The evolution of the male shopper : an approach to new segmentation

There are many recent studies that indicate an attitudinal change in the male shopper population. Many of these studies indicate dissatisfaction with the majority of current advertising messages because they feel they are not speaking to a male audience. In fact, many male consumers feel that the tone and content of the ad ignores them entirely. This report examines reasons why the male consumer of today is dissatisfied with current advertising messages and where marketers can make revisions. This report 1) studies the gender role shift of the past few decades, how it has impacted the concept of masculinity and what we know about the modern male shopper; 2) evaluates Tuncay’s eight themes of idealized masculinity as they apply to current advertising messages; 3) looks at how a new approach to segmenting the market can improve our understanding; and 4) considers in what way we can apply these findings to marketing practices today.