Break Media's survey of young men conducted by Hall and Partners, polled a nationally
representative sample of more than five hundred males aged 18-34 who
access the Internet at least once per month.
The research shows 63 percent of men have a smartphone and
one in four have used their mobile phone or wireless device
to connect to the Internet. Mobile consumers are beginning to demand
increased functionality and value-add from their mobile devices and
consumer usage is likely to increase as providers offer more
competitive services to access the Web. Therefore brands may be able to
reach a more targeted and engaged audience via mobile with increasingly
open mobile platforms and faster networks opening the door to this
untapped market.
Research Highlights
The majority of men surveyed state that they often recall online
advertising after their online experience has concluded. In fact,
nearly half of respondents have purchased a product or service as a
result of an online advertisement, demonstrating the impact of online
adverting on buying decisions.
Contrary to commonly held industry perceptions, this demographic
also proved to be very receptive to certain types of online
advertising. According to the research, men aged 18-34 not only
tolerate ads with a game or contest, but more than one-third of those
polled actually like the experience. As the online ad industry evolves,
it will be critical for advertisers to deliver advertising that is both
fun and relevant for consumers.
Men's Behavior Online
-- 69% say they can't live without the Internet, versus just 31% for television
-- 63% have a smart phone and one in four use their mobile device to connect to the Web
-- 40% use the Internet for more than 22 hours a week
-- 36% say they can't live without the Internet for socializing
-- 33% say they can't live without online entertainment
How Men Respond to Online Advertising
-- 59% notice online ads
-- 47% have purchased as a result of an online ad
-- 35% like ads that allow them to play a game
-- 34% like online ads that allow them to participate in a contest
With regards to general activity online, the research shows that
males aged 18-34 spend upwards of 22 hours on the Internet per week,
like to use the Internet for entertainment, and prefer to spend their
time on the Internet over television.
The survey also looked at top activities online, which include
visiting social networking sites (63%), playing video games (60%),
playing computer games (51%), forwarding links to online video (31%),
reading blogs (31%), shopping (30%), commenting on online content
(28%), and uploading photos to the Web (23%). Interestingly, the
findings reinforce the significance of video games as a content genre
for marketers seeking to reach and influence men online.
"Our research was a result of our desire to learn about our target
demographic and what advertising appeals to them most," said Keith
Richman, CEO of Break Media. "We also wanted to be able to share this
insight with our clients and partners so they can better target our
audience and create ad campaigns that are more impactful and better
able to achieve their advertising objectives."
Additional Fun Facts
Making time for real women still trumps the Internet:
-- 65% of young men are in a relationship
-- 79% would rather meet a woman out on the town than online,
-- 71% prefer a date with a hot girl to a poker game with the boys
-- 74% would rather have sex than surf the Web
Men 18-34 see themselves as:
-- Conformist: Only 26% think they are trendsetters
-- Responsible: Only 18% agree that having fun is more important than being responsible
-- Green: 53% say they care about the environment
-- Social: 49% claim to have no trouble meeting new people; 51%
like to spend as much time hanging out with friends as possible; only
20% said they valued appearance over personality when it comes to
attraction
-- Adventuresome: 68% enjoy traveling to new places; 61% enjoy spending time out of doors
-- Laid-back: Only 38% say they live a fast-paced life
-- Not wellness-centric: 38% claim to lead a healthy lifestyle; however 45% say their appearance is very important to them
The study sponsored by Break Media provides a guide for
advertisers looking to validate online ad spend and determine the best
creative ad formats to help drive engagement and build brands. Break
Media is invested in helping to analyze and determine online video
advertising effectiveness and to better understand the challenges in
measuring ROI. Earlier this summer the company also issued findings,
which tested the effectiveness of four popular in-stream video
advertising standard formats established by the Interactive Advertising
Bureau (IAB).
About Break Media
The reserach I was designed to
determine what male consumers (aged 18-34) are doing online, what their
likes and dislikes are, how they respond to advertising on the Internet
versus traditional media and what they think about online advertising
in general. The findings also provide additional insight into the
general psychographic profile of men aged 18-34 and best practices when
it comes to targeting the male demographic. Full study details can be
found here (breakmedia.break.com/auwhitepaper).
Break Media is the Internet's premier entertainment community for
men. It's wholly owned branded properties (Break.com, Cage Potato,
Chickipedia, Holy Taco, Wall Street Fighter and Screen Junkies) and the
over 80 site Break Media Network reach 60 million men worldwide each
month. Founded in 1998, Break Media offers advertisers' unrivaled
opportunities to market directly to a young, male demographic using
innovative ad formats that introduce relevant brands to the audience
either broadly or on a targeted, integrated basis. For more
information, please visit breakmedia.break.com/
¶ Findings Provide Guideline to Advertisers as Men Overwhelmingly
Value the Internet over Television