CPG Companies Should Target Men

While scanning through AdAge.com today I came across a really interesting article by Abigail Posner, senior VP-strategy director at Publicis, New York. In her article, titled "Why Package-Goods Companies Should Be Marketing to Men" she notes that numerous trend reports and even the 2008 census have shown that men are more involved in taking care of their children and homes. Posner points out that this opens up a seemingly obvious opportunity for marketers, but that many are not taking advantage of this shift. She concedes that men are certainly not the main buyers or influencers of household goods, but that doesn't mean marketers should avoid men as a whole. I really resonated with the spot on examples she gave of brands that have marketed to men- successfully- including Wii (which sold more units during the first half of 2007 than Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 combined!), and Spike TV. These are products that are focused on men, yet appeal to both men and women (well, maybe not all the programming on Spike TV, but some of it). Posner also notes that "as members of the media and marketing community we don't just reflect culture; we actually change it- sometimes very quickly and tangibly." She then references the fact that scientists discovered in the 1970s a link between increased fiber intake and a decrease in risk of cancer, but that alone did not affect consumer behavior. When cereal companies started advertising this fact, however, consumer behavior started to change. Interesting what a few ads can do, huh? Towards the end she talks about not basing strategy simply on current marketing data because that is shortsighted, perhaps even dangerous in some instances.

I think this article is interesting because it points out what most marketers already know- men are there and should not be ignored. The fact that more men are becoming buyers and influencers should be a huge sign to marketers and help shift strategies moving forward. Also, being reminded of the power we have as marketers was eye-opening. Not to sound like a jaded marketer, but I'm still surprised to hear how many people think "news" programs are straight news. Some people do not realize that there are marketers and public relations professionals out there trying to hoc products and clients to get air-time, radio-time, print space, etc. Diane Sawyer probably doesn't really love the new XYZ from company Acme, but some talented PR pro has managed to get the product on during the 8 o'clock segment. That just reminds me how much pull we have as marketers. When people truly believe what is being fed to them as an absolute truth, it is a power we must handle very carefully. It is too easy to take advantage of unknowing consumers and that could have dire effects.

As a manager, being aware of the power we hold as marketers and being aware of shifting trends, such as more male buyers, gives us the information we need to move forward effectively. And as Posner states, we need to take all of this information into account, including forecasted trends and not just current trends today, to really be able to anticipate consumers' needs and wants in the future.