Neither Metrosexual nor Retrosexual Connecting with Todays Man

June 7, 2011

With the economic downturn hitting male-dominated fields hardest and women becoming more educated and, in an increasing number of marriages, out-earning their husbands, provocative cover stories in national magazines (Man Up!; The End of Men) have concluded that masculinity is in crisis and that the traditional man is becoming an endangered species. Assuming that a male backlash against these trends and pronouncements was forthcoming and that men were feeling their masculinity increasingly threatened, many marketers sought to connect with men by embracing a retrosexual tone and sensibility that implored men to Wear the Pants and make a Last Stand (i.e., revert to a previous eras version of masculinity). A Futures Company analysis of the current attitudes of men, however, suggests that a retrosexual sensibility is likely to fall flat with todays man. The fact is that the vast majority are taking the changing gender roles in stride and are looking for morenot lessfreedom from rigid and increasingly out-of-step visions of masculinity.

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Neither Metrosexual nor Retrosexual Connecting with Todays Man

What the Data Say: Men have been disproportionately affected by the recession, resulting in a narrowing of the gender income gap. The vast majority of men are not uncomfortable with women assuming more traditionally male gender roles (and vice versa). Most men feel free to express themselves regardless of societys expectations. Many of todays ads targeted at men are built around an image of masculinity steeped in traditional machismo. Two-thirds of men say that very little of todays advertising and marketing is relevant to them.

What it Means in the Marketplace: It may be tempting to think that with traditional notions of masculinity under siege, images of hypermasculinity would resonate with men today, especially those hardest hit by the recession. Yet such images which typically depict traditional macho tropes such as dominance, aggression and exaggerated appetitesare increasingly likely to fall flat with many men, including with Millennials, often the target audience for these retrosexual ads.

Monetizing the Insight: While there may be short-term gains associated with traditional masculine appeals, the longer-term trend suggests that men will generally accept and adapt to the blurring of the roles, responsibilities and expectations placed upon their gender by society. Thus, it may be time to consider updating images and messaging to reflect a more modern view of masculinity that focuses less on traditional stereotypes and more on family, emotion, affection, connection and being comfortable with oneself regardless of how one defines what it means to be a man.

Want Some Help? Contact your MONITOR consulting team representative if you have any questions about how your brand or category can develop messaging that will resonate with the men of today and of the future.
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Men are taking the changes in stride

Gender Blending ahead: The disproportionate effect the recession had on men and the widening collegiate gender gap are pointing to a future in which gender roles and expectations will be more 8luid and 8lexible than in the past.

2/3rds
The proportion of recession-related job losses experienced by men
(US Bureau of Labor Statistics, February 2011)

8%
The average annual amount single, childless women aged 22 to 30 earn more than their male counterparts in US cities
(Reach Advisors/US Census)

57%
The proportion of women in US undergraduate education programs

158,000
The number of stay-at-home dads in 2009, up 13% since 2008
(US Census)

(American Council on Education, Gender Equity in Higher Education:, 2010 )

Taking it all in stride: Despite these shifts, men arent expressing nearly as much discomfort about the prospect of changing gender roles as one might expect.

Makes me uncomfortable
(5-7 on a 7-pt. scale where 7 is I am very uncomfortable with this)

Total Men

Fathers staying home to take care of their children while the mother works Women earning more than their husbands Women who are better educated than their husbands

Just 28% Just 23% Just 23%

Source: 2011 Yankelovich MONITOR

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Attitudes indicate openness to change, yet many ads are stuck in the past
Attitudes about gender roles and identity
I dont let traditional gender roles define how I live my life (2009 Yankelovich MONITOR) I dont feel constrained by social expectations of what is or is not appropriate for someone of my age or gender (2009 Global MONITOR US Sample) Nowadays we are free to shape our identities and transform ourselves in whatever way we want (2010 Global MONITOR US Sample)

Total Men
78% 64%

Millennial Men (b. 1979 1995)

76% 64%

57%

64%

The Rise of the Retrosexual: Many marketers have of late attempted to connect with men through overt appeals to traditional masculine qualities such as aggression, dominance and individualitytraits increasingly out of step with the values and attitudes of todays man.
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A more contemporary view of masculinity is required

Gender Bender ads are effective The opportunity Whos doing it well?

67% of men agree, Very little, if any, of the advertising and marketing I see today has any relevance to me
(63% among Millennial Men)
Source: 2011 US MONITOR

Ina new Dove for Men ad, former NBA superstar Magic Johnson speaks of the important things in life, namely family, connection and being comfortable in your own skin

Portrayals of gender roles in commercials have not become more gender neutral. Male portrayals still reflect a very traditional masculine perspective. We conclude that male confusion concerning what masculine roles are expected of them is being exacerbated by their portrayals in commercials.
- Is advertising a barrier to male movement toward gender change? Marketing Theory, March 8 2010 http://homepages.wmich.edu/~r5harris/Documents/ MarketingTheory.pdf
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A recent Budweiser ad depicts a military man hugging a friend upon his return from overseas

As a MONITOR Minute subscriber, you have our permission to repurpose the intellectual property contained in this slide within your organization. However, we request that you properly cite all information used with the following: 2011 The Futures Company, Yankelovich MONITOR Minute, June 7, 2011