Get that down you

This week has been an interesting one in terms of sexism and brands. Firstly radio advertisements for Mattesons smoked sausage featured a male voice, which stated “Mmm, Mattesons smoked pork sausage … Think about all the things you can stick this tasty, extraordinarily large sausage in… Mmm. Pizza, pasta, stir fry. You have any ideas? Give me a call and tell me where you like to stick it. Ladies, I’m waiting for your call … Mmm, Mattesons smoked pork sausage. You want it”.

All very salacious and full of innuendo. Then a survey conducted by AskMen.com of 5,000 men was published which revealed what ‘modern’ men really think. It makes interesting reading for most brands at pains to show that their products or services are metrosexual and politically correct. It is also especially relevant as it targets the traditionally cash-ready 18-34 year old age group who are particularly susceptible to brand messages

According to the study, eighty-nine per cent of UK men aged 18-34 thought that any girl they date should have marriage potential. Thirty-eight per cent thought that their partners shouldn’t have more than five former partners.

Seventy-eight per cent regularly make an effort to be romantic, but forty-three per cent would leave their partner if they became fat. Twenty-four per cent would change the moodiness and nagging of their partner if they could.

The survey suggests that men are really feeling the credit crunch. Sixty-four per cent are concerned about debt. And here’s an really interesting point that flies against modern marketing messages: a whopping eighty-four per cent are only mildly concerned about green issues. (This is probably down to being more concerned with today’s recession issues rather than looking towards the bigger economic problems of tomorrow).

Bring back Johnny Rotten

Traditional British cynicism is still alive and kicking among the 18-34 year old age group. Forty-six per cent of UK men would vote for a non-major political party in the next general election. Forty-one per cent want Stephen Fry to be next Prime Minister. As for the Queen, seventy per cent would prefer to become citizens rather than remain Royal subjects.

At work, sixty-eight per cent would not punch their boss in the face, even if they could get away with it. [Still leaving the boss to be on guard against thirty-two per cent of men who are willing to offer a lesson in Queensbury Rules. What’s more, given the opportunity, fifty per cent would punch a colleague.

Go for it Shelia

But does all this only affect British men? According to Askmen – the answer is ‘no’. Take their opposites selves on the other side of the world in Australia. 1.500 Aussie ‘blokes’ [as I understand the correct vernacular for them is] were also questioned.

Seventy-one percent believe in the institution of marriage but sixty nine per cent said they have fantasised about sleeping with their partner’s friends. Meanwhile fifty eight per cent feel that moral standards in business are on the decline. Ninety-five per cent said they would date a woman with a higher incomes, forty-six per cent believed women put too much value on financial worth.

Bye-bye bluebird

Only eighteen per cent of UK men are using the TV as the main portal for information and entertainment, with seventy-five per cent using computers as their main source. And bad news for Twitterers… Eighty-five per cent of men simply cant be bothered with it.

Ah well, better forget the last twenty years and resurrect drinking pints, ogle at slim Tory MP gals from Norwich. Hope my wife smashes through the career glass ceiling, stick up a finger up at the establishment and work on my pecs to show that boss a thing or two.

Now where should I stick this extraordinarily large url link?…

Jonathan Gabay
www.brandforensics.co.uk

(Source: AskMen.com survey was conducted on the AskMen site between 8th June and 13th July 2009). More of the results

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