The Eco Man. Where On Earth are They?
Is It Just A Trend?
Low-waste living is a trend. In my opinion it’s one of the best social media trends going. However it seems to be rather one sided. Our social media audience here at Ethically So. is 92% female, and we are wanting to look into why this is.
Since launching, our audience has become more predominately female and we are aware this is due to the products we have on the website. Many of which are bathroom and beauty based. We are on a mission to bulk out our mens section and we need your help to do it. Our growth here at ESO. is fully organic. Meaning we didn’t get a loan to start up, but simply the more support we have, the more other local New Zealand businesses we are able to support in return, and the more eco alternatives we can get on the site.
Every little helps!
Where Are All The Men?
According to a survey done back in 2018 by CNBC, they stated that:
KEY POINTS
Women like e-commerce for shopping, while men still prefer bricks and mortar, according to a new survey from First Insight.
The survey finds men are less likely to use Amazon to price shop.
Retailers still have a long way to go to meet shoppers’ expectations online and in stores, taking the “gender divide” into consideration, First Insight’s Greg Petro says.
44% of men prefer to shop in store as they can touch and feel products, in comparison to 33% of females.
Sense is a massive contributor when it comes to buying a product. I personally love being able to touch, see, smell and even hear or taste a product before I buy it. Which is why I do so many social media stories showing how to use the products.
The Eco-Gender Gap
Even on the rare occasion we do get men shopping with us, it’s often for their female friends/family/partners rather than themselves. I’m interested to find out more about whether this is due to females being more eco conscious or does it simply come down to the fact that men don’t shop online as much?
We do know that men are less likely to hunt for a deal online. They are 42% more likely to pay full price for items that they want. So why is it that women are on the hunt to save not only money but also the planet?
Let’s Go Back in Time
Since starting Ethically So. I have definitly been made aware of the eco-gender gap. Not only when it comes to our 8% male audience, but also watching the men around me in my life. They simply do not care as much about single use plastic as the females in my life do. Why is this?
In the early 90’s to mid 00’s research was done that showed that females are more empathetic when it comes to caring and being future focused.
Due advertising men seem to feel that they need to eat meat in order to maintain their ‘masculine identity’. Companies such as MacDonald’s even had posters persauding men that they need meat in order to be a real man. See below
Popular culture - like this McDonald's advert - equates eating meat with 'manliness'
Is Change On The Way?
We’re on a mission to look at ways in which we can make a difference and we need all humans not just those that identify as female to help us out here!
So what can we do? Well actually, we need YOUR help. We’re always looking for new products to get on the site when it comes to our mens section and we could really do with you ideas. Comment below to let us know what products you think the men in your life would like to see.
We also need to be aware of the way we speak and treat people. It comes back to not making men feel as through they are not being ‘manly’ enough if they are using their own bags or choosing more eco conscious products in the supermarket. Praise them when you can in terms of low-waste living.
We would love to hear your opinions on this topic. Comment below to start a discussion!
Have an epic day
Love Annie / Ethically So.
xxx