30 January, 2014

LONDON - Research from leading advertising agency JWT London reveals that being married or in a committed relationship is actually more important to men (85%) than it is to women (79%). And expressing emotion, long depicted as a sign of male weakness, is now not just something most men are comfortable with, it is actually a source of pride (62%).

On the day London's Southbank Centre launches its three day 'Being a Man' event, JWT, which creates advertising for Nestle's Yorkie and KitKat brands, Shell, HSBC, The British Army and Mr Kipling, unveils its latest research: 'Masculinity & Modernity: Investigating the Men of Britain Today'.

As a JWT report, it delivers intelligence into twenty-first century man and finds that he is multi-faceted; as handy with a nappy as his credit card and as nifty with a whisk as a power-tool.

  • Family tops the list of priorities for modern men: 84% are most proud of being able to provide financially for their family and 80% are most proud of raising their kids.
  • Looking good is no trivial matter: 69% are proud of taking care of their appearance.
  • 74% are proud of their prowess in the kitchen and 77% select their home décor projects; being a man about the house is something to shout about.
  • Men are still proud to be men; DIY skills (78%) and ability to fix technology (75%) are equally important as family and household priorities.

There has been much talk of gender-blurring and the feminisation of men, but what JWT's data suggests is that the modern British male is simply more multi-dimensional than is commonly credited. Indeed, 43% of men agree that their sex is better-rounded today than it used to be.

Marie Stafford, Planning Foresight Director, commented:
"Men are not as one-dimensional as the media would often have us believe. Just like women, they juggle different roles of parent, partner, provider or one of the boys. Brands need to start acknowledging, reflecting and appreciating their complexity, rather than simply trotting out the same old tired clichés"

Notes to Editors:
1. JWT polled 500 UK adults during Summer 2013.
2. The full report is available on JWT.co.uk.   

For more information contact:
JWT London
Lucy Barrett
Email - lucy.barrett@jwt.com
Tel - +44 (0) 20 7656 7188

About JWT
JWT is the world's best known marketing communications brand. Headquartered in New York, JWT is a true global network with more than 200 offices in over 90 countries employing nearly 10,000 marketing professionals. JWT consistently ranks among the top agency networks in the world and continues its dominant presence in the industry by staying on the leading edge - from producing the first-ever TV commercial in 1939 to developing award-winning branded content for brands such as Smirnoff, Macy's, Ford and HSBC.

JWT's pioneering spirit enables the agency to forge deep relationships with clients including J&J, HSBC, Brand America, Bloomberg, Bayer, Cadbury, Diageo, DTC, Ford, Kellogg's, Kimberly-Clark, Kraft, Nestlé, Nokia, Rolex, Royal Caribbean, Schick, Shell, Unilever, Vodafone and many others. JWT's parent company is WPP (NASDAQ: WPPGY).

jwt_pressrelease_men_jan14.pdf

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