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At Two West, we believe in context – not clichés – for reaching male shoppers.
blog : Shopper Profiles
Man the shopper: Context and clichés
Context shapes everything, and whether hunting or shopping, there is more to our behavior than meets the eye.
First of all, men will always say they dislike shopping and that they treat it like a task. Shopping is a job and all about efficiency and finding the best deal (this is the point at which all of us men are supposed to eat a steak and thump our chests).
Men say it, but is it true? No, it is not. We say it because as a culture we have been trained to say we hunt, we solve problems and we see shopping as a task. It is a cultural norm we use to define our masculinity, not a reflection of reality. As with all shopping, there is an element of performing a task – we shop for groceries because we die if we don’t eat. Men, and marketers, like to think that’s the end of the discussion, but it is not. Shopping, unlike consuming, involves a series of subconscious, symbolic interactions and men, just like women, respond to these symbols. So what are the examples?
1. Men often use shopping as a tool to teach values and cultural norms. It is most obvious when you see a father and son in a sporting goods store. It isn’t enough to track down a new baseball glove. Fathers use this time, this shopping time, to teach the boy how to select a good glove, how to be a good sport and how to bond with the child. Watch a father shop with his daughter and you see similar teaching moments emerge. The retail environment becomes a stage on which he can impart wisdom and reinforce his role as father.
2. Men use shopping to establish and reinforce gender and marital roles. For example, when husbands and wives shop for groceries together, there is more going on than simple provisioning of the household. Men frequently slip items into the cart that are not on the list. The catch is that they do this when their wives can see them. It isn’t about sneaking a treat into the cart. It is about using shopping as a means by which playfulness and sexuality are rekindled. In terms of the general shopping process, men defer to their wives’ expertise in all things domestic, even when they are perfectly capable of selecting the right foods. Body language becomes more timid and responses to question take on more hedges and/or apologies. The shopping becomes a platform for defining household roles.
3. Men use shopping to display skills and mastery. Men become more likely to make random purchases when in a retail setting where they feel comfortable articulating their knowledge and skill to the world. Watch men in hardware stores or when buying a car. They tend to exhibit more non-verbal cues of strength (standing straighter, more use of the precision grip, etc.) and tend to spend more time examining objects in detail than they would in other settings. The catch is that they frequently have no more expertise than anyone else. In this instance, shopping is a way of establishing status and self-worth.
4. Men use shopping as play time. The retail experience is a playground, plain and simple. The catch is that the space needs to make men feel like they have license to play and explore.
So, “Man the Hunter” is a myth - but what does it mean for you? Quit thinking about Man the Shopper as if he is exclusively task driven. Take advantage of the symbolic and subconscious triggers that will get him to buy more products and become an advocate for your store.
• 60% of men are using mobile apps when shopping1. Do more than provide deals. Use language that reinforces his role as a good hunter, teacher and/or spouse. Design interfaces as games. Provide outlets for displaying his skills to the world. He needs more than just 10% off his purchase.
• Develop retail environments and signage that reinforce his need to show his prowess and intelligence. Use language and imagery that can be used as tools for teaching his children, not just as points of information throughout the store.
• Use signage and displays that make him feel comfortable in a seemingly non-male setting. Signage should be used as part of the overarching retail design strategy. Incorporate “hidden” treasures in the retail setting that make him want to explore.
• Incorporate male-focused elements into your general media strategy. If you sell candles (a traditionally female target audience), consider partnering to set up a display at the meat counter of a grocery (men, after all, are the “expert” grillers in most homes).
Stop thinking about men as hunters and you will sell more merchandise. Keep thinking of them in this tired, old cliché and watch an overlooked opportunity pass you by.
1Insight Express, Mobile Shopping Study. July, 2010.
Check out the full Man the Shopper article with detailed research background on scribd.com.
- Gavin Johnston, Two West Chief Anthropologist
First of all, men will always say they dislike shopping and that they treat it like a task. Shopping is a job and all about efficiency and finding the best deal (this is the point at which all of us men are supposed to eat a steak and thump our chests).
Men say it, but is it true? No, it is not. We say it because as a culture we have been trained to say we hunt, we solve problems and we see shopping as a task. It is a cultural norm we use to define our masculinity, not a reflection of reality. As with all shopping, there is an element of performing a task – we shop for groceries because we die if we don’t eat. Men, and marketers, like to think that’s the end of the discussion, but it is not. Shopping, unlike consuming, involves a series of subconscious, symbolic interactions and men, just like women, respond to these symbols. So what are the examples?
1. Men often use shopping as a tool to teach values and cultural norms. It is most obvious when you see a father and son in a sporting goods store. It isn’t enough to track down a new baseball glove. Fathers use this time, this shopping time, to teach the boy how to select a good glove, how to be a good sport and how to bond with the child. Watch a father shop with his daughter and you see similar teaching moments emerge. The retail environment becomes a stage on which he can impart wisdom and reinforce his role as father.
2. Men use shopping to establish and reinforce gender and marital roles. For example, when husbands and wives shop for groceries together, there is more going on than simple provisioning of the household. Men frequently slip items into the cart that are not on the list. The catch is that they do this when their wives can see them. It isn’t about sneaking a treat into the cart. It is about using shopping as a means by which playfulness and sexuality are rekindled. In terms of the general shopping process, men defer to their wives’ expertise in all things domestic, even when they are perfectly capable of selecting the right foods. Body language becomes more timid and responses to question take on more hedges and/or apologies. The shopping becomes a platform for defining household roles.
3. Men use shopping to display skills and mastery. Men become more likely to make random purchases when in a retail setting where they feel comfortable articulating their knowledge and skill to the world. Watch men in hardware stores or when buying a car. They tend to exhibit more non-verbal cues of strength (standing straighter, more use of the precision grip, etc.) and tend to spend more time examining objects in detail than they would in other settings. The catch is that they frequently have no more expertise than anyone else. In this instance, shopping is a way of establishing status and self-worth.
4. Men use shopping as play time. The retail experience is a playground, plain and simple. The catch is that the space needs to make men feel like they have license to play and explore.
So, “Man the Hunter” is a myth - but what does it mean for you? Quit thinking about Man the Shopper as if he is exclusively task driven. Take advantage of the symbolic and subconscious triggers that will get him to buy more products and become an advocate for your store.
• 60% of men are using mobile apps when shopping1. Do more than provide deals. Use language that reinforces his role as a good hunter, teacher and/or spouse. Design interfaces as games. Provide outlets for displaying his skills to the world. He needs more than just 10% off his purchase.
• Develop retail environments and signage that reinforce his need to show his prowess and intelligence. Use language and imagery that can be used as tools for teaching his children, not just as points of information throughout the store.
• Use signage and displays that make him feel comfortable in a seemingly non-male setting. Signage should be used as part of the overarching retail design strategy. Incorporate “hidden” treasures in the retail setting that make him want to explore.
• Incorporate male-focused elements into your general media strategy. If you sell candles (a traditionally female target audience), consider partnering to set up a display at the meat counter of a grocery (men, after all, are the “expert” grillers in most homes).
Stop thinking about men as hunters and you will sell more merchandise. Keep thinking of them in this tired, old cliché and watch an overlooked opportunity pass you by.
1Insight Express, Mobile Shopping Study. July, 2010.
Check out the full Man the Shopper article with detailed research background on scribd.com.
- Gavin Johnston, Two West Chief Anthropologist
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