Marketing and all things related

Marketing Blurb often jokes about “real men,” because there just happens to be a resurgence of interest in this 1980s concept of machismo. Perhaps marketers have grown weary of the so-called metrosexual movement, which actually exceeded its fifteen minutes of fame back in 2003. Our suspicions are confirmed by The Man Conference, a gathering sponsored by Advertising Age and Maxim to take stock of the male buyer. According to Advertising Age (free registration required,) the conference is concentrating on “testosterone-heavy topics such as beer, cars and razors.” Sadly, men are not easily stereotyped. But this much is very scary. A study of 500 men conducted just before the conference revealed that 58% of men polled “spent more money than they made each month. It almost makes their target household income irrelevant,” said a survey spokesperson. What do men want? Well according to attendee Microsoft, men want to control their entertainment. Hmm—Marketing Blurb wonders whether it makes more sense for men to control their spending.