Male stereotypes, training age gap, marketing transformation: 5 interesting stats to start your week

We arm you with all the stats you need to prepare for the coming week and help you understand the big industry trends.

Negative male stereotypes in ads cause lasting damage

The majority (64%) of UK males aged 18 to 34 believe negative male representation in advertising does real psychological damage.

Younger men don’t connect with traditional male stereotypes such as being ‘always strong’ or ‘a lad’, with 46% of those aged under 35 suggesting these clichés are detrimental and dangerous.

The most offensive stereotypes are those that portray men as promiscuous: 91% think being seen as ‘mean to women’ is harmful, while 79% think the same about being viewed as ‘sex-obsessed’.

Just under half (44%) of young men feel brands should show all male body types, with 59% feeling the obligation to look a certain way. Eight out of 10 younger men (80%) think brands and advertisements should try and promote a more positive impression of men’s mental health.

Three-quarters (75%) say social media makes it harder to maintain psychological health.

Source: UM

Older marketers are receive less training

There is a massive age gap between UK marketers when it comes to upskilling, with the majority of marketers aged over 55 receiving no training in the past two years.

As marketers get older the level of training they receive drops off, with 44% of 45- to 54-year-olds, 62% of 55- to 64-year-olds and 74% of those over 65 receiving no training, compared with just 7% of those aged 16 to 24.

This lack of training exists despite the fact 71% of marketers acknowledge that younger people are ahead of older generations on digital skills.

Nearly two-thirds (63%) of marketers say the pace of change in marketing is greater than ever, with almost the same number (62%) saying the marketing skillset has completely changed over the past 10 years.

Just under half (44%) say they find it difficult to keep up with the changing demands of marketing.

The same number (44%) believe marketers without formal training could pose a risk to their companies.

Source: Chartered Institute of Marketing

The main barriers to marketing transformation

C-suite support, the freedom to make decisions and investment in training are the main hurdles to successful marketing transformation.

The level of transformation varies widely between companies, with 37% ‘just beginning the journey’, 32% ‘progressing well’ and 22% ‘well advanced’.

Half of organisations in the advanced stages of transformation say they have active support from the C-suite compared to just 4% of companies at the early stages.

When executive teams see marketing as a proven driver of growth, transformation is accelerated. This was evident at 43% of advanced firms but only 15% of early-stage companies.

Around a third of advanced companies say they significantly invest in the training and development needed for successful transformation, with the rate standing at 4% for companies in the early stages and 6% in maturing companies.

Half of advanced organisations say they significantly/completely gave their teams freedom, compared to 13% of early-stage companies, while 82% of advanced organisations define a clear plan, versus 25% of early stage.

Source: WFA

Brits spend an extra day online each month

People in the UK are spending an extra hour each day on the internet, with daily time spent online increasing from five hours 28 minutes last year to six hours 26 minutes in 2021, as a result of various lockdown measures. This equates to Brits spending a full day more per month on the internet compared to a year ago.

People’s use of social media only saw a modest increase, from one hour 42 minutes a year ago, to one hour 49 minutes today. YouTube, Facebook and WhatsApp are the UK’s most used social platforms for internet users aged 16 to 64.

When searching for brand information, conventional search engines still dominate (98%), but voice searches (31%) and social media (28%) are on the rise.

The top three most downloaded apps over the past year are Zoom, TikTok and the NHS’ Covid-19 app.

Source: We Are Social/Hootsuite

Young people demand more business regulation for climate change

Millennials and Gen Z are calling for the government to increase regulation on businesses to tackle climate change.

Two-thirds (67%) say business leaders are vital to tackling climate change but less than a quarter (24%) think firms are doing enough.

Over half (56%) of young people hope for positive change at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), which is taking place in November in Glasgow. Three-fifths (60%) believe increasing regulation on businesses should be a priority for the summit.

Meanwhile, two-thirds (67%) of millennials and Gen Z want governments to commit to more ambitious targets for countries to reduce emissions.

Millennials (45%) are more likely than Gen Z (39%) to support regulations making individuals pay for their own carbon emissions. Millennials are more likely than Gen Z to want higher taxes on flying (47% vs 41%) and restricting meat consumption (40% vs 36%).

The majority of young people (68%) also support a total ban of plastic.

Source: Purpose Pulse

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