M&C Saatchi yesterday released The Modern (Aussie) Man White Paper – an unprecedented qualitative study of Australian men to coincide with International Men’s Day.
The study is the result of eight months of one-to-one interviews with 140 men. Seventy of who are an assortment of high profile leaders from media and marketing*, business, military, academia, sport and philanthropy. The other 70 were drawn from everyday men from all over Australia.
Click here for more on the Modern (Aussie) Man White Paper.
Click to download an oveview of the Modern (Aussie) Man White Paper – The Modern Aussie Man White Paper Overview.pdf
It was released at a launch lunch during the Australian Men’s & Fathers’ Strategic Roundtable in Parliament House, Canberra yesterday.
Hon. Kevin Andrews, MP federal minister for social services, introduced the White Paper’s author, M&C Saatchi senior strategist Carolyn Managh, at the launch.
Says Managh: “The study aimed to draw a line under historic truths and modern-day stereotyping to paint a new portrait of our nation’s masculinity and how men have evolved. This research steps around the minefield that stops everyday men from saying what they really think.”
Among the plethora of findings from the study were a number of key marketing insights, including:
- There is a huge, untapped opportunity for retailers given that men love buying, but hate shopping in the present paradigm
- Men are unimpressed by what they perceive as largely outdated, stereotyped male messaging that men’s brands target them with.
The White Paper distilled seven character types of which all Australian men are comprised of in varying degrees:
Broadband Connector, Action Man, Amateur Comedian, Nurturing Knight, Retail Ranger, Sensitive Cockatoo and Unassuming Romantic.
Says Jaimes Leggett (left), M&C Saatchi CEO: “There have been many assumptions made about Australian men. It was astonishing to realise how much men have changed in the 21st century, without universal recognition of this evolution. This landmark study, unlike any other, has gone directly to the source.”
*Media and marketing respondents included in The Modern (Aussie) Man White Paper:
– George Negus, Veteran Journalist and TV Presenter
– Richard Wilkins, Network Nine Presenter ‘The Today Show’
– Andrew McEvoy, Tourism Australia CEO
– Hamish McLachlin, Network Nine Sports Journalist
– Mark Brit, Nine MSN, CEO
– Ian Bell, Unilever Men’s Lifestyle Division, Marketing Director
– Kerry McCabe, UnLtd (Media Assisting Youth), Founder
– Simon Traynor, Quicksilver Marketing Director
– Dare Jennings, Mambo & Deux ex Machina, Founder
– Rob Moodie, University of Melbourne Professor of Global Health and prominent health advocate
– Michael Klim, Milk Founder & Former Olympic Swimmer
Source: White Paper webpage (http://mcsaatchi.com.au/modernman/)
