male consumer seeks relationship with brand choice advisor

04/02/2004 03:43:00 PM
It's a fact: men are less shy about their vanity than they were even ten years ago. In the media and in social life, the residual 1950's gender role machismo is giving way to a more honest and balanced reflection of what men actually care about. Men do want to look stylish and attractive, and they are willing to put in some effort and energy to achieve that end.

With increased product choice and branding, more and more purchase decisions are becoming fashion decisions. Choosing a cell phone, a pair of shoes, even a bottle of water is trickier now that each brand and particular model carries so many myriad meanings and messages about the guy who buys and even inadvertantly displays it.

While guys may be more open about their vanity than they were thirty years ago, that doesn't mean they're comfortable asking for moisturizer advice or even clothing brand advice from friends the way women are.

What has thus emerged is a new need on the part of the male consumer: a need for an adviser, a trusted expert, a resource for guidance that could help sift through the thousands of choices in so many categories and give guys an edited, safe, high-quality, high-value, stylish set of choices. The current retailers, magazines and celebrity endorsers are not completely or effectively meeting this editing and recommending function. Queer Eye's wild success is a testament to this, as are the many men's shopping magazines all coming to market these past few months. We think this presents enormous opportunity for smart brands to fill this emerging need, from small category niches to global markets, the need is there.
article entitled, 'Publishers Starting Shopping Mags for Men"
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