When you are trying to sell shaving equipment or men’s apparel, it’s difficult to devise a gender-neutral strategy for the ad, given the fact that men are the prime customers here. So, taking the gender-specific route and keeping the modern man in mind, let’s discuss a few strategies for creating effective ads that are the most likely to appeal to men.
Subdivide the Gender
Whether you decide to take the classic Alpha – Beta theory into account, or the more modern, technical approach, the very first step would be to figure out the subdivision your ad is going to try and appeal to. Even if the entire company is dedicated to men, we need to figure out the kind of men that are most inclined to buy the product in question.
For example, gay men are less likely to be attracted by the same kind of ads that appeal to straight men, if we are discussing sensuality as a theme. However, sensuality, when depicted in a positive manner, has been found by research to be more appealing to most men, irrespective of their sexuality.
Create Relevance with Class
There was a time when overtly sexual ads used to sell and there’s no denying it, however, that isn’t as true today as it was earlier. A man is less likely to be distracted by the sensual aspects of an ad today if it has little relevance to the product or brand in question.
Create relevance by designing an ad that is specific in its message to men. For example, we should take into account some of the classy ads that luxury watchmakers have released over the years. The theme in premium video ads targeted towards men is often along the lines of power, impression, and true class. Having worked for brands as high-profile as Stryker to Forbes, the best Houston video production companies can help you achieve brilliance with any idea that you may have for an ad, male-oriented or not!
Comedy Works!
Men like comedy and that is a fact rooted in Seinfeld and Old Spice! Not everyone is trying to sell a $10,000 watch, so if your product/brand image is more light natured, you can take a cue from Old Spice, although you may want to trim down the craziness by a few notches! Comedy and a goofy sense of humor just work for modern men, but be sure to make it relevant in respect to the subdivisions, as discussed already.
Darker Shades
Do note that human beings, in general, prefer various shades of blue above everything else, but “shade” is the keyword here. Straight men like darker shades more than women and gay men. On the other hand, gay men are also more likely to prefer darker shades than women, but not to the same degree as straight men. Just to be safe, go with a dark theme!
Depending on the kind of product you are trying to sell, not everything will work for everyone because ads need to be designed with more info and thinking behind the than just making something for a specific gender. It’s just better to first find a need and then focus on it before bringing in the gender-specific elements. They will still need to be there, but not in a loud way.
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