In Poland, we are seeing men occupy spaces typically perceived as ‘feminine’ in the home and spending more time on housework and parenting. As consumers they are also embracing yoga, beauty products and the act of shopping itself. Food and drink brands in Poland are responding to these changes in a variety of ways – looking to engage with male consumers in different markets through ‘manly’ packaging designs, dedicated claims, brand names, ingredients and advertising.
Men in Poland are now leading healthier lifestyles, with around half of men actively reducing their consumption of salty, sugary and fatty foods. Men are also becoming more adventurous in the kitchen – keen to experiment with new recipes and ingredients. Moreover, they are increasingly willing to try new flavours and new varieties.
The targeting of men is currently under-developed in Poland. Of all Polish food and drink products bearing some kind of demographic claim, launched between January 2014 – January 2015, only 2% of new products addressed the needs of male consumers. Opportunities are therefore opening up to engage with men more often.
We take a look at the way brands are appealing to men below…
Yogurt for men
In 2010 Bakoma developed Bakoma 7 Zbóż Men, it’s first ‘masculine’ yogurt. The range, which is still selling, provides men with a natural source of energy with the addition of cereals and seeds. The product comes in 300g pots and 380g bottles. Moreover, in early 2015, Bakoma introduced another product aimed at men – Bakoma Pro Men yogurt, which is high in protein.
‘Manly’ prepared meals
In 2012 Stoczek Natura launched the Meska Rzecz (A Male Thing) range of prepared meals with a distinctive packaging design. a black label and a black jar lid.
‘Masculine’ brand image
The Lay’s Strong crisp brand is aimed at male snackers; however this is not expressly stated on packs. Instead, Frito-Lay has decided to use black packaging with bold flavours and male-oriented advertising.
Appealing to boys
Brands are also looking to engage with boys, using ‘boyish’ packaging designs (often depicting cartoon characters or fictitious characters), products shapes or product names. For example, Miekovita Mia Mu Gouda sliced cheese, Fortuna Max Steel red grape and pomegranate fruit flavoured drink and Baby Zdroj still spring water for boys.
What we think
Although ‘manly’ products are currently scarce in the Polish food and drink market, opportunities exist to engage more with the male audience. Brands are therefore expected to use ‘for men’ claims more often, devoting special attention to masculine packaging designs. Dark colour schemes, big pack sizes, as well as bold fonts, work well in connecting with male audiences. Male-oriented descriptors, such as ‘strong’ or ‘man size’, could see increased use, as well.
Other strategies that brands could employ to engage with male consumers include the use of exciting flavour profiles, unique ingredients, as well as humour and sport themes. Extra focus on nutritional profiles of ‘manly’ food and drink products is also needed to fit in with the increasing health-awareness amongst Polish men.
Honorata Jarocka is a Food and Drink Analyst at Mintel, focusing on food categories with a particular interest in health and wellness trends, as well as product innovations. With almost a decade of previous experience in market research, Honorata has analysed various sectors in Poland, including packaged food, retailing, beauty and personal care, home care, tissue and hygiene; consumer health, tobacco, pet food and pet care products.
