The three key strategies for marketing to men are: begin with a strong brand persona, positioning it either as a heroic spiritual leader who provides encouragement and direction or as a relatable, everyday friend who offers companionship and support; tailor interaction methods by understanding men’s core experiential needs and aligning them with their interests to deliver impulsive and straightforward enjoyment; and, start with the perspective of values and beliefs to present diverse and appealing male images that inspire thought and reflection.
Anita Li, Senior Research Analyst – Consumer Trends and Lifestyle, China
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Executive summary
- Key issues covered in this Report
- What you need to know
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Demographic overview
- The overwhelming success of ‘Black Myth: Wukong’ has shown brands an opportunity to expand their male consumer base
- Male consumers’ strong willingness to spend on their favourite IPs has driven impressive sales of co-branded merchandise for ‘Black Myth: Wukong’
- Men’s financial situation remains stable, with signs of a slow recovery
- Graph 1: financial status (men), 2023-24
- Male consumers’ spending confidence remains steady overall
- Graph 2: confidence in improving financial situation in the next three months (men), 2023-24
- Men’s spending on healthcare, beauty, personal care and household care products has declined slightly over the past two years
- Graph 3: sectors that consumers have spent more money on compared to last month – consumer packaged goods (men), 2023-24
- Men’s spending on holidays and dining out has been on the rise over the past two years
- Graph 4: sectors that consumers have spent more money on compared to last month – non-consumer packaged goods (men), 2023-24
- Men experience a higher level of anxiety than women
- Graph 5: anxiety status, by gender, 2024
- The overall employment situation remains challenging, with growing pressure from both the economy and the job market
- Graph 6: average weekly working hours for employees of enterprises nationwide, 2020-24
- Graph 7: surveyed urban unemployment rate (%), 2022-24
- Men’s emotional health faces numerous challenges, with financial stress being the most significant
- Graph 8: causes of emotional issues, by gender, 2024
- For post-90s men in their thirties, stressors are more prevalent and significant, particularly workplace stress
- Graph 9: causes of emotional issues (men), by generation, 2024
- Men in lower-tier cities are more profoundly affected by emotional stress due to economic and health pressures
- Graph 10: causes of emotional issues (men), by city tier, 2024
- Financial pressures have further exacerbated challenges in marriage and relationships
- Consumer spending has declined in certain dating and marriage scenarios, and male-targeted marketing strategies relying on relationships as incentives may be losing effectiveness
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Marketing strategy
- Brands need to re-evaluate their strategies to make marketing to men more effective
- Overview of marketing strategies
- Strategy One: craft ‘hero’ stories relevant to modern times to establish spiritual role models
- ‘Every man carries a hero’s dream in his heart’
- The concept of ‘hero’ has evolved over time
- Today, the definition of ‘hero’ has evolved into a richly nuanced spectrum that keeps pace with the times
- On the Olympic stage, teeming with ‘heroes’, gold medals are no longer viewed as the sole measure of success; people are increasingly eager to see the authentic personalities of the athletes
- Graph 11: attitudes towards the Olympics, 2024
- While men focus more on competition outcomes, the belief that ‘gold medal = win’ has weakened among younger male groups
- Graph 12: agree that ‘only getting the gold medal is winning’, by gender and generation, 2024
- More men are impressed by the display of athletes’ true personalities
- Graph 13: agree with the statement ‘I would like to see Chinese athletes demonstrate more personalities during the Olympics’, by gender and generation, 2024
- Using the image of a ‘hero’ as inspiration to create a ‘heroic’ brand persona
- Brands with heroic qualities enjoy greater favourability among the male demographic
- Graph 14: brand characteristics that can enhance favourability (men), 2024
- Leading change
- Men prioritise brands that keep their promises and demonstrate social responsibility through tangible actions
- Encourage consumers to fully engage and experience the power of hands-on involvement
- Concretise environmentally friendly initiatives to encourage everyday eco-friendly practices
- The first strategy to inspire national pride: boost the international competitiveness of local companies through exceptional product strength
- The second strategy to inspire national pride: honouring fields that showcase national strength
- The third strategy to inspire national pride: promote and rejuvenate traditional and local cultures
- Graph 15: elements that boost brand appeal (men), by city tier, 2024
- Graph 16: elements that boost brand appeal (men), by generation, 2024
- Tradition blends with contemporary trends, igniting the revitalisation of local cultural heritage
- Constantly strive for excellence
- Given that technology is a symbol of change and progress, enhancing a brand’s technological identity helps demonstrate its innovative strength
- Graph 17: brand activity in improving the image of technology (men), 2024
- Technology brands continue to advance in the technology sector, developing a systematic approach to competitiveness
- Non-technology brands embrace cutting-edge technology to drive creativity-led growth
- Leverage the life story of a superstar who has stayed true to his original aspirations for 40 years to embody the brand’s enduring and extraordinary spirit
- Authentic and down-to-earth
- Establishing an approachable, down-to-earth persona is just as important in building a heroic brand
- The clever use of dialects highlights futuristic technology with a grounded, down-to-earth appeal
- Xiaomi’s annual speech: a quintessential ‘heroic’ brand marketing event
- Snapshots of Xiaomi’s ‘Heroic’ Traits
- Strategy Two: create impulsive and straightforward joy to foster deep engagement with men
- Men often take a more homogeneous approach to stress relief, favouring leisure activities that provide an immersive sense of satisfaction
- Graph 18: ways to relieve stress, by gender, 2023-2024
- Men prefer games with strong competitive elements, gaining emotional release through victories
- Male gamers also focus on the sensory experiences and socialising aspects
- Graph 19: stress-relief experiences from gaming – male, 2024
- Graph 20: stress-relief experiences from gaming – female, 2024
- Collaborations between games and digital products directly related to gaming scenarios are most favoured by male players
- Graph 21: interest in co-branding categories, by gender, 2024
- Sports preferred by men place greater emphasis on teamwork and a sense of team pride
- Graph 22: gender differences in participation rates for mass sports, difference in participation rates between women and men*, 2023-24
- Punchy, emotionally impactful collaborations with popular IPs not only attract traffic but also drive consumer spending
- In-depth IP collaborations help brands foster long-term relationships with consumers
- Oppo Reno7 Pro League of Legends limited edition
- Further analysis of men’s preferences for stress relief highlights the following keywords, which represent the pleasurable experiences they seek:
- Under Armour: huge outdoor billboards create a stunning visual spectacle
- lululemon’s Summer Sweat Games: enhancing the sense of achievement in exercise through offline community, boosting the joy
- ‘Nostalgic mental escape’ is another key term for pleasurable experiences preferred by men
- Columbia: Nature is a time machine that takes us back to the past
- Strategy Three: widen the representation of contemporary masculinity to inspire diverse perspectives
- Ideal traits of masculinity vary across sociocultural contexts and evolve over time
- An equal proportion of men and women believe they are still influenced by traditional gender stereotypes
- Graph 23: women’s perceptions of the female image, by generation, 2023
- Graph 24: men’s perceptions of the male image, by generation, 2024
- Male images that have generated buzz from the female perspective in recent years
- The attitude of ‘preachy arrogance’ continues to generate considerable discussion on social media
- The emergence of diverse portrayals of masculinity challenges the dominance of traditional male ideals
- Females prefer male traits that are more egalitarian and collaborative
- The ideal image of masculinity, as perceived by men, is also gradually evolving
- Graph 25: traits of the ideal male image as perceived by men, by generation, 2024
- With growing demand among men for refined appearances, brands can educate them on targeted skincare methods beyond just offering products
- Inviting a masculine tough guy to endorse colour cosmetics adds surprise and emphasises the product’s strength through contrast
- The Hupu Male Idol Contest offers a clearer insight into the ideal image preferred by men
- The most inspiring male idols are ordinary individuals with hardworking and sincere personalities
- Even young celebrities who are highly popular for their looks can earn respect through their talent
- Showcasing an alternative life journey through real experiences: embracing the flow can also lead to a fulfilling path
- Underneath male pride lies a deeper sense of loneliness and vulnerability
- Graph 26: attitudes towards life, by gender, 2024/2023
- Through cultural works, encourage men to embrace vulnerability as a strength of masculinity
- The ‘absent parent phenomenon’ has significantly decreased
- Graph 27: The sharing of household chores – children’s study, by generation, 2024
- Encourage more fathers to participate and break free from the constraints of stereotypes
- Note: gender topics are sensitive and can lead to emotionally divisive pitfalls in marketing
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What we think
- Keys to success
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Appendix – methodology and abbreviations
- Methodology
- Abbreviations
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