Men and Women: ‘New Lads’ grooming habits versus female stereotyping

Two presentations in one for this Speaker Evening, both highlighting how good research can probe assumptions and stereotypes about male and female consumers, and enable brands to engage with audiences in an authentic and effective way.

1. Grooming and Wellbeing: The Male View. A dual perspective from both researcher and client on how a start-up organic beauty and wellbeing brand developed new insights and profiled different approaches to the grooming and organic/natural market to define a ‘New Lad(s) model’ for male consumers. By Niki Richards, CEO of Organa Beauty & Wellbeing and Dr Federica Carlotto, Cultural Strategist

2. Women in Ads. An online study of 2,000 women to quantify the prevalence of female stereotyping in UK advertising and assess how brands can engage female audiences in an authentic, representative and effective way. By Michael Brown, UM London.

1. Grooming and Wellbeing: The Male View

What you’ll learn:

• Dual narrative on a research consultancy project from both the client’s and researcher’s point of view
• Understanding of the male grooming and wellbeing culture, and male perceptions on the natural/organic world
• Overview of “the New Lad(s) model” and its strategic applications
• The interview design process, analysis of the interviews and the strategic implications for Organa
• Live insights into the dilemmas and opportunities for a start-up to operationalise the research results

Description:

At present, the beauty industry is polarised between a few multi-brand conglomerates at one end, and numerous SMEs at the other. This fragmented business environment requires start-ups to create brand identities that are relevant to the public from the earliest days of their incubation. In this context, knowledge and understanding of consumers are crucial.

Dr Federica Carlotto and Niki Richards report on their research project for Organa, an organic beauty and wellbeing multi-brand retailer.

In its start-up phase, Organa wanted to explore the possibility of extending its business formula to men. Specifically, Organa’s founder, Niki Richards, was looking for insights into men’s grooming and wellbeing, as well as their views on organic and natural products.

The research was conducted through a set of ethnographic interviews in order to understand men’s consumption practices within specific life contexts. It has produced a conceptual map, the ‘New Lad(s) model’, which summarises the common traits of male consumers towards grooming, as well as profiling different approaches to the market offer.

The ‘New Lad(s) model’ has enabled Organa to shape its business operations – retail, marketing and communications – and devise a brand-aligned yet sustainable strategic plan to connect with male consumers.

2. Women in Ads

What you’ll learn:

• A framework to use in order to conduct ‘unstereotyped’ marketing
• The full extent and nature of gender stereotyping in UK society
• About the potential (in not responsibility) that brands have to deliver freedom of identity to society
• Advice on how to conduct research around sensitive matters relating to self-identity

Description:

This recently completed study has quantified the role of advertising in creating, maintaining and breaking gender stereotypes in society.  Our multi-methodology (quantitative and qualitative) approach has generated headlines across the world for surfacing a series of key new findings about the emerging expectation and urgency in society for brands to take a lead in tackling simplistic and harmful representations of people.