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Men Are Today's New Customers!
adical changes in the role of women in society over the past four decades inevitably have caused corresponding changes in the position of men in the workplace, their relationships with women, and their involvement in family life. The blurring of strict gender differences in roles and relationships has a significant impact on consumer behavior in 21st century America.
For example, as more and more married men take on child-rearing and household chores traditionally reserved for women, assumptions about the participation of men in family purchasing decisions need to be revisited. As younger single men become less concerned about modeling themselves after traditional male stereotypes, marketing strategies need to be adjusted.
Packaged Facts defines the U.S. men's market as consisting of the buying power of males 18 years old and over. The men's population, which exceeds 105 million, is skewed toward younger age groups.
For example, 14.1 percent of males are 18 to 24 years old, compared to 12.5 percent of females. Another characteristic of the age structure of the male population is that men outnumber women in the under-40 age groups. There are approximately 850,000 more males than females among 18-to 24-year-olds, and 168,000 more men among 25- to 39-year-olds.
The adult male population has a higher percentage of non-Hispanic Whites than the male population under the age of 18 (70.4 percent vs. 59.7 percent). The disparity is especially noticeable in the case of Hispanics, who comprise 18.6 percent of the population of younger males and only 12.9 percent of males 18 years old and over.
While multicultural segments have begun to have an impact on the composition of younger age groups in the men's population, older men remain predominately non-Hispanic White. While 61 percent of 18- to 24-year-old males are non-Hispanic Whites, a substantially higher percentage (85.1 percent) of men in the 75 plus age group are non-Hispanic Whites.
The men's market is affected by significant differences in the male-female ratios that exist across various localities. For example, in the Northeast, there are only 93.5 males for every 100 females, while in the West the ratio is 99.6.
The average male experiences a continuous increase in income from his early 20s into his late 50s. From the age of 60 on, average income falls precipitously as more and more men end their years as full-time workers.
Although the income and earnings gap between men and women narrowed significantly in the latter part of the 20th century, a wide range of social factors continue to create conditions leading to significantly higher average income for men. For example, men in their 50s have an average income of around $56,000, which is 79 percent higher than that of women in their 50s.
There are 27.3 million men with incomes of $50,000 or more and 12.9 million men with incomes of $75,000 or more. The highest percentage of high-income men is found among 40- to 49-year-olds. Nearly one out of three men with incomes of $75,000 or more are in their 40s.
Despite changes in the role of women in society occurring from the 1970s onward, men still are more likely than women to be in the labor force. This pattern holds across every age group. Moreover, when women are in the labor force, they are more likely than men to be found in part-time jobs (18 percent vs. 6.6 percent). Women are more likely than men to choose part-time work for non-economic reasons such as family responsibilities (14.7 percent vs. 4.7 percent).
Despite the gains in the workplace registered by women, men remain dominant in many higher-paying and more influential jobs. For example, while 72 percent of lawyers and judges are men, 79 percent of paralegals and legal assistants are women.
Approximately one out of four doctors is male and more than nine out of 10 nurses are women. Men also continue to dominate high-paying jobs in the construction industry.
Only a small percentage of men in the 50 plus age group have never married (6.7 percent of 50- to 64- year-olds and 3.9 percent of men 65 years old and over). By the time men reach their 40s, only 13 percent have never married at some point in their lives. Approximately 13 percent of men in their 30s, 17 percent of men in their 40s, and 18 percent of men in their 50s are separated or divorced.
While there are 58.6 million men living as part of a married couple, there are around 4.6 million males 15 years old and over who live as a partner in an unmarried couple. Men living in unmarried opposite-sex couples tend to be younger and less educated and have lower earnings than their married counterparts.
Census 2000 counted 332,645 households consisting of unmarried partners who were both male, indicating that around 665,000 Census respondents identified themselves as gay men in committed relationships. However, it is widely held that Census 2000 undercounted the number of gay men and lesbians, including those who live in committed relationships. Other data sources, including surveys carried out by the Gill Foundation and Kaiser Family Foundation, indicate that at least 30 percent of gay men and lesbians live as partners. Based on these and other analyses, Packaged Facts has estimated that there are approximately 3.9 million gay men who live with a partner (The U.S. Gay & Lesbian Market, October 2004).
According to an analysis of Census 2000 data conducted by the Census Bureau, between 1990 and 2000 the male population grew slightly faster (13.9 percent vs. 12.5 percent) than the female population as average life expectancy for men improved and immigration brought more men into the United States. As a result of these trends, between 2000 and 2050 the proportion of men in the population aged 20 years old and over will increase from 48.2 percent to 48.5 percent.
In line with overall demographic trends in the United States, older age groups within the men's population will grow fastest in coming decades. Between 2000 and 2020, the population of men in the 65- to 84-year-old age group will increase more than 60 percent, compared to only a 5.1 percent increase in the population of men in the 20- to 44-year-old age group.
Men who marry are marrying at a later and later age. Between 1970 and 2003 the median age at first marriage for men 15 years and over increased from 23.2 years to 27.1 years. An increasingly large segment of the men's population does not get married. In 1970, 28.1 percent of men had never married, compared to 32.1 percent of men in 2003. Most striking is the impact of delayed marriage on the marital status of younger men. In 2003 a majority (54.6 percent) of men in their late 20s had never married, compared to only 19.1 percent of this age group in 1970.
While marriage has become less commonplace, divorce has become more frequent. Between 1970 and 2003, the percentage of divorced men increased from 3.5 percent to 10.1 percent. As a result, the number of divorced men increased nearly five-fold from 2.3 million to 11.1 million. In contrast, the population of men as a whole increased only 54.3 percent during this period.
In 1970 men were nearly twice as likely as women to have a college degree (14.1 percent vs. 8.2 percent). By 2003 the disparity had nearly closed (28.9 percent vs. 25.7 percent). One of the results of the gender gap on campus is the narrowing of the educational gap in marriages. In 1981, 31.9 percent
of men had more education than their wives, compared to 23.9 percent in 2003.
Men are increasingly less likely to function as the sole breadwinner in married-couple families, a trend that holds true whether a couple has children or not. In 1986, the husband was the sole person in the labor force in 28.8 percent of married couples without children; in 2003 this percentage was 21.7 percent. The comparable figure in 1986 for married couples with children was 36.2 percent , and in 2003 it was 29.0 percent.
In 1970, average earnings of men were 76.1 percent higher than women's. By 2003 the disparity had narrowed to 43.2 percent. One reason for the closing of the earnings gap between men and women is that men have been more vulnerable to downsizing and layoffs because their relatively high salaries make them attractive targets to corporate cost-cutters.
Compared to women, men are much less likely to go shopping frequently and to enjoy it. While 55 percent of women say that they only go shopping when they have something to buy that they need, half of them also enjoy shopping even when they don't buy something. In contrast, nearly two out of three men only go shopping when they need something, and only
one out of four enjoy shopping even when they don't make a purchase.
Men are much more likely than women to "especially enjoy shopping with the opposite sex (27.4 percent vs. 16.1 percent). This difference of opinion between men and women is relatively narrow among 18- to 24-year-olds but is substantial within all other age groups. Moreover, in all age groups above 25 years, men are much less likely than women to say that they prefer shopping alone and to prefer to split up when shopping with others.
Compared to women, men in all age groups are more likely to turn to trusted brands rather than change brands often for the sake of variety or novelty. In general, brand awareness increases with age. The older men get, the more likely they are to always look for a brand name and to avoid buying unknown brands in order to save money. As men age, they also are less likely to change brands often for variety or novelty.
Simmons National Consumer Survey (NCS) data indicate that the fundamental difference is that men shop with a specific purpose in mind and generally stick to it, while women are more likely to treat shopping as an open-ended experience. Thus, when men are shopping, they are much more likely to get what they want and leave (56.8 percent vs. 40.1 percent).
Although women still predominate in stores and family purchasing decisions, research shows that men are shopping more and are taking charge of their buying decisions to a greater extent than previously. For example according to Port Washington, New York-based NPD Group, in 2003 women were responsible for only 30 percent of men's apparel purchases, compared to 52 percent in 1998 and 60 percent in 1985.
As the first generations of males to be raised at the mall, Gen-X and Gen-Y men are much more oriented toward shopping as an interesting experience rather than as a simple necessity. Around one in four men under the age of 40 say that they go shopping frequently. This percentage declines to less than 20 percent for men in their 40s and 50s.
Men in the 18- to 24-year-old age group are far more interested in keeping up with the latest fashions and in turning to clothing as a way of expressing identity. Men's interest in fashion declines precipitously as they age.
A substantial percentage of men in all age groups fewer than 60 say that the Internet has changed the way they get product information. Most affected are 25- to 39-year-olds, followed by men in their 40s, 18- to 24-year-olds, and men in their 50s. Those in the 18- to 24-year-old age group are most likely to report that they are doing more shopping on the Internet than before and that they like to hear about products and services by e-mail.
Red states increasingly control the direction of national politics, but blue states wield economic power that is out of proportion to their political clout. States voting for John Kerry in 2004 control 52.5 percent of aggregate household income in the United States.
Men in the Southwest (which includes Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, and New Mexico) are far more likely than their counterparts in other parts of the country to describe themselves as conservative evangelical Christians. Men living in the Northeast and Pacific region outside of Los Angeles tend to have the most secular orientation.
There are striking differences across regional lines and value segments in the degree to which men see organized groups and associations as part of their daily lives. In general, strong religious conservatives are far more likely than their secular counterparts to belong to an organized group.
Religious conservatives are more likely to favor classical and country music concerts. Men with a secular orientation are much more likely to go to a comedy club and a rock or pop concert.
Compared to men in other regions, men in the Los Angeles metropolitan area are most likely to go shopping frequently and to say that they really enjoy any kind of shopping. While men in the New York metropolitan area also have a high propensity to go shopping frequently and to enjoy shopping, their Chicago counterparts are much less interested in shopping.
Men in the Southeast and Southwest are far more likely to prefer to shop with their families. At the other end of the continuum, men in the Northeast are most likely to prefer to go shopping alone.
There are significant regional differences in the extent to which men pay attention to fashion. In general, men living in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles are most fashion-conscious, and men in the East Central and West Central regions care the least about fashion.
There are wide regional differences in the degree to which men are calorie-conscious. Men in New York and Chicago are far more likely than other men to be continuously on a diet. Men in the East Central and West Central regions are most likely to eat sweets and least likely to feel guilty about it.
Men who describe themselves as vegetarians are much more likely to live in Los Angeles and other parts of the Pacific region. Men in the West Central region outside of Chicago are only one-third as likely to be vegetarian.
Men in the East Central region are least likely to claim that they usually only snack on healthy foods, while New Yorkers and Angelenos are most likely. Frozen TV dinners are highly popular in the Southwest and are eaten relatively rarely by men in New York and other parts of the Northeast.
There are 37 million men who are not married. These include approximately 26 million men who have never married, 8.6 million divorced men, and 2.6 million widowers. The largest segment of the market for single men consists of men in the 25- to 44-year-old
age group who have never married. This group of single men has an aggregate income of around $391 billion. Divorced men in the 45- to 64-year-old age group account for the next largest market segment ($176 billion), followed by never-married 18- to 24-year-olds ($148 billion).
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), there are nearly 3.6 million male consumers living alone who have an annual income of $40,000 or more. Their after-tax income averages approximately $69,000, and they spend an average of nearly $46,000 annually.
Affluent single men spend about as much as their female counterparts for furniture and major appliances as well as household textiles, a category that includes items such as linens, curtains, and slipcovers. However, they go out to restaurants much more than single women, spending 65.9 percent more on food away from home.
Within the population of single men, those in the 18- to 34-year-old age group are most enthusiastic about the benefits offered by the Internet to their shopping activities. Young single men are more likely than married men to have placed an Internet order in the last 12 months, and they are more likely to use the Internet to plan shopping trips and to shop over the Internet itself. They also have the highest propensity to like getting product information by e-mail.
Single men in the 35- to 49-year-old age group have the highest likelihood of using aftershave and cologne as well as moisturizers. Facial cleansing and hair styling products are most popular among single 18- to 34-year-olds. Moisturizers and facial cleansing products are more likely to be used by multicultural single men than Whites.
Compared to other men, both married and single, 18- to 34-year-old single men and multicultural men focus the most on keeping up with the latest fashions. Single men in large metropolitan areas, especially New York, are far more fashion-conscious than those living in other areas of the country.
Single men under 35 are more likely than other men to own a wide range of consumer electronics products. Products most likely to be owned by single men in this age group include personal digital assistants, cells phones for personal use, DVD players, home theater audio systems, compact stereo systems, hand-held video games, and digital music MP3 players.
More than half of married men (54.7 percent) are married to younger women. Nearly one out of five are married to women 6 or more years younger. Only a small minority of men (13.1 percent) are married to older women.
There are approximately 30.6 million males 15 years old and over who are full-time fathers. Full-time fathers account for around 30 percent of the 15 plus male population. Included in the total are 26.5 million men who are part of a married couple with their own children; 2.3 million men functioning as full-time single parents; and 1.9 million men who are part of an unmarried couple with children.
One consequence of the trend toward delayed marriage is that twenty-something fathers are less common than they were previously. Between 1980 and 2002 the birth rate among 20- to 24-year-old men and 25- to 29-year-old men declined 17.8 percent and 14.7 percent respectively. At the same time, birth rates among men in their early 40s increased 32.2 percent.
A study released in October 2004 by New York, New York-based Families and Work Institute ("Generation and Gender in the Workplace") concluded that men are much more involved with their children than their predecessors were in 1977. In 2002, fathers' time with children increased dramatically - from 1.8 hours to 2.9 hours.
Many analysts have observed that members of Generation X focus intensely on creating a successful family life as a reaction to their own experiences as latchkey kids living in two-income or single-parent families. According to a report published by Boston, Massachusetts-based Reach Advisors ("Generation X Parents: From Grunge to Grown Up"), Gen-X dads share the same nurturing drive as their female counterparts. Nearly half (48 percent) of Gen-X fathers spend three to six hours a day on household and child-care tasks, compared to 39 percent of Boomer dads.
While two-income families have become the norm in the United States, there are still a significant number of married-couple families with children under 15 that have stay-at-home mothers (5.4 million). Conversely, this means that there are 5.4 million men who are the sole breadwinners for their wives and children.
The late 1990s saw a slow but steady increase in the percentage and number of married couples with stay-at-home moms. This type of family grew from 4.5 million to 5.4 million and represented 23.2 percent of all married-couple families with children under 15, up from 19.8 percent in 1994. One reason for the trend is the growing movement on the part of Gen-X moms to leave high-paying jobs in order to stay home with their kids.
In comparison to boomer fathers, many of who were raised in the midst of the social upheaval of the late 1960s and 1970s, Gen-X dads are more likely to have conservative views about the role of women. Nearly 18 percent of 25- to 39-year-old fathers believe that "a woman's place is in the home," compared to around 15 percent of 40- to 59-year-olds.
According to Simmons NCS data, boomer dads are much more likely than Gen-X dads to say that they don't like it when kids ask for non-essentials. They also are more focused on teaching their kids to be careful with money. However, along with Gen-X dads, they find it hard to resist when their kids ask for non-essentials and in general find it difficult to say no to their kids. Gen-X dads are slightly more indulgent when it comes to giving their kids little extras and providing them with things they didn't have, but Gen-X fathers also are more willing to postpone purchases for their kids until a special occasion.
Compared to their older counterparts, fathers in Generation X are less judgmental about their kids being exposed to materialism and less concerned about the morality of advertising to kids. In fact, they are more likely to say that ads have the positive benefit of helping them pick out products for their kids. Gen-X fathers also are somewhat more likely to be affected by their kids' opinions about brands.
Compared to fathers in the baby boomer generation, Gen-X dads are far more likely to enjoy any kind of shopping. On the other hand, boomer dads come much closer to fitting the traditional stereotype of the male shopper: that is, they are more likely to only go shopping when they have something to buy that they really need and, when they go into a store, to get what they want and leave. Boomer fathers are somewhat more likely to describe themselves as the primary shopper in the household, perhaps because a higher percentage of older men are running households as single fathers.
Men in the 50 plus age group are more likely than younger men to rely on newspapers and magazines to keep them informed. However, 18- to 34-year-old men have an above average propensity to rely on magazines for information, and they are more likely than older men to view magazines as their main source of entertainment and to say that most magazines are worth the money.
Two major magazine publishers, Condé Nast Publications and Fairchild Publications, both owned by Advance Publications, launched shopping magazines for men in 2004. Condé Nast introduced Cargo in March and Fairchild followed in August with Vitals.
In general, there is a sharp demarcation between younger and older men with respect to the priority given to television as an entertainment and information medium. Men under the age of 35 are less likely to consider television as their main source of entertainment and to rely on television to keep them informed.
There are significant differences in the television sports viewing patterns of older and younger men. Compared to men under 50, a higher percentage of the population of men 50 years old and over watches regular-season college football; both regular and post-season major league baseball and college basketball; PGA events; and boxing. Sports that are more popular with men under 50 include both regular and post-season NBA games; the Olympics; tractor and truck pulling; NHL games, both regular and post-season; X-games; World Cup soccer; and wrestling (WWE).
Mainstream cable outlets such as Discovery, The Weather Channel, TBS, TNT, and CNN top the list of cable television services most popular with men. There are significant differences across age groups, however, in the cable television choices of men. For example, among the 10 most popular programs for each age group, MTV and Comedy Central are uniquely favored by 18- to 34-year-old men.
Men have an above-average propensity to rely on radio for news and entertainment, although there are differences across age groups in the way men depend on radio. Younger men are far more likely than those in the 50 plus age group to say that radio is their main source of entertainment, while men who are 50 years old and over are more likely to listen to the radio for quick news updates.
Radio formats most popular among men in general are news, talk, business, and sports. The popularity of these formats is due to the high degree of interest among older men, who are much more likely than younger men to tune into these types of shows. Formats more popular among younger listeners include adult contemporary, contemporary hit radio, alternative, and all sports. The country/western format is nearly as popular among older and younger men.
Men are more likely than women to say that they use the Internet as a delivery mechanism for various kinds of media. Men have a higher likelihood of using the Internet as a source of news, weather, and sports information, to read online versions of newspapers and magazines, and to watch streaming video.
Both older and younger men have little patience with television commercials. The only difference is that 50 plus men hit the mute button when commercials are aired, while 18- to 34- year-old men change channels. Another difference between the two segments is that 18- to 34-year-olds do not express intense negative feelings about television advertising, and even find it interesting.
Although it is recognized that a handful of advertising platforms, such as the Super Bowl and the NBA Finals, have the capacity to transcend age groups, conventional wisdom continues to hold that under-35 men and single men require fundamentally different approaches than their older, married counterparts. As noted by Advertising Age (May 10, 2004), some advertising themes - such as sports, music, and comedy - have the ability to appeal to men of different ages, but even these can founder on the expectations of different age groups. For example, according to an executive with Havas' Media Planning Group, New York, New York the comedy preferred by older men is "more information driven or topical humor."
There is some controversy over the extent to which men have disappeared from the television audience. However, there is widespread agreement that marketers and advertisers need to look for creative ways to get their message in front of younger men as they increasingly turn to other media for their entertainment, including video games, the Internet, digital video recorders, DVDs, and video-on-demand.
In addition to delivering ad content online, through mobile phones, and video games, grassroots marketing geared to men is coming of age. During the 1990s, street-level to-person promotional activities became a staple of low-budget youth and urban marketing campaigns, but marketers increasingly see the benefit of including grassroots components in major campaigns.
In view of the explosive growth in the popularity of video games among the adult male population, marketers and advertisers have begun to recognize opportunities for product placement and other marketing ploys in video games. As noted by one industry observer, "Not long ago, video game developers had to beg permission to use logos in their games."
Now, for example, McDonald's Corporation is a sponsor of "The Sims Online," a game produced by Electronic Arts. (Advertising Age, January 19, 2004.) In another example, according to American Demographics (February 2004), "Volkswagen . . .paid Sony Computer Entertainment to have one of its vehicles featured in Gran Turismo 3: A Spec." Ford Motor Company launched an integrated marketing campaign for its 2005 F-Series Super Duty pickup truck. The campaign included a broad range of grass-roots events and partnerships in addition to traditional media. According to a Ford executive, "The integrated marketing effort for Super Duty, estimated at $50 million, reflects a growing trend at Ford
Division in the past few years to use more non-traditional means to reach customers." (Advertising Age, September 6, 2004.)
Burger King and its Miami-based advertising agency, Crispin Porter + Bogusky, launched a series of hip and irreverent Internet-based advertising campaigns designed to appeal to young men. According to Burger King, "It was important to us to get to the elusive adults in their early twenties and thirties, the 18- to 34-year-old men, the so-called missing men who aren't watching TV. This audience embraces the Internet." (ClickZ News, April 16, 2004.)
Packaged Facts estimates that the purchasing power of men totals $5.4 trillion. When analyzed in terms of race and Hispanic origin, the purchasing power of the non-Hispanic White population segment is largest ($4.2 trillion,) while the purchasing power of multicultural men tops $1.1 trillion. Other key segments include gay men ($337 billion,) married men ($4 trillion,) and single men ($1.4 trillion.)
Packaged Facts estimates that the buying power of men totaled approximately $5.4 trillion in 2004. Men in the 25- to 49-year-old age group were responsible for 55.8 percent of total buying power in the men's market. Gen-X men accounted for the largest single segment of the men's market and controlled aggregate buying power of more than $1.5 trillion. The men's market is projected to increase from $5.4 trillion in 2004 to $6.7 trillion in 2009.This represents cumulative growth of 24.6 percent.
Based upon the best available projections from the U.S. Census Bureau, Packaged Facts estimates that there will be significant changes in the relative importance of the various age segments within the men's market between 2004 and 2009. In both absolute and relative terms, the most significant growth will occur among 60- to 74-year-olds. Their buying power will increase by $552 billion, or 76.7 percent.
The past three decades have seen fundamental changes in the status of women in society that have been matched by equally profound shifts in societal views of male identity and the role of men in their families and the economy. For example, men now are much less likely to function as the sole breadwinner in married-couple families, both those with and without children. Fathers are much more involved with their families than men in previous generations, and men under 40 are especially likely to view themselves as in a partnership with their wives to raise their children rather than playing a secondary role.
In line with these changes in the role of men have come new definitions of masculinity and new models for men as consumers. Media attention to "metrosexuals" in 2002 and 2003 oversimplified and trivialized an ongoing shift in the blurring of gender roles that is having a profound effect on the men's market. What is important is that men and women can now more easily move back and forth between roles traditionally reserved to one or the other gender, and there is no longer a fixed idea about what constitutes a "real" man.
Segmentation within the American men's market is highly complex. For example, there are profound differences in the attitudes and behavior of male consumers that extend across regional lines. There also are sharp demarcations across age groups and life stages, although not always in predictable ways.
Industry analysts see a broad range of opportunities generated by male consumers today and in the future. For example, an increasing willingness of men to spend money on their health and well-being has been noted by makers of personal-care products.
The growing singles segment will create growing demands in areas such as consumer electronics and entertainment. Men with families are increasingly involved with buying decisions related to home furnishings and appliances.
As the roles and responsibilities of men have changed and definitions of masculinity have evolved, marketers and advertisers are confronting the need to decide how to present the American male in their advertising messages. Ads can now show men as free to depart from the norm, as in the case of a Johnson & Johnson spot portraying a man who stays at home with his kids. However, according to Sanford Keziah, of New York, New York-based Kindred Keziah, the fact that advertising lags developments in popular culture means that traditional images of men continue to be a mainstay in advertising. (Advertising Age (May 10,
2004.)
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