the meninist movement

THE MENINIST MOVEMENT

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AN INTRODUCTION - THE SOUND

A TEAM OF 32 STRATEGIC RESEARCHERS BASED IN ...

CALL US WHEN....

YOU WANT TO UNDERSTANDYOUR BRAND - YOUR CONSUMER - YOUR COMMUNICATION

YOU WANT TO BE INSPIREDBY YOUR CONSUMER AND THEIR WORLD

YOU WANT TO INNOVATEIN REAL AND EXCITING WAYS

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“Our society is becoming a ‘femocracy’ in which men and masculinity are being marginalized. The game of life is increasingly played

by women’s rules; success and failure measured by women’s criteria... In this

feminized society, men who act like women are clearly preferred to men who act

like men.”Michael Buerk, BBC Journalist

‣ GENDER EQUALITY- Gender equality is more of a reality than ever

before - Males and females find themselves facing the

same challenges and opportunities i.e. competing for the same jobs, under the same pressures, have the same aspirations

- Shared financial, emotional and domestic responsibility is a given vs. a luxury

‣ GENDER FLUIDITY- Gender traits are no longer mutually

exclusive- More acceptable for men to display

feminine qualities and vice versa - Success is now much more dependent on

the ability to adopt feminine traits i.e. compassionate, collaborative, sensitive

FROM BOYFRIEND JEANS, TO TINA FEY, TO LADY GAGA ... OVER THE PAST DECADE, WOMEN’S INCREASING SOCIAL POWER HAS BEEN UNDENIABLE

THE CULTURAL PRESENT - THE FEMINIZATION OF CULTURE

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HOWEVER, WITH THE RISE OF WOMEN CAME ‘THE FALL OF MAN’ ... As women’s social power increased and gender roles flattened, men were left wondering ‘What

does this mean for me?’

Social scientists coined it a male crisis!Educators were convinced boys need to be saved!

Media tried to over-compensate for men’s loss in power!

What’s left is a series of social impressions (or misconceptions) of what it means to be a man in the 21st century ...

THE CULTURAL PRESENT - THE DEMISE OF MAN

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THE COLLEGE DROPOUTWith 60% of college graduates

being women and 66% of Ds and Fs being given to boys, educators and congressmen launch national

‘Save Our Boys’ campaign

THE UNEMPLOYED MALEMen hit by the ‘Mancession’ the

hardest, accounting for 82% of jobs lost in 2009, resulting in a

unemployment rate of over 12%

"We're at risk of having a generation of young males who aren't well-connected to the labor market and who don't feel strong ownership of community or society because they haven't benefited from it."

Dr. Catalano, Professor at the University of California

MEN ARE STUPID.. MEN ARE LESS EMPLOYABLE..


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Ryan Seacrest

Emerging Adulthood - Millennials given social permission to delay adult responsibility until their 30s, with guys being the slowest to

leave the nest - 55% of men 18-29 live at home with their parents

THE METROSEXUALWith ‘Queer Eye for the Straight Guy’, manscaping, David Beckham and the murse, came a more image-conscious

man in the early 2000s

MEN ARE CODDLED.. MEN ARE..WELL LESS MANLY

“What used to be regressive weekends are now whole years in the lives of some guys.” Dr. Michael Kimmel, Sociologist and Author of Guyland

THE MAMAS BOY


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THE DOUCHEBAG

The emergence of The Douchebag brought us Pauly D and Barney Stinson, glamorizing self-serving, womanizing, hypermasculine

behavior

THE DUDEMEN ARE PIGS.. MEN ARE IMMATURE..

“Men today refuse to grow up and that’s making it difficult for women to find a decent mate." Kay S. Hymowitz, Author of Manning Up: How the Rise of Women Has Turned Men Into Boys

Man-movies like Old School and The Hangover celebrated guys, hanging out with

guys, doing guy stuff - typically involving rowdy, boisterous ‘man’s play’ that never

ended up well


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THE DEAD BEAT DADFathers depicted in media as ill-equipped and domestically challenged i.e. Knocked

Up, The Family Guy, King of Queens ... always late picking the kids up from school, fighting

off a man cold, and unable to change a diaper if his life depended on it

MEN ARE IRRESPONSIBLE..

Fathers given a bad wrap for refusing familial responsibility, resulting in an

increase in single mother households in the early 2000s - 62% of custodial mothers

do not receive child support

THE IDIOT FATHER

MEN ARE CLUELESS PARENTS..

“Man has been the dominant sex since, well, the dawn of mankind. But for the first time in history, that is changing ... The change in modern labor, from backs to brains, has catapulted women to the top of the

work force, leaving men in their dust.” Hanna Rosin, Author of The End of Men


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CONTEMPORARY MEN REALIZE CULTURAL PERCEPTIONS ARE FALSE, EXAGGERATED AND INCOMPLETE DEPICTIONS OF MEN

OUT OF STEP WITH WHO THEY REALLY ARE, WHAT THEY TRULY VALUE AND THE KIND OF

MEN THEY ASPIRE TO BE “It is annoying overcoming some of the

stereotypes that people have about men, such as being dumb, meathead jocks who only care about sports and cars.”


TODAY, MEN ARE FEELING MISREPRESENTED ...

THEY’RE NOT PIGS..in fact they respect womenTHEY’RE NOT IMMATURE..in fact they welcome responsibilityTHEY’RE NOT EFFEMINATE..in fact they’re just in touch with their emotionsTHEY’RE NOT USELESS FATHERS..in fact they are more devoted than ever before!

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67% of guys agree that real men cry

UNLIKE PREVIOUS GENERATIONS, CONTEMPORARY MEN HAVE THE FREEDOM TO CELEBRATE WHAT IT TRULY MEANS TO BE A MAN

‣ He no longer feels defined by societal misconceptions..

‣ He no longer needs to subscribe to outdated notions of masculinity..

‣ He no longer has to prove his ‘manliness’ to himself or anyone for that matter..

‣ Contemporary men are just interested in being themselves- Feeling comfortable in their own skin- Revealing the depth, complexity of their

character- Embracing maturity and responsibility- Doing the things their fathers didnt get a

chance to do

‣ Contemporary men appreciate the freedoms of being a modern man..they’re just waiting for society and brands to catch up!

“To be a real man, one must be himself”

THE MENINIST MOVEMENT - EMOTIONAL AND STRONG

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67% of guys agree that real men cry

THE CONTEMPORARY MAN LIKES TO FEEL IN CONTROL, BUT WANTS TO FEEL JUST AS COMFORTABLE BEING OUT OF CONTROL ...

‣ Baring it all doesn’t make him soft or feminine ... it makes him human- Finds it ridiculous to continue subscribing to

old fashioned male emotionality for the sake of bravado

- It is his expression of how he feels that signifies his true strength as a man - shows he is comfortable with himself, his vulnerability

- Being mindful only strengthens his relationships with his mother, father, wife, children

‣ However, he also relishes in the opportunity to demonstrate his conventional masculine traits- Enjoys being a resource for advice- Desires to be perceived as strong and

reliable

“Men need to be emotional ... hiding your emotions is not masculine. If you feel it

you have to be it. You MUST be authentic!”

THE MENINIST MOVEMENT - EMOTIONAL AND STRONG

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“Our bond is stronger and the respect has grown. We now admire each other for being men. Not for running touch downs and getting sacks. We

now feel like brothers and enjoy letting each other know how important we are to each other. I

guess with age we learn to value each other.”

HE NO LONGER NEEDS TO LEAD TO BE SEEN ...

‣ The ‘alpha male’ is an outdated concept for contemporary guys - the whole is always greater than the sum of its parts- Admire each other’s strength, realize how

each member can benefit the group- No longer afraid to show male affection -

share intimate truths without fear of ridicule or disapproval

‣ For previous generations, male group activities were often an escape from the pressures of work or home life

‣ Today, male bonding is a celebration of manhood - a time to ...- Recognize how far they’ve come as men- Learn how to become better men in the

future

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THE MENINIST MOVEMENT - A LEADER AND A FOLLOWER

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87% OF GUYS REPORT THAT IF THEIR PARTNER EARNED MORE THAN THEM, IT

WOULDN'T BOTHER THEM

HIS DREAMS ARE VAST BUT CONSIDERED ...

‣ Contemporary men desire to make their passion their career ... and not the other way around - Not just about being a provider, but being a

contributor to culture, to change

‣ He wants to be inspired by what he does everyday ... and inspire others along the way- Dockers gives away ‘Man Grants’ to

encourage men do what they love

‣ However, don’t confuse him for an idealist - He realizes the challenges the recession has

placed on his generation - Understands putting his passions into practice

won’t be easy. It will be up to him to find a creative way to define his own success story.

THE MENINIST MOVEMENT - PASSIONATE AND PRAGMATIC

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“It’s a man who looks to the past for inspiration about what it means to be a man, taking the best from that time and leaving the cultural garbage,

like sexism, racism, and homophobia behind.” Brett Mckay, Author of The Art of Manliness:

Classic Skills and Manners for the Modern Man

CONTEMPORARY MEN AREN’T AFRAID TO LOOK TO THE PAST FOR INSPIRATION

‣ Whether it’s growing a beard, enjoying an aged bourbon, wearing a 3-piece Brooks Brothers suit, or getting a straight edge shave at the barber ...

‣ Contemporary men enjoy engaging in traditionally masculine values, past-times and aesthetic as a means to celebrate the essence of what it means to be a man- i.e. Relaunch of Levis Vintage Collection 2011 -

1901 501 Jeans, 1920s Two-Pocket Sunset Shirt- i.e. Newsweek ‘Mad Men Edition’ - featured

retro-ads from brands like Allstate and Dunkin’ Donuts

‣ Serves as a means to differentiate themselves from women ... but not in an insecure way- He simply wants to connect to a more self-

assured time- Disapproves of dated, sexist principles and

adopts traditional, wholesome values like honor, integrity

THE MENINIST MOVEMENT - LIVING IN THE NOW AND BORROWING FROM THE PAST

58% OF MEN MISS THE DAYS WHEN SOMEONE’S WORD AND A HANDSHAKE

MEANT SOMETHING

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BEING A ‘GOOD PROVIDER’ JUST ISN’T ENOUGH ANYMORE

‣ Contemporary men simply have different priorities. They understand the breadth and depth of what being a father truly entails.- As much about being emotionally present

than it is about being fiscally responsible- Want to be invested in every milestone, every

minute - Wouldn’t feel any less masculine taking

paternity leave

‣ Choose to father differently than previous generations- Father with time ...- Father with patience ...- Father with heart ...- Father with support ...- Father with humility ...

‣ Don’t feel they deserve any special attention for it either, just a part of being a parent

50% OF GUYS REPORT BEING A GREAT FATHER AND HUSBAND WHO TAKES CARE OF HIS FAMILY AS THE #1 CHARACTERISTIC THAT

DEFINES BEING A ‘REAL MAN’

“Being a man doesn't mean not asking for directions! Seriously, being a man means being a great dad and being responsible

to your family. ”

THE MENINIST MOVEMEN - PROVIDER AND A PARENT

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“Guys today are neither the mindless, sex-obsessed buffoons nor the stoic automatons our culture so often makes them out to be. Our community is smart, compassionate, curious, and open-minded; they strive to be good fathers and husbands, citizens and friends, to lead by example at home and in the workplace, and to understand their role in a changing world.”

The Good Men Project


WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR BRANDS?

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65% OF MEN FEEL THAT NO COMMERCIAL PORTRAYALS

OF MEN ARE ACCURATE

the truth is ...


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MALE CONSUMERS HAVE BEEN

INUNDATED WITH COMMUNICATION

THAT HAS CONTINUED TO RE-ENFORCE

GENDER STEREOTYPES..

BEWARE:

‘Masculine’ messaging that portrays men as

insecure


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BEWARE: Sexist messaging that portrays men as

douchebags


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BEWARE: Gendered

messaging that portrays men

as weak


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BEWARE: Traditional messaging

that portrays men as idiots


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HOWEVER, SOME BRANDS REFUSE TO FALL VICTIM TO OLD HABITS..AND OUR GUYS ARE TAKING NOTICE!

Dove Men celebrates him feeling comfortable in his own skin ...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_I9fyX0RhI






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CHEVY ACKNOWLEDGES THE RELATIONSHIPS MOST IMPORTANT TO HIM..

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Chevy spot: Son surprises his father by refurbishing his old 65 Chevrolet Impala











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DOS EQUIS REALIZES HIS ASPIRATION FOR MATURITY..


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GOOGLE CHROME RECOGNIZES THE ROLE HE PLAYS AS A FATHER..

Google Chrome spot: Father uses the web to document his daughter, Sophie’s liehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4vkVHijdQk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4vkVHijdQk








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THERE ARE SOME KEY POINTS TO CONSIDER WHEN TALKING TO CONTEMPORARY MEN..

IT IS IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A MAN IS CHANGING

AUTHENTICITY IS HIS MANTRAHe takes pride in always staying true to himself and gravitates to brands that are doing

the same. Encourage him to follow his passions!

HE REFUSES TO OVERCOMPENSATEHe is likely to reject hyper-masculine communication as he doesn’t feel the need to

prove his masculinity to feel secure.

HE EMBRACES MATURITYDespite his appreciation for his youth he seeks out and celebrates maturity milestones.

Recognize his need to grow.

HE WANTS TO BE TARGETED IN AN EMOTIONAL WAYHe is comfortable with his emotions (and his expression of them!) and respects brands

who are secure enough to communicate to him on a deeper level.


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the meninist movement

Documents

unemployed male men

university of california

social power

demise of man

social permission

gender roles

social scientists

cultural present