The Male as Contemporary Consumer

The term neomale has, as at early 1991, reached common usage in the popular literary culture. This is the name given to the prototypical adult male buyer of consumer goods who also has been assigned certain sociopsychological and sociocultural characteristics that differentiate him from the male typical of earlier periods. Gill (1991) discusses this in terms of popularculture male role models of postwar decades, particularly male celebrities associated with specific character traits. Gill's description is a useful way of positioning the neomale in a context that will permit an explanation of consumer behavior patterns in the current period.

Male role models in the Eisenhower Decade came in two

varietiesthe rebel and the family man. Teens and young

single men identified with Marlon Brando and James Dean.

Middleaged men, meanwhile, were busy creating the baby

boom. They had more in common with Gregory Peck's commuting

executive in The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit. The ringa

. . .
for athletic shoes that will perform, and the comfort consumer, who needs comfortable footwear," said Mimi McCarthy, business manager for walking at Reebok. "(With our product) we will widen the gulf between the casual and performance market." The Reebok introductions will define the market further by addressing specific needs of the varied consumer base, McCarthy explained. . . . While many companies that offer walking shoes focus their attention on women, Reebok is pursuing the male audience. "They are almost 50 percent of our business," McCarthy said. "There isn't good footwear for men at moderate price points, and dress casual and dress shoes will be important. It's not inconceivable that we would not come up with a Metaphors style for men. There's a huge void at the $70 price point." . . . TechTrainers are available in men's and women's sizes and have a suggested retail of $69.95. To appeal to the more fashionoriented walker, Reebok is offering Hunter for men and Palette for women. Made of napa leather and Janec suede, these models feature a diecut eva midsole and are available in fas
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Approximate Word count = 4324
Approximate Pages = 17 (250 words per page)

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