Men’s products have been on an exponential uphill for almost a decade. Alternatively, marketing to women has been the norm for centuries. As such, men’s products tend to embody visuals and claims that stereotype men as overly feminized or sheer buffoons. While research has shown that men and women emote differently, the truth is that real men fall in between.
In Asia Research Online magazine, SKIM’s Robin de Rooij and Scott Garrison have shared four tips for you to keep in mind when creating claims and communications messages for men – and the women who buy for them.
Sex Appeal – 4 tips for marketing men’s products
“Although men, in general, can be cut-throat competitive, goal-oriented, interested in power and, frankly, wired very differently from their female counterparts, marketers must focus first on aptly targeted emotional marketing and the relevant benefits that products can provide before focusing on who is making the actual purchase, whether that be the man in question or a woman in his life.
SKIM has performed message testing across categories, markets, and genders. Through meta-analyses of the messages tested across studies, we continuously learn more about what makes for effective communication. In this article, we will share four tips to keep in mind when creating claims and communications messages for men – and the women who buy for them…”
The 4 tips, in a row:
- Avoid extensions of feminine benefits; make benefits relevant to men
- Touch the emotional nerve behind the machismo persona
- Give men proof, validation in numbers
- Men focus on specific attainable long-term benefits, not immediate and implausible gratification