaturDate known to man."Englewood Cliffs, N.J.-based Unilever's goal in-store is to "simplify the experience and to disrupt men to grab their attention in unexpected places," says Mike Dwyer, marketing director. When Vaseline Men was launched in the fall of 2008, a quick and relevant message (that the product was fast-absorbing and non-greasy) rooted in shopper insights was communicated via in-store displays, while shelf displays prompted trial. The company also looks for ways to attract men outside of the personal care aisle as they did this summer when its Axe brand was integrated into the music aisle at Target. To promote the launch of Axe Music — a new line featuring a body spray, shower gel and shampoo — a "One Night Only" concert series was created. The exclusive shows were promoted on-pack and online as well as in Target's music aisle. At Walgreens, Unilever has used aisle archways to promote its Axe and Dove Men+Care brands.Going MobileMore so than the general population, males (especially those between 25-34 years old) are the most likely to use their mobile phones to assist them with shopping, according to InsightExpress' Q2 2010 Digital Consumer Portrait study. Men are using their phones to confirm or justify purchases by getting reviews, checking for better prices, looking for coupons and using coupons they already received, while also looking for recipes and comparing nutritional information. "Another thing we found," says Joy Liuzzo, senior director, of Stamford, Conn.-based InsightExpress, "is that men in the 25- to 44-year-old group are also coming into the store with a picture on their mobile phone of what they want, and they show it to the clerk. What this tells me is that we are at the start of a new evolutionary shopping process and behavior with men."Liuzzo cites Best Buy as a retailer that is taking advantage of the mobile space, "whether it was an optimized mobile site or even a way to send a text message to get inventory or price information. They had options available to get information into shoppers' hands." But she says that not enough retailers are taking advantage of this opportunity to reach men. Integrating mobile with in-store offerings, pushing for mobile advertising, and having mobile-optimized sites are ways she says that retailers could better connect with males.Liuzzo says the study showed that males prefer to find mobile coupons themselves: 51% want to find coupons via an application; and 39% want to text in to receive them at the store. At the time of the study, men were over-indexing in coupon usage at electronics, clothing and department stores. Miller Zell's findings showed that a majority of male shoppers (54%) were not aware of cell phone coupons. And although only 12% had received them yet, 63% said they would be willing to use the technology. "Mobile is a great way to create an immediate interaction with a male shopper right at the shelf," adds Rivet's Fuller. "And it's on his terms."Reaching Guys Out-of-StoreSports tie-ins continue to be a preferred way to connect with men, but marketers are now using various digital and social media tactics to reach them. Gillette's "Young Guns" program is expanding beyond NASCAR for 2011, says Norton, to include athletes from Major League Baseball and the National Football League. Six "young guns" will play a key role in the brand's North American marketing efforts and will be featured in TV, print and online advertising as well as consumer promotions. A QR code for the campaign ran in a December issue of ESPN Magazine, allowing users to see background videos on each of the athletes.Norton says P&G's Old Spice "Smell Like a Man, Man" campaign from 2010 is an example of the power of social media to reach guys. The campaign, according to Norton, was the most-viewed brand channel on YouTube and the No. 2 ranked subscription brand channel on YouTube (with 170,000). Also, Twitter followings were up 3,000% and Facebook interactions up 800%.Last year, Unilever's Suave Men was tied in with NASCAR's Nationwide Series, sponsoring Dale Earnhardt Jr. and JR Motorsports. Signage and at-track sampling was included at six NASCAR races and was bolstered by a social and traditional media campaign.In other activity, Unilever has signed on with the National College Athletic Association, Turner Sports and CBS Sports to become one of the first official corporate sponsors of the NCAA. The sponsorship will span the entire Unilever men's personal care portfolio and will include integrated marketing opportunities, retail and print, promotions, online and TV advertising. As part of the partnership and to further support Dove Men+Care's "Journey to Comfort" campaign, Unilever has developed an iAd for the iPad. It includes content from basketball great Magic Johnson and others. The iAd features a "Trivia Time-Out" game in which users can win daily NCAA prizes.

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