Global communications agency, Leo Burnett and global digital research firm, comScore, have partnered to present a proprietary study on men’s online behavior — and the influence it has on media strategies and creative execution — at the iMedia Brand Summit in Coronado Island, Calif. Presented by Rose Cameron, senior vice president and strategic planning director at Leo Burnett USA and James Lamberti, senior vice president of the media and technology at comScore, “Tracking the Virtual Man: What Are Men Really Doing Online?” explores the evolving state of masculinity, classifies male mindsets into four key categories and examines the differences in online behavior among the different segments.
“Men have always accounted for a huge amount of buying power, but now they are spending money in places they never did before,” said Cameron. “The bottom line is that men represent a different kind of consumer, weighing their buying decisions based on female influence in their lives. That is why it is imperative that we spend more time to reassess the state of masculinity, particularly as it is revealed in the observed behavior of our male segments online.”
Male Mindsets
The study was an update of the 2005 Leo Burnett Men’s Study which identified four primary male mindsets driven by issues relating to the gender debate. The first two groups represent 40% of the population. They are characterized on one end by enlightened, evolved, modern men—or what have been popularly dubbed “Metros or metrosexuals,” and on the other end, entrenched, more traditionally masculine “Retros or retrosexuals” who cling steadfastly to stereotypical male behavior. Both segments have been informed by women’s empowerment and feminism, and see themselves either adapting to new societal roles or rejecting them. The media seems fixated on the struggle between these groups and the tension that exists between them.
The second two groups are more focused on defining themselves in the eyes of other men, largely by seeking respect and admiration for being successful in their professional life on one end of the spectrum, or their personal, family life on the other. These are the Power Seekers and Patriarchs, respectively, and they are largely overlooked by popular culture, the media and marketers.
Through closer observations, a few fundamental points were discovered particularly with men’s online behavior.
1. Men have common needs. They ALL use the Web more or less to the same extent – it’s how they use it that drives the deeper understanding. This includes usage for search, communication, and financial needs.
2. The four mindsets exposed categories of online usage that actually differentiate men, and identify opportunities to increase frequency and potential brand engagement. These categories provided further dimension of the target, specifically to how they use the Web to better support their areas of interest and their overall lives.
“When thinking about men’s online behavior, the first thing that automatically comes to mind is SEX,” said Cameron. “There are other areas of the Web – food, cars, health, big screen TVs – that ALL men visit and they’re great for achieving the overall reach of men as a universal target. The real difference is that some mindsets are more passionate than others in these areas, making them a better target for specific brands.”
“When we look at the overall use of the Internet, there is little difference across the four segments. ” commented Lamberti. “But when you dig into exactly what they are doing online, dramatic differences in their interests emerge. It is these insights that can provide the agency and marketer a roadmap to creative development and media planning both online and offline.”
Surprising Findings
In assessing men’s online behavior, the study uncovered some unique Web personas for the four mindsets: Metros, Retros, Patriarchs and Powerseekers.
o The Metros emerged as the Social Butterfly. He primarily uses the Web for social networking. He’ll search for entertainment options, rally his network of friends and head out to the latest hotspot rather than sit around playing on the Web.
o Media plan: He is more likely to react to digital media that supports entertainment culture.
o The Retros was exemplified by the Web Pragmatist. He uses the Web as a tool, goes in with a specific purpose in mind, utilizes a function and gets off the Web.
o Media plan: Retros revere their formeroffline life. The Web enhances that world they love – radio, TV, food, IM. The digital world is simply a different way to do the same old things. Social networking, blogs and the Web as new entertainment are not the appeal.
o The Patriarch was re-defined as the Loyal Protector. Whether he is protecting the long term viability of his career, the family car and house, or the basic ideals of family, faith and country – he is more likely to visit sites that will allow him optimize what he has rather then invest in the net new.
o Media plan: He spent the least time on the Web overall; therefore, brands must message and plan accordingly. His interests include political satire, car sites, and genealogy.
o Finally the Powerseeker was portrayed as the King of Bling. He was the number one buyer on the Web. The money he earns off the Web on his multitude of ventures is spent on the Web in record numbers.
o Media plan: Travel, Luxury Goods, Real Estate, Clothes and Vegas are his passions, but bargain still appeals.
“Taking your offline segmentation schemes and porting them to the online world gives you a roadmap to develop better creative and media strategies,” concluded Lamberti. “The addition of observed online behavior to the self-reported attitudinal segments brings the resulting advertising to life and helps make it more relevant to the target consumers.”
Study Conclusions
In light of these findings, the seminar offered several recommendations for marketers:
►MORE ACTIONABLE SEGMENTATION: Porting your segmentation into the digital planning environment can add tremendous tactical value.
►SCALE AND COST EFFICIENT: By defining segments on passively observed panel behaviors, there is the possibility of on-going tracking through established reporting tools. This allows for unprecedented scale of segmentation work with more sample at a lower cost.
►PLAN IN REVERSE: The traditional advertising models are slow to embrace the rich abundance of digital data and “reverse the planning process”. In many instances, the ideal result is to help your offline counterparts with insight they cannot easily obtain elsewhere. A proactive approach will create the opportunity for strategy and tactics to grow share and sales.
Leo Burnett USA
Leo Burnett USA helps build many of the world’s most valuable brands, including McDonald’s, Disney, P&G, Kellogg and Nintendo. Leo Burnett holds people at the center of its strategic thinking, technological innovation and creative ideas, focusing first and foremost on human behavior before attempting to tell a brand’s story. The country’s second largest agency brand, as ranked by Advertising Age, Leo Burnett USA is the flagship of Leo Burnett Worldwide, a global network of over 200 operating units, including a variety of specialty marketing services and over 90 full-service advertising agencies in 82 countries.
comScore
comScore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR) is a global leader in measuring the digital world and preferred source of digital marketing intelligence. In an independent survey of 800 of the most influential publishers, advertising agencies and advertisers conducted by William Blair & Company in July 2008, comScore was rated the ‘most preferred online audience measurement service’ by 54% of respondents, a full 20 points ahead of its nearest competitor. comScore’s capabilities are based on a massive, global cross-section of approximately 2 million Internet users who have given comScore permission to confidentially capture their browsing and transaction behavior, including online and offline purchasing. comScore panelists also participate in survey research that gathers and integrates their attitudes and intentions. Using its proprietary technology, comScore measures what matters across a broad spectrum of digital behavior and attitudes, helping clients design more powerful marketing strategies that deliver superior ROI. With its recent acquisition of M:Metrics, comScore is also a leading source of data on mobile usage. comScore services are used by more than 1,100 clients, including global leaders such as AOL, Microsoft, Yahoo!, BBC, Carat, Cyworld, Deutsche Bank, France Telecom, Best Buy, The Newspaper Association of America, Financial Times, ESPN, Fox Sports, Nestlé, Starcom, Universal McCann, the United States Postal Service, the University of Chicago, Verizon Services Group and ViaMichelin. For more information, please visit www.comscore.com.
