What do men really want from brands? A take for marketers

For all those who thought marketing to women was a roller-coaster ride, getting through to men isn't that simple either. Male psycographic  research by a neuro-marketing company has revealed that marketers are missing their mark in advertising to today's male consumers by failing to comprehend their emotional state.

According to the report, men have a primal drive to be perceived as desirable, a trait marketers usually associate with females and hence miss out on reaching through to the male audience.  

This finding is particularly relevant for the health and beauty, beverage, and automotive categories, said the neuromarketing firm, NeuroFocus.

Marketers are also not doing enough to address the protectiveness angle that comes naturally to men, especially in categories such as financial services. For example, insurance companies that rely on humour or loss-prevention angles as their communications strategy are not resonating well enough with men, said the firm.

The same is being seen in the automotive field too. Portrayals of a father with an infant, and father to-older child provoked strong subconscious responses, the research found.

Beer companies and some entertainment properties are making good use of the camaraderie and silliness that is associated with men. NeuroFocus' research has showed that this underlying dynamic can be tapped by many products, especially in the automotive and consumer electronics fields, for greater emotional engagement and memory retention, two of the key factors in driving purchase intent.