Modern men are being influenced by new narratives, molding how they behave and express themselves.
A research report from 72andSunny and CrowdDNA’s New Narratives series has identified the cultural shifts in how men think, behave and identify in today’s world, and how brands can best engage with them.
The research included qualitative interviews with members of a panel of cultural influencers, culture makers and cultural experts to understand the latest trends; combined with social listening to provide.
Alex Houghton, strategy lead at 72andSunny, says the research mapped the new narratives shaping how modern men behave and express themselves.
"Three stood out as being important to marketers wanting to engage male audiences in 2024," Houghton said.
Re-kindling masculinity
This narrative isn’t about returning to unhealthy old school habits. It’s about keeping the good stuff, while chucking out the bad. It sees men rejecting the outmoded sexism, disrespect and aggression of previous generations - while still celebrating timeless positive attributes like mateship, honesty and authenticity, to promote a newly open and empathetic form of masculinity.
Australia’s iconic Solo Man is a perfect example of this narrative. His recent marketing makeover sees him still being a ‘manly man’, while simultaneously poking fun at the old tropes of stereotypical hyper-masculine advertising.
Re-thinking masculinity
This narrative incorporates traditionally feminine traits and concepts, to create a looser and far more inclusive definition of masculinity. This includes being more emotional, vulnerable, and intuitive. This addition of a ‘softer’ depth and dimension to masculinity pushes at the boundaries of traditional gender norms.
This narrative is highly relevant to marketers of body care products. Tom Ford’s groundbreaking move into men’s make-up ushered in a new acceptance of men wearing what were once women-only items. The huge popularity of Troye Sivan and an army of immaculately made-up male K-pop stars shows how this narrative has been embraced by large sections of society.
Re-inventing masculinity
This is the most progressive of the new narratives. This dares to confront society’s binary definitions of masculinity and femininity, and embraces gender fluidity. Here, men unashamedly seize the individual freedom denied to previous generations, to be as unique and true to themselves as they want.
Yet ASAP Rocky wearing skirts and holding the baby while his partner Rihanna poses for Vogue - while still being a hero to uber-cool audiences everywhere, plus an ambassador for Mercedes - shows that progressive doesn’t mean transgressive.
This spectrum of male identity and behaviour illustrates the range of opportunities open to marketers in 2024 to engage with modern men.
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