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Within four weeks of starting my business, I had a name and I had invested about $1500 into creating an imaging package. Oh, and ask me how many customers I had — go-ahead — NONE. Correct. For some reason, I thought it was because I was trained in marketing — I believed that having an image and a brand would somehow make my business more real. It’s kind of like when you decide you’re going to drop those ten pounds and you run to the store and buy yourself $100 worth of workout gear. You know, just to get you inspired. Yeah, it was like that.
Seems I’m not alone in that thinking. My friends over and 99Designs have been all over this kind of research. And I’m going to share the results with you — along with a few tips to help you move forward on whatever branding project you’ve got going on.
First, before we get to marketing to men, let’s take a look at marketing to women.
Women Are All About Looking Good
As you might expect, men are slightly less influenced by the presence of a brand or logo than women. In this article I wrote for, I explain:
First, let’s get one thing straight. EVERY purchase decision is an emotional decision. It’s just that men relate differently to their emotions. They aren’t as easily swayed by their emotions and they tend to internalize their emotions. They are more of a “just tell me what the thing does and what it will do for me” kind of person, with an emphasis on what it will do for me. That’s why you see so many bodybuilding promotions simply showing the results of their product. For a man, a picture is sometimes all they need. There are plenty of studies of male psychology around the Internet. To be up on your marketing skills to this demographic, it is recommended that you read at least one of these. That’s your first step in understanding what men feel and want out of life in general.
So what? Why does any of this even matter? Well, if your audience or ideal customer base is predominantly male, then you know that your focus should be on delivering on the offer. Men’s brains are wired in a way that has them looking for specific features, benefits and emotional triggers. So when it comes to logo design,?stay away from being too abstract. Stay descriptive and literal. Make it easy for your male audience to hone in on your message in a visual way.
Men are HUNTERS — Especially When it Comes to Customers
When it comes to branding and marketing, men are hunters. They are more concerned about getting out there and generating business. Granted, the women aren’t far behind, but it’s worth noting that male entrepreneurs want a brand and an image that will help them do some of the heavy lifting when it comes to getting and keeping customers.
Venus, Mars or Both?
When it comes to branding and marketing, there are differences between men and women. But all of the research shows that whether you’re from Venus or Mars you need a brand that not only looks good, but helps you attract your ideal customer.