As experts in men, we’re constantly on the lookout for what men are interested in and how best to engage them. Men as an audience are vastly under-researched. Women, moms, Tweens and Millennials have been given plenty of attention; but for as important as men are as a consumer group, there is a shortage of insights being surfaced about them. Additionally, people investigating issues facing men seem to be asking the wrong questions or focusing on the 1% of ultra-hipsters, rather than the average American guy and what motivates him. In response we’ve created our first annual Acumen Report; the culmination of six months work gathering in-depth insights from interviews with men around the country and a survey of 2,000 men ages 18-49.
The report is a high level look at the zeitgeist of men today. Combining video, statistics, and Break Media’s experience in the men’s space, we hope to help you understand where men are today. The Acumen Report is not a segmentation study, a study of men’s behaviors in specific verticals, or lifestyle data that can be had from syndicated sources.
Men at Home:
According to The Acumen Report, men’s roles at home and with family are the epicenter of his priorities. Over 90% of men believe that part of being a man is taking care of your family and those around you. An equal percentage says they would sacrifice their own needs to care for their families. However pressure to follow traditional gender roles at home still exists, with 3 out of 4 men concurring that society looks down on men who choose to be stay-at-home dads.
For guys stepping into a larger role at home has also upended traditional household responsibilities, and men now having increased responsibility for traditionally female tasks.
Men and Career:
As men have embraced a larger household role, their careers have changed in tandem. While a majority (86%) say there is still a lot of pressure on them to be the breadwinner, three-quarters of men surveyed say realities dictate that it’s okay for a man not to be the breadwinner in his household. In fact, over half of men in relationships admit they no longer are the primary breadwinners.
Technology has enabled a mobile workforce and men are now relying on their smartphones as their modern ‘tech-rectaries,’ with half of men describing their phones as ‘like a third arm.’ Concurrently there is a new wave of entrepreneurism, and 81% of men now admit they would like to work for themselves someday.
Men in the Media:
The study makes it clear that men believe the media hasn’t caught on to the evolved character of today’s man. Men surveyed said they are 32% more likely to see ‘macho man’ personalities in the media and 23% more likely to see ‘skirt chasers’, yet 31% less likely to see men portrayed as ‘good-hearted and trying to do the right thing’ and 30% less likely to see ‘hard-working, self-sacrificing’ types. Our interviews with men revealed that male-targeted ads with the highest resonance are those depicting good-hearted guys that don’t take themselves too seriously.
Men today are more apt to want a personal connection to the products and services they consume, with implications for purchasing decisions. Ninety percent of men indicate they look for products that are right for them and not just the latest and greatest. Over half say they will pay more for products that tell a story or say something about themselves, and they increasingly are the primary decision-maker for products that previously were more female-oriented.
More on The Acumen Report:
Excerpts of “The Acumen Report – The Definitive Guide to Men” are available on Break Media’s insights portal at acumen.breakmedia.com. For a detailed presentation of the findings, please contact your Break Media representative.
