FMB Stage 1 Report by chloe weston

Chloe Weston N0733476 7780 Words

This submission is the result of my own work. All help and advice other than that received from tutors has been acknowledged and primary and secondary sources of information have been properly attributed. Should this statement prove to be untrue I recognise the right and duty of the board of examiners to recommend what action should be taken in line with the University’s regulations on assessment contained in its handbook. Signed ………………………………………………………...................... Print Name…………………………………………………....................... Date…………………………………………………………......................

To What Extent Are Masculine Stereotypes Having An Impact On Male Wellness And Attitudes Surrounding Male Wellbeing?

Contents 1. Introduction

1.1 Introduction................................................................................................................ 1.2 Rationale..................................................................................................................... 1.3 Aims and Objectives...................................................................................................

4 4 5

2. Literature Review

2.1 Introduction................................................................................................................ 10 2.2 The Masculine Mask................................................................................................... 11 2.2.1 The Stereotype................................................................................................... 11 2.2.2 ‘Toxic’ Traits...................................................................................................... 11 2.2.3 Fatherhood and Boyhood.................................................................................. 14 2.3 New Wave Masculinity................................................................................................ 15 2.3.1 New Way of Thinking....................................................................................... 15 2.3.2 The Body Positive Male..................................................................................... 17 2.3.3 Reframing Strength........................................................................................... 18 2.4 The Male Health Problem.......................................................................................... 19 2.4.1 Men Will Only Go So Far.................................................................................. 2.4.2 The Help Stigma............................................................................................... 2.4.3 That’s Embarrasing. Isn’t It?.............................................................................. 2.4.4 Perceptions of Self-Care.................................................................................... 2.4.5 The Burnout...................................................................................................... 2.4.6 From a Negative to a Positive Impact................................................................

19 20 20 21 21 22

2.5 Blurring Gender.......................................................................................................... 23 2.5.1 Fluid Identity...................................................................................................... 23 2.6 Findings....................................................................................................................... 25 2.6.1 Conclusion......................................................................................................... 25 2.6.2 Research Gaps................................................................................................... 26

3. Methodology

3.1 Overview.................................................................................................................... 3.2 Structure.................................................................................................................... 3.3 Sample Group........................................................................................................... 3.4 Secondary Research.................................................................................................. 3.5 Primary Research......................................................................................................

29 30 32 32 33

3.5.1 Consumer Questionnaires............................................................................... 3.5.2 Consumer Interviews....................................................................................... 3.5.3 Focus Group..................................................................................................... 3.5.4 Wellness Diaries............................................................................................... 3.5.5 Industry Expert Interviews.............................................................................. 3.5.6 Wellness Safari.................................................................................................

33 33 34 35 36 36

3.6 Conclusion................................................................................................................. 3.6.1 Research Limitations........................................................................................

37 37

4. Discussions/Findings

4.1 Overview................................................................................................................... 4.2 Attitudes and Perceptions.........................................................................................

41 43

4.2.1 Defining Wellness............................................................................................ 4.2.2 Seeking Help and Speaking Out.................................................................... 4.2.3 Caring For Their Wellbeing............................................................................ 4.2.4 What is Impacting Wellness............................................................................ 4.2.5 Consumer Stereotyping..................................................................................

43 43 44 45 47

4.3 Marketing Audit.......................................................................................................

4.3.1 Consumer VS Industry................................................................................... 4.3.2 Industry Stereotyping..................................................................................... 4.3.3 Case Study: Axe/Lynx................................................................................... 4.3.3 Case Study: Hims...........................................................................................

49 50 51 53

5. Conclusion/ Recommendations

5.1 Conclusion............................................................................................................... 5.2 Recommendations................................................................................................... 5.3 Personal Reflection..................................................................................................

6. References

6.1 References............................................................................................................... 6.2 List of Illustrations.................................................................................................. 6.3 Bibliography............................................................................................................ 6.4 Appendix.................................................................................................................

58 59 60

63 65 71 75

Intro duction 2

1. 3

1.1 Introduction This purpose of this report is to conduct research surrounding the question “To what extent are Masculine stereotypes having an impact on male wellness and attitudes surrounding male wellbeing?”. Themes surrounding the topic are examined through a literature review, from which research gaps are identified that set the outline for primary research methods. An in-depth analysis of the collective research is further conducted to evaluate the extent of impact masculine stereotypes are having on wellness and whether this is the only factor. This report will conclude with a foundation of opportunities for Stage 2.

1.2 Rationale Wellness is defined as; ‘‘An active process of becoming aware of and making choices toward a healthy and fulfilling life […] a dynamic process of change and growth”(National Wellness Institute, 2019). This definition poses a basic notion regarding how one can be considered ‘well’ and is something that has expanded in recent years. There are now more positive discussions surrounding wellbeing regarding physical and mental health and society is beginning to recognise that wellness infiltrates all aspects of consumers lives. It is clear that wellness is something that everyone, both men and women, take part in, however male wellness has taken a backseat and the societal focus seems to only regard women as those who take complete care of themselves.

This insinuates questions surrounding what factors are causing this aversion to male wellbeing. In addition, another contemporary theme is that of gender stereotypes and the landscape to which gender is perceived. Combining these themes begins to argue that masculine stereotypes are a hindrance to society and to men themselves fully accepting that caring for their wellbeing means accessing wellness beyond physical attributes, such as mental health; a topic deemed to be more ‘feminine’. This has in turn formed the foundation for this research project. While wellness covers factors such as physical illness alongside mental, the main lack of male focus within this surrounds that of emotional wellbeing which is therefore be the dominant theme within the report.

1.3 Aims and Objectives The aim of this research is to analyse masculine stereotypes and evaluate the extent of which these notions are having an impact on perceptions surrounding male wellness and further if masculinity is causing negative implications for male health.

1. To compare traditional and contemporary masculine stereotypes and evaluate how these have and are impacting male behaviours. 2. To investigate how masculinity is impacting male health seeking and self-care techniques and whether or not the impact is beneficial or detrimental. 3. To parallel the difference between how men and women define and take care of their own wellbeing. 4. To understand what factors consumers believe are having a negative impact on their wellbeing. 5. To investigate what affect gender stereotyping is having on consumer behaviour and question whether recommendations could be presented to help this will evolve in contemporary society. 6. To conduct an evaluation of the wellness industry to see if gender stereotypes are present within marketing.

Literature Review 8

“

It’s time the focus shifts from untabooing womanhood to manhood.

”

The innovation Group, 2018

2.1 Introduction The Oxford English Dictionary defines research as â&#x20AC;&#x153;The systematic investigation into a study of materials and sources in order to establish facts and reach new conclusionsâ&#x20AC;? (Oxford English Dictionary 2007). This introduces the initial stages of knowledge exploration for the topic area, as it helps to gain understanding of the topic background, and identify gaps for future information opportunities.

This literature review covers the wellness landscape and where male wellness sits within this, if at all. It assesses key theories and changing attitudes surrounding masculinity and further how this affects male attitudes and the portrayal of male wellness in the wellbeing market. It covers an exploration of reoccurring themes surrounding gender stereotypes and an understanding of how this is reflected in health and wellbeing through a consumer mind-set. Alongside this, initial causes for where the lack of focus on male wellbeing lies has been investigated, further posing questioning as to whether the wellness market is overly effeminate. These discussions have lead to identifying crucial gaps in knowledge and have presented opportunities for primary research in order to gain a greater breadth of understanding. 10

2.2 The Masculine Mask 2.2.1 The Stereotype

2.2.2 ‘Toxic’ Traits

“Hegemonic masculinity is defined as a practice that legitimizes men’s dominant position in society […] proposes to explain how and why men maintain dominant social roles over women, and other gender identities, which are perceived as “feminine” in a given society” (Connell, 2005).

This set of masculine rules has led to the contemporary term ‘toxic masculinity’. This refers to idea that the hegemonic attitudes are in turn posing a harmful outlook on men, women and society. The concept emphasises the harmful effects of masculine conformity such as competition, dominance and self-reliance and links these closely with acts of violence, promiscuity, dysfunctional relationships and socially irresponsible behaviour (Levant, 1996).

In contemporary culture, traditional or ‘hegemonic’ masculinity serves as a set of traits upon which the “real man” can be defined by (Lomas et al, 2016). It outlines the masculine stereotype competitive with other males alongside an unwillingness for weakness/dependency, and an inability to express emotions that have feminine associations, such as compassion or sadness, as opposed to that of masculine associations, such as anger (Connell, 2005).

Toxic masculinity is also having a negative impact on male perceptions. Pew Research Center conducted a survey on masculinity and found that 53% of respondents say that most people in society look up to men who are manly or masculine, suggesting that these are the only traits deemed worthy of acceptance by society (The Future Laboratory, 2018). This outlook is creating the fear about stepping outside of the ‘man box’ and is causing the want for a stoic lifestyle, leading to actions such as an aversion to seeking help when required as it shows weakness (Bailey, 2018a), or homophobic attitudes presented when any form of affection is shown (Howes, 2019).

This rigid set of traits has been a constant within both historic and modern culture. Traditionally, men are placed in a dominant role over women within society; they are the breadwinner and leader and stepping outside of this is seen as deterring from manhood, an act historically unaccepted by society (Gahaill, 2012). This unwillingness to move outside of these traits, alongside the negative connotations it poses surrounding effeminate qualities, often leads to internalised suffering due to the pressure of the ‘man box’ that men are put under. This concept aids hegemonic masculinity as it puts pressure on males to act and feel a certain way communicated by families, the media, and other members of society in order to be the ‘right’ kind of man (Baker, 2019). However, presenting hegemonic masculinity as simply that of negative traits is somewhat limited. In contemporary culture, it is possible that positive forms of hegemony could emerge such as “open equality with women”, which relates to the current serge in gender equality; keeping male dominance while equalising gender alongside (Lomas et al, 2016).

2.2 The Masculine Mask

2.2.3 Fatherhood

Linking closely to fatherhood is the way masculinity is depicted in the development of young boys. Boyhood is described as a vulnerable time and is often the stage at which notions of manhood are developed. The continuation of hegemonic masculinity throughout this stage of life is causing problems for older generations as they are stuck with these rigid ideologies that are causing a lack of progression in showing emotion. This poses the idea that there is a need to praise progressive masculine thinking throughout boyhood to combat the toxic traits of masculinity in the future (The Future Laboratory, 2018).

and Boyhood

The role of the father has been somewhat placed under less importance within modern society, and masculine tropes play a part within this. The pressure to provide has led to there currently being ‘81% of fathers with young children being in full time work’, which, alongside the lack of paternity leave available, may be causing a negative impact on male perceptions of family life. This may in turn affect emotional connections as men are at conflict with feeling like they need to provide but also want to bond with their family (Wroble, 2019). The Fatherhood Masculinity model depicts two ways in which these traits are linked, alongside the importance of how they do not need to be. The first way is through the ‘essential father’, which relates masculine stereotypes such as strength and providing to showing signs of the fatherhood role. The second way is presented by Joseph Pleck as the ‘important father’, which takes the importance of masculine tropes away from fatherhood for better connections and is hypothesised by Pleck to be significant for the future of fatherhood (Lamb, 2010).

2.3 New Wave Masculinity

2.3.1 New Way

of Thinking

New wave Masculinity refers to the modern day serge in men beginning to break out of the ‘man box’ and embrace more fluid ways of ‘being a man’. This influence is causing men to accept that looking after yourself and tapping into emotions that are classified as effeminate are all true markers of diverse masculinity (Bailey, 2018a). Topical feminist movements such as the Time’s Up campaign and #MeToo have shed light on the harrowing results that toxic masculinity is having on society. The recognition these have gained has sparked important discussions around the pressures of living with this masculine stereotype, alongside the unwillingness to be considered feminine, which is causing questions surrounding the overall role men play in society (The Future Laboratory, 2018). Due to this, younger generations are starting to see the importance of self-care and openness is becoming an important way as to how men can have a positive impact on society. The University of British Columbia and Intensions Consulting found that the majority of modern young men are more likely to be selfless, health conscious and emotionally engaged, despite popular stereotypes (The Future Laboratory, 2018). Now, men are looking to brands to help reinvent their masculinity. However, while progressive brands such as Gillette and Lululemon are incorporating this positive reinvention of being a man into their ethos, there is still a misrepresentation as a survey conducted by The Book of Man found that “69% of men aged 25–44 in the UK feel misrepresented by brands”, stating that conventional portrayals of masculinity are out of touch with current life (Fernandes, 2019).

As the definition of masculinity is changing, it poses a new set of traits. Men are no longer expected to hide their emotions, but are encouraged to talk about once silenced topics, including fatherhood rights, sexual health and mental wellbeing. However, this progressive way of thinking is somewhat hindered due to its lack of portrayal in mainstream society, suggesting that male centric brands must offer education surrounding this new masculinity, to help strive for a better approach to ‘being a man’ (Mintel, 2019b).

“

65% of UK men aged 25-44 believe that gender stereotypes are dangerous to society The Book of Man

”

2.3 New Wave Masculinity

2.3.2 The Body Positive Male The media still heavily portrays the ‘ideal’ male physique as muscular, built and slim, still posing links to the hegemonic masculine traits of strength and even aggression. This has been a contributing factor to the rise in body image disorders in men. A UK study found that a vast majority of men were dissatisfied with their muscularity. The study showed that “two thirds of men considered their arms and chest to be not good enough, with 17% of men having a fixed fear of weight gain and 32% stating they exercise in a compulsive way in order to control their weight” (University of the West of England, 2012). More recently, Axe and Unilever conducted a study in 2017 and found that nearly half of men said their weight and body shape would be something that they would change. In addition, 64% of men in the US and 58% in the UK stated it is “very hard for a man to be successful if he doesn’t look good”. This depicts the notion that pressures of traditional masculinity on the way that men feel about their bodies are both a historic and contemporary issue (The Future Laboratory, 2018).

Within New Wave Masculinity however, there is an increasing celebration of different body types and the notion that appearance does not reflect manhood is becoming more accepted. As body positivity dominates the female industries, through brands such as Dove, there is still an increasing desire for the same representation to be shown through the male physique. This new rounded portrayal of masculinity is being championed by projects such as The EveryMAN Project by Tarik Carroll which aims to create the feeling of openness for men, something that has been historically restricted (The Future Laboratory, 2018).

2.3.3 Reframing

Strength

Traditionally, showing great strength has been a stereotype of masculinity and has primarily been a phyiscal focus. This has historical links with acts of violence and dominance, which has posed a harmful outlook on the male role in society (Connell, 2005). With the rise of positive masculinity, strength is being redefined around what a man can handle both physically and emotionally. A holistic mindset surrounding strength is being formed and men are beginning to see the benefits of building their emotional strength and how this is having a progressive impact on relationships and even physical health (The Future Laboratory, 2018). “It’s no longer just about getting on with it when times are difficult […] Women have always had a sensitivity and a level of understanding, and they’ve talked openly, and men are beginning to do more of that, and it’s making them stronger for it” (Darren Barber, The Future Laboratory, 2018)

This new definition is something that is beginning to be sought after in modern society. According to the World Economic Forum, it is predicted that by the end of 2020, emotional intelligence (EQ) will be a vital skill needed for men within the workplace. Alongside this, programs that initiate mental health discussions will be brought into male-dominant work sectors to help men express openness and build on relationships (The Future Laboratory, 2018).

2.4.1 Men Will Only Go So Far Despite the male aversion to seeking help, there are more lateral ways in which men are looking after their wellness. Online forums have proven popular with men looking to express their health concerns due to anonymity, allowing men to seek help without tainting their perceptions of ‘manhood’. Another common way in which men will seek help regarding their wellness is through confiding in a female, this is due to the sensitive emotions relating to wellness and mental wellbeing being stereotyped as effeminate. (Harding et al, 2015).

Additionally, relaxation benefits are beginning to work their way into the male definition of wellness, linking to the fact that in 2018, the International Spa Association found that “males comprise 47% of all spa goers, compared to only 31% ten years ago” (Bailey, 2018a).

2.4 The Male Health Problem 2.4.2 The Help

Stigma

“Men’s health is shaped by a specific set of masculine norms that encourage certain attitudes and behaviours, particularly risktaking, aggression and limited self-care, among others.”(Ragonese et al, 2019)

2.4.3That’s

Both the historic and contemporary male stereotype express a reluctance to seek help for health problems as it is often seen as a way of challenging masculinity (O’Brien, 2005). The ‘strong’ and ‘weakness aversion’ methods of coping within this have left little room for men to be able to express their feelings and concerns and has in turn created generations of men that are to speak up. This lack of a relationship with both physical and mental health aids concerns around male wellbeing and has further seen less attention from brands and society as a whole; a notion that is almost completely the opposite for females (Bailey, 2018a).

Embarrasing. Isn’t It?

Within this health stigma, certain problems regarding male physical health have also gained the title of ‘embarrassing’’ or ‘emmasculate’ (Bailey, 2018b). From this however, there has been an increase in the number of men using online platforms in order to seek help, and the media is beginning to take notice. Recently, the societal focus has been around destigmatizing female health issues, which has led to male troubles of a similar ilk going unnoticed. However, while the male discussion surrounding this topic is slim, startup brands have begun to emerge and talk about said issues within the last two years. Brands such as Hims and Manual have gained popularity by creating online, open discussion platforms for men surrounding topics often considered embarrassing, promoting them in a conversational manner to allow men to open up (The Innovation Group, 2018). By utilizing the male comfort of anonymity that is provided by online discussion, it brings digital health into modern male wellness and improves the outreach by providing new ways in which men can break down their masculine barriers in a subtle way (WHO, 2018).

According to a two-year study by the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, men are half as likely as women to seek medical practitioners help if required (The Future Laboratory, 2018). This, alongside the statistic that 53% of men from study by Cleveland Clinic agree with the idea that “health isn’t something talked about”, (Bailey, 2018a) shows that defining masculinity as emotional hardiness has created an environment of silent suffering (Mintel, 2019b). The health implications of this are further becoming detrimental. In 2019, men aged 18-34 recorded significantly higher than previous years in relation to experiencing stress, anxiety and depression (Mintel, 2019a). This reiterates that there is a need to step away from the classic male portrayal and that there should be a focus on adopting a more open and honest dialogue about all aspects of health to fix these negative implications (Bailey, 2018a).

2.4.4 Perceptions

of Self-Care

Contradicting the health stigma, there has been a growth in spending surrounding grooming and selfcare products within males in the last two years, with British men spending more on grooming products and treatments each month than women (The Future Laboratory 2018). Male wellness has driven this market due to a new mindset uprising from younger generations who are beginning to break traditions and take wellness more seriously. This is something that has caused the male grooming market to be “expected to grow 5.2% by the end of 2020 to a value of 60.7bn” (Bailey, 2018a).

While this however could be considered as aiding the more traditional notions of masculinity as it promotes a sense of vanity around the male appearance, the fact that men are beginning to practice self care and grooming shows that health concerns beyond physical such as emotional and even happiness are becoming a forefront in male minds.

2.4.5The Burnout Correlations can also be made to the workplace male. The pressure to be the provider is one factor that contributes to a large scale of men, and women, living in a ‘burnout culture’, something that is now being classes as a legitimate heath diagnosis. The burnt out consumer is often overloaded with pressures, and has little time to stop and focus on their health, something that is having a detrimental effect on men specifically (World Health Organisation, 2019). A recent survey to underpin the main pressures in men’s lives showed that “32% of men saw work as a dominant contributor to anxiety, stress and depression, all possible outcomes of ‘burnout culture’; closely following this was finance at 31% and health at 23%”. Alongside this, the majority of men claimed that their mental health sometimes has a negative impact on their work, parenting skills and relationships (Priory, 2018). Masculine stereotypes are often related to these pressures. The need to show strength in all aspects of their lives is causing men to try and push through without any support, which is elevating the number of men suffering with mental wellness issues. 21

2.4 The Male Health Problem

2.4.6 From a

Negative to a Positive Impact It is argued that traditional notions of masculinity are problematic and present ‘risk factors’ for health due to men being encouraged to demonstrate their masculinity through ways seen as detrimental to this (Gough 2006). This aversion to seeking help has in turn been a factor for male mental health issues rising over the last decade and, as of 2017, male suicide rates were recorded as 3.54x higher than women in high-income countries (Mintel, 2019a).

However, not all of these implications are negative and it poses the notion that due to this aversion for help there is now even more discussion surrounding male wellness. In recent years, these issues have been brought into the mainstream, men are now being exposed to these discussions through popular media such as ITV, which created the ‘Britain Get Talking’ campaign in 2019, which somewhat forces men into situations where they feel they are comfortable to open up; in their own homes. Broadcasting channels such as ITV have also worked with wellness charities such as Calm which is proving to have a positive incline on male health discussions as the charity recorded a 34% increase in people reaching for help after 84 male sculptures were installed on the ITV tower to raise awareness for male suicide (Calm, 2018).

2.5 Blurring Gender 2.5.1 Fluid Identity Gender is, in its basic form, defined as; “A range of characteristics pertaining to, and differentiating between, masculinity and femininity. Depending on the context, these characteristics may include biological sex, sex-based social structures, or gender identity” (World Health Organisation, 2017). Contemporary society however has begun to expand this definition, likening gender to a scale. Bern, 1981, theorises that “one may not define their gender as either male or female, but that they can be placed along the spectrum depending on which characteristics they convey and this can constantly change” (Palan et al, 1999). This however still incorporates dated notions of what both masculinity and femininity can be defined as, and therefore still holds various negative connotations towards both ends of the scale. While this progression in thinking is aiding both men and women to speak out more about their wellness and overall challenge traditional norms due to breaking down gender barriers, there is still a somewhat bias regarding who is accepted within this fluidity. Women are taught that their can be more fluid and are able to do what men can, whereas men are often taught to simply act ‘like a man’ constricting them further to one end of the spectrum (Chitrakorn, 2019).

2.6 Findings

2.6.1 Conclusion due to the notions that men need to be the ‘dominant party’. However, while this stereotype is having a negative impact of many aspects of male lives, it cannot be argued that masculinity is overtly negative as a whole, this is due to the new wave of masculinity seen in recent years. This new way of thinking is utilizing masculine dominance and strength to fight back against this stereotype and use this as a way of opening up, which is proving to have a positive impact on emotional health and is a way in which start-up brands that focus on male wellness are building their popularity. While masculinity is overly exposed in the media in this way, there are still contradictions as to the full effects of this as men are still proving to take care of their wellness in subtler and lateral ways. Furthermore, it is argued that as gender fluidity increases within society, these masculine stereotypes will begin to have less of an impact as there will be less focus on how to act in a ‘stereotype’, causing more openness overall.

To conclude, hegemonic and traditional notions of masculinity have been a main factor in the general restrictions men feel and also in regards to their health, and in turn this is causing a lack of a broad portrayal of men within the wellness industry. The dated perceptions surrounding masculinity such as the need to be strong and almost anti-feminine have caused great societal pressures among men to try and fit into the ‘man box’. This is causing an aversion to help seeking and is even having repercussions such as violence due to a need for an outlet for these pressures. Regarding male wellness, these ideologies are having a significant impact, both seeking and admitting help is shown as going against masculine norms which has caused male wellness to become something of a taboo subject for men, a result which has seen male suicide rates skyrocket in recent years and again hinder a fluid perception of men in the wellness industry. These pressures are correlating into multiple aspects of men’s lives such as work and personal relationships

2.6.2 Research Gaps Throughout this literature review, numerous opportunities and research gaps were presented. It is clear that extensive research has been undertaken as to the effects of masculinity and how this is impacting male lives. However there is little literature covering how these effects correlate to a lack of focus on men within the wellness industry, showing an early gap for further research. Another gap is how consumers, both male and female, feel about their wellness and its portrayal in the media as, while this is touched upon in literature, there is still deeper analysis that can be made to clearly identify the gap between genders and why this is. Regarding self care and how men take care of their own wellness, this research was significantly lacking, alongside any findings that showed if men are fully aware of how to take care of their wellness and their perceptions on whether or not they perceive forms of relaxation as a way to cater to their wellbeing. In order to cover the depth and breadth of these consumer attitudes, another gap that has been identified is if wellness is perceived as similar for both

men and women, and whether this is another reason for the lack of male portrayal within the wellness industry regarding certain sectors. To further this, how men and women perceive each others wellness is another cause for further research to see how subconscious these gender stereotypes are and how integrated this is within modern consumers attitudes.

Method ology 28

3.1 Overview Both secondary and primary research has been used within this methodology to broaden the depth and breadth of understanding surrounding the topic. The mixed method triangulation has been used (Appendix fig. 6.4.3.2), consisting of secondary research in the form of a literature review alongside qualitative and quantitative primary methods, in order to obtain vast knowledge and ensure all aspects of study were covered to the full extent. This combination of methods was used as it allows â&#x20AC;&#x153;compensation for inherent method

weaknesses, or inherent method strengths, and offset inevitable method biasesâ&#x20AC;? (Greene, 2007) therefore ensuring full credibility within the investigation. Within the qualitative and quantitative methods a mixture of research that challenged system 1 and system 2 ways of thinking was conducted (Appendix fig. 6.4.3.3). This was to gain a broader understanding of consumer perceptions in a both instinctive and rational way, extending the reach of study (Kahneman, 2012).

3.2 Structure Secondary research was used to understand core and relevant information surrounding the topic, reflect on what is recently understood regarding the area, and to further present any research gaps (Hart, 2017). Once these gaps were identified, primary methods were undertaken to ensure these breaks in knowledge were filled. This consisted of consumer surveys, interviews and focus groups to understand wellness perceptions and reasoning, alongside industry interviews to reflect on why any issues or shifts are happening and to

achieve insights from experts that work within the subject matter. To extend this research, consumer wellness diaries were logged to understand consumer actions and whether this has any correlation to the insights gained from the literature review. Also, a shop safari was conducted to analyse how wellness is presented in different industry sectors to again reflect on whether the issues found through secondary research can be found in mainstream society.

3.3 Sample Group â&#x20AC;&#x153;Males aged 18-34 significantly overindex for experiencing stress, anxiety and depression in the last year, suggesting that young men, who are frequently influenced by the connected world, combat gender-enforced stigmas around mental wellnessâ&#x20AC;? (Mintel, 2019a).

Secondary research identified a sample group through which to conduct primary study with. The focus was Generation Z however there was much deliberation within this. It was found that the issues and wellness implications were impacting a wide age demographic of male consumers, suggesting that these problems were having an influence at all stages of menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lives, therefore posing a difficulty as to who to best target to further the research and gain impactful consumer perceptions. However, Generation Z was chosen as this was found as the dominant generation who are driving the change of thinking regarding masculinity. This not only allows a current way of thinking to be analysed but it enables further comparison of these perceptions against how the generation are represented within the media and the wellness industry in order to best reflect the topic. As the age bracket within this is widespread, the sample was narrowed down to those aged 18-25. This is due to extensive secondary research suggesting that men aged 18-34 are the least likely to take pre-emptive measures relating to their health, identifying a key issue regarding the topic question (Mintel, 2019a), alongside the dominant notion that;

Despite the secondary research showing that the lack of focus surrounds male consumers, both men and women were chosen for the primary research in order to compare consumer attitudes and further reiterate the literature review findings, in turn broadening the consumer scope to prevent using only males which may have been a limitation of this sample group. In addition, by sampling both men and women it also allows for a clear comparison as to where the lack of portrayal regarding the wellness industry lies and if masculinity is a dominant cause.

3.4 Secondary Research Objectives: 1,2,3,4,5,6 Another limitation was the time taken to check credibility of the sources to engage with the most relevant information which included evaluating sources against the CRAAP test (Blakeslee, 2004) (Appendix fig. 6.4.3.1). However this helped to fully ensure information used was accurate in order to identify precise gaps in knowledge. Also, sources such as podcasts, blogs, social channels and documentaries were evaluated to engage with a societal viewpoint, but these proved to be less credible and often presented bias opinions so therefore the information presented needed to be relayed through other credible sources.

A literature review was conducted to understand the information that was already available surrounding the topic alongside debates and themes that would pose new areas for further research development that was fulfilled by the primary research that followed. The sources within the this included credible trend reports, journals, articles and books which all provided information regarding a look into the data, statistics and theories, alongside suggesting future predictions as to how the subject will evolve. There was extensive information available regarding the masculine stereotype and how this has been and is affecting male mind-sets. A difficulty within this however was that sources were often general in their approach, and therefore more extensive searching was needed to find information regarding how this is being conveyed in the wellness industry in a way other than through physical health. 32

3.5 Primary Research

3.5.1 Consumer

3.5.2 Consumer

Questionnaires

Interviews

Objectives: 2,3,4

Objectives: 3,4,5

The first primary research technique chosen was an online questionnaire. This qualitative method was used to understand both male and female definitions of wellness, what they believe effects their wellness and how they take care and believe the opposite gender takes care of their wellbeing. This was chosen as it is an effective way to obtain responses from a large sample of consumers, and provides anonymity, which can allow consumers to answer the questions more freely (Thornhill et al, 2003). However, this research method proved to be somewhat ineffective as, despite being available to a wide range of consumers, the questionnaire only obtained 47 male respondents and 95 female, proving a slight hindrance to the overall research. While the female respondents were substantial enough to gain insights from, the male findings did not present a clear understanding of perceptions. However, one conclusion that can be drawn from this is that the lack of male respondents aids the idea found through secondary research that men are unwilling to speak about their wellness.

Consumer interviews were conducted to elaborate on the questionnaire findings. The aim of this was to understand how the sample group define wellness and whether this differs between genders, along with questions regarding how the consumers deal with their wellness and whether they feel that their wellness is catered for within society. As the majority of secondary research covered the effects of masculinity, it was decided that the consumer interviews and the research that followed would focus more on wellness to evaluate the correlation between the findings. An advantage of this method is that it allows for more detailed answers as it provides more of a conversational tone, allowing more impromptu replies. A limitation of this however is that, as the interviews covered somewhat sensitive topics such as wellness, the answers given may not be a true representation of how the consumers felt due to wanting to come across a certain way. Furthermore, 1 female and 2 male interviews were conducted using the same questions to compare answers and understand if the different definitions of wellness could be having an effect on the lack of accurate portrayal or overexposure of this gender within the wellness industry. 33

3.5.3 Focus Group Objectives: 2,3,4,5 A focus group was lead to evaluate further how men and women perceive their own wellness as well as that of others and to observe if the participants responded in a different manner when surrounded by others as opposed to in the interviews. Examples of how marketing is portraying masculinity and femininity both in general and in the wellness industry were shown to understand consumer feelings towards the portrayal. The group consisted of 2 men and 2 women between the ages of 18-25 to see how the men answered around others and compare the wellness attitudes in a more direct manner. A focus group was used as a primary method as the; “ Creation of ideas and comparison of perspectives generated by group interaction may provide a broader picture of the phenomena being studied. Participation in a group tends to magnify an individual’s wisdom as well as compensate for shortfalls and inexperience” (Krueger, 1988). 34

A limitation however is that asking questions to a group of participants may allow for more dominant characters to answer more than others and possibly influence their replies, allowing doubt for the honesty. This limitation proved more relevant to the focus group conducted as, while all participants contributed relatively equally, the way in which the men discussed masculinity and wellness issues was slightly more subtle than in that of the interviews, highlighting that men often don’t want to talk about their wellness with too many people.

3.4 Primary Research

3.5.4 Wellness Diaries Objectives: 3 Participants were asked to track their wellness habits for a week, recording any actions that they felt helped or was catered towards their wellbeing. This was to understand how men care for their wellness, as there was a lack of secondary evidence surrounding this. This was also conducted to compare against women and if the ways in which men are doing so were actions deemed through secondary research as effeminate.

This was also to understand if there is a contradiction against the notion that men will not focus on their wellness out of fear of appearing feminine. The limitation regarding this method however was that as only 1 week was tracked by each participant, there was a lack of useful data as not many methods were tracked other than that of basic wellness actions due to the short amount of time given.

3.5.5 Industry Expert

Interviews Objectives: 5,6

Two industry interviews were conducted; one with a male wellness blogger and one with a brand representative for â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Zinzinoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, a unisex wellness brand. These provided insights and opinions surrounding whether or not the wellness industry is tailored more towards a specific gender and why this is, as well as insights on how they feel about the lack of discussion surrounding male health and if they feel this is impacting male overall wellbeing. These also helped to understand the importance of destigmatizing all aspects of wellness and whether it should be catered the same to both genders. An advantage of this form of research is that it gains pivotal viewpoints on the topic from someone who works within the subject matter, a perspective not always shown through secondary research. A limitation found within this however was that, despite contacting a total of 15 industry experts, only 2 were willing to give their perceptions, therefore restricting a clear understanding of this viewpoint.

3.5.6 Wellness Safari Objectives: 3,6 A wellness safari was undertaken to gain a first hand encounter of how wellness is presented in mainstream shopping to see if it appears to be targeted more towards a specific gender and whether gender stereotypes are present. Wellbeing sectors in bookshops, department stores, beauty stands etc. were analysed to see if wellness marketing is subconsciously utilising gender stereotypes. An advantage of this method was that it enables a look

into what consumers are exposed to and to compare this with their attitudes towards wellness. However, this did not pose a direct limitation but rather a contradiction as the sectors seen were not overtly targeted towards any gender in particular, aiding the argument that there is not an overt lack of focus on male wellness within the industry but rather through consumers ideologies.

3.6 Conclusion

3.6.1 Research Limitations While the mixed method triangulation has been used to ensure limitations of certain primary methods are reduced, overall limitations of the research are present. The specific restrictions are addressed under each primary method, however one overall drawback was that honesty in responses was not guaranteed, which can hinder the accuracy of results collected. Another limitation was the lack of industry interviews and male respondents from the questionnaire, delaying a deeper understanding of male perceptions. These could have been combatted by

undertaking more consumer interviews, however an attempt was made to make up for the lack of industry insights through the wellness safari by trying to engage with the wellness industry from a different perspective. Additionally, only those who identify as male or female were questioned and, as gender fluidity was found as a key aspect of identity both at present and in the future, the research could have been taken further by understanding the perceptions of those who identify as non-binary for example.

Discussion/ Findings 40

4.1 Overview This section explores the findings from both the literature review and primary research and reflects on the combination of consumer perceptions, themes and gender representation. Both male and female perceptions of wellness are evaluated and this has further been compared to how consumer wellbeing is presented within the wellness industry, and in turn whether gender stereotypes, with a focus on masculinity, are affecting both aspects.

. 42

4.2 Attitudes and Perceptions 4.2.1 Defining

Wellness

From secondary findings, wellness is defined as; ‘‘An active process of becoming aware of and making choices toward a healthy and fulfilling life […] a dynamic process of change and growth”(National Wellness Institute, 2019).

“

More and more men are getting better at reflecting on their wellbeing, but I also know that many men feel ashamed to talk about their mental health and are afraid to ask for help [...] men historically want to appear strong and independent.

Comparing this to consumer perceptions, it is clear that attitudes surrounding this are of the same ilk. When asked to define wellness through the questionnaire, both men and women used descriptive words such as ‘healthy’, ‘physical’ and ‘lifestyle’, however women defined wellness in more detail, using phrases such as ‘self-care’ and ‘happiness’ (Appendix fig. 6.4.1.2). This shows that, while men and women within Generation Z understand what wellness includes, there is still somewhat of a restriction for men as to what is fully required for their wellbeing as the majority of answers contained only physical attributes. Despite this, men still stated that emotional and mental health was the second most important factor within wellness when asked, therefore showing that men are in fact aware that their mental wellbeing is important, but it is classed as somewhat of an afterthought until suggested to them. Linking these findings to that of the literature review, it suggests that men are only fulfilling and talking about certain aspects of their wellness, due to the lack emotional recognition regarding the general wellness definition. This corroborates the notion that men are averting talking about the emotional aspects of their wellbeing out of fear of being seen as less masculine, as being ‘emotionless’ is a traditional notion surrounding this (Connell, 2005).

Zinzino Brand Ambassador (see Appendix fig.6.4.1.6)

”

4.2.2 Seeking Help

and Speaking Out

Extensive secondary research showed that one key factor within the masculine stereotype is being ‘strong and independent’ which is in turn allowing men to convey an aversion to help seeking (Bailey, 2018a). This is aided by questionnaire findings as, when asked what they do when they feel like they need to improve their wellbeing, only 12.8% of men stated that one way in which they would do so is through seeking professional help, as opposed to 26.3% of women (see Appendix fig. 6.4.1.2). While this shows a correlation, it cannot be argued as definite that masculinity is causing this aversion to help seeking or if men are in fact not seeking help at all, as other findings suggest that men are beginning to seek help closer to home through friends and family (Harding et al, 2015). This is validated by the fact that 44.7% of men stated that they spend time with family and friends when their want to improve their wellbeing (see Appendix fig. 6.4.1.2). Alongside this, primary research showed that men prefer action to talking as a way to improve wellbeing, with men significantly over indexing on actions such as gaming, sports and entertainment (see Appendix fig. 6.4.1.2). This further reiterates that men are in fact choosing more subtle ways to care for their wellbeing rather than not caring for it at all, however it can be argued that a reason for this subtlety is due to the masculine stereotype deterring from openness. 43

4.2.3 Caring For

Comparrison of what actions men and women undertake to care for their wellbeing.

51%

Their Wellbeing Both male and female wellness diaries indicated fitness or sport as part of their wellbeing regimes alongside socialising to improve mood. Female participants however indicated more aspects of relaxation within this (see Appendix fig. 6.4.1.5). From secondary research, it is understood that ‘pampering’ and going to retreats such as spas is not overtly a feminine action, despite what the male participants in the focus group believed, as it was also found that over “47% of spa goers in 2018 were in fact male” (Bailey, 2018a). This however is contradicted as, from survey findings, only 25% of men stated that they ‘pamper’ as a form of wellbeing, therefore, it could still be argued that young men are somewhat uncomfortable taking part in or admitting that they take part in this traditionally effeminate activity.

42% Sports/Gym

51%

38%

Watching TV/Reading a Book

58%

44%

Spending time with Friends/Family

29% Gaming

23%

25% Go for a Walk

25%

30% Pampering Activities

21%

23%

Taking time away from Social Media

12%

26%

Seeking Professional Help (see Appendix fig. 6.4.1.2)

4.2 Attitudes and Perceptions

4.2.4 What is Impacting Wellness? Questionnaire results were used to understand what factors contribute to negative wellbeing. While these factors were targeted more towards the impacts on emotional and mental health, from secondary research, it is understood that these can also be causing physical wellness implications, hence them being used as options. It was found that both men and women placed ‘Self Confidence Levels’ as the dominant cause for negative wellbeing, this is corroborated through literature review findings as links can be made between feeling insecure and the effects that masculinity and femininity are having on consumer self perceptions. Traditional masculinity seen in secondary findings depicts a rigid set of ideologies that men are struggling to hold onto, hence feeling insure when the break out of the ‘man box’ out of fear of appearing unmanly (Bailey, 2018a). In contrast, focus group findings showed that both men and women thought that spending time with friends and taking part in hobbies were healthy influences on wellbeing (see Appendix fig. 6.4.1.8). It can therefore be argued that social interactions of which a person feels accepted in are ways in which both men and women are trying to combat the lack of confidence.

“

I usually just push through stress if i’m honest [...] I don’t always have time to stop. Male Aged 18 (see Appendix fig.6.4.1.3)

Self Confid Levels

Male Results: News/Social/ Political Factors Family/ Friendship Pressures

Work Pres Self Confidence Levels

Social Me Pressures

chool Pres

School Pressures

Social Media Pressures

Family/Fri Pressures

Work Pressures

News/Soc Political Fa

Sales

Other

Self C Level

Female Results:

News/ Social/ Family/ Political Friendship Factors Pressures

Factors that Men and Women believe have a negative impact on Wellbeing

School Pressures Social Media Pressures

(see Appendix fig.6.4.1.2)

Work

Self Confidence Levels

Work Pressures

Socia Press

chool

Famil Press

News Politi

Other 46

4.2.5 Consumer Stereotyping Both the survey and focus group show that ideologies surrounding both genders are present in the way in which consumers perceive their own wellness and the wellness of others. The questionnaire highlighted that both men and women perceive male wellness as an overly physical attribute, using descriptive phrases such as ‘fitness’ and ‘physique’ (see Appendix fig. 6.4.1.2). While this was the same for the way in which female wellness was observed, there was again the added notion of relaxation, with ‘self-care’ being a coined term. This begins to argue that consumers are stereotyping themselves in regards to their wellbeing

and are, to an extent, not fully aware that this is happening until its pointed out, as suggested from focus group findings where one participant, a female, stated that she did not consider describing relaxation as a way men deal with wellness, to which both male participants agreed that it was not something that they initially would class as for their wellbeing (see Appendix fig. 6.4.1.8).

4.2 Attitudes and Perceptions

“

I think as a man they got it pretty spot [...] when you think about wellness you think their body and exercise but like you don’t think about relaxing[...] I don’t relax the way that a typical woman would relax with like pampering and things but I relax through gaming or watching a film. Male Aged 21 (see Appendix fig.6.4.1.3)

4.3 Marketing Audit 4.3.1 Consumer VS Industry % of Male vs Female Marketers that are ‘Very/Somewhat Confident’ that advertising avoids gender stereotypes

To understand the effects that masculinity and gender stereotypes are having on consumer wellness, a comparison as to how consumers perceive these stereotypes against how industries perceive them has proven essential. Secondary research identified that masculine ‘norms’ present in society are causing consumers to feel negatively towards themselves, which posed questions surrounding how these notions are presented to consumers and where.

Sales

Upon further research, it showed that one way in which this is shown is through general marketing. It was found that, while consumers feel that mainly restricted gender stereotypes are being represented, marketers feel the opposite (Kantar, 2018). Therefore, with this in mind, it gives the argument that industries, including the wellness industry, are more engrained with these notions surrounding gender than they realise, and are effectively helping to keep these stereotypes in place, which is in turn having a negative impact as consumers do not feel fully represented unless they are conforming to these labels.

Female 76%

“

I also see far less marketing in general aimed at men’s health and wellness[...]I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like a men’s “skincare routine” advertised without them trying to appear manly. Male Aged 22 (see Appendix fig. 6.4.1.3)

”

Male 88%

% of Male vs Female Consumers that feel that the way they are portrayed in marketing is ‘Almost completely out of touch’

76 75 74 %

73 72 71 70 69 68

Male

Female

4.3.2 Industry

Stereotyping

To understand why consumers feel this lack of representation and where marketers are going wrong, the wellness safari showed how aspects of the wellness industry that are typically seen as masculine or feminine are in fact using these stereotypes. The safari identified that there was not an overwhelming portrayal of gender stereotypes present, this could be due to gender fluidity becoming more accepted within society and marketers are beginning to rethink their overall approach to gender (Appendix fig. 6.4.1.7). However, more subtle forms of gender roles were there, wellbeing magazines that focused on having a ‘healthy mind’ used mainly feminine colours such as soft tones, and the text and headlines used confirmed the belief found through secondary research that “The way that headlines are often written in wellness content are more in line with how Vogue headlines are written.” (Fernandez, 2019). This highlights that, although it is not stated as being for women, feminine stereotypes are still played on. Wellness products further showed favour towards feminine stereotypes despite begin gender neutral by using ‘female’ imagery such as floral patterns and using women models for all products. In contrast, the fitness sectors showed a slight preference towards men, with exercise books containing pictures of muscular bodies but yoga/relaxation books contained females. This aids the belief that wellness beyond that of physical is an afterthought for men as it is assisted by the wellness industry to an extent, which could be another reason as to why these masculine stereotypes are so saturated within society.

4.3 Marketing Audit

#Bathsculinity

4.3.3 Case Study: Axe/Lynx

Through market evaluation, wellness brands that are accommodating to the new wave of positive masculinity have been identified. Axe, commonly known as Lynx in the UK, are a male grooming company infamous for using stereotypical masculinity within their marketing. Previous campaigns of the brand consist of men being referred to as ‘weak’ or ‘less of a man’ until they use their products, upon which the man will transform into that of a muscular physique and become a ‘ladies man’ (Chesters, 2012). With this in mind, it is clear to see how masculine notions are affecting male wellbeing if this is what men are being exposed to. However, a recent campaign by the brand has begun to challenge this toxic masculinity. Axe/Lynx have used #Bathsculinity to get men talking and admitting that relaxing is a key part of taking care of themselves, with the use of a ‘traditional manly man’ showing that he does not loose his masculinity by doing so. 51

“

I liked that they used a ‘manly man’ in the bath showing that he is pampering himself [...] it doesn’t make him any less of a man

”

Male Aged 22 (see Appendix fig.6.4.1.8)

While this presents a shift in reframing masculinity for a positive impact on wellness, a key insight from the literature review findings, Axe/Lynx still embody these out-dated masculine concepts within their persona, therefore, this new wave thinking needs to continue for it to have a long lasting impact on consumer attitudes.

4.2 Attitudes and Perceptions

â&#x20AC;&#x153;

Create an open and empowered male culture that results in more proactivity around health and preventative self-care. Hims, 2019

â&#x20AC;?

4.3.4 Case Study: Hims

A start up brand that has emerged from this ‘new wave masculinity’ is Hims. Hims is a male health and wellness brand that addresses wellbeing topics often considered embarrassing by men, such as hair loss, erectile dysfunction and emotional health. The marketing encapsulates the idea that being a man isn’t defined by conforming to a certain set of rules and that having open, causal and even comical discussions surrounding these wellness factors are important in making a positive change to the way men identify and look after their own wellbeing (Hims, 2019). “Hims, which sells products for hair thinning and ED, is focused on ensuring that men feel less embarrassed about having these types of products on their shelves” Josh Morenstein (The Future Laboratory, 2018) Through brands such as Hims, it is clear that the wellness industry are beginning to take notice of the negative implications that toxic masculinity has and is having on male health, however, as seen through the wellness safari, the basic masculine stereotype is still fully immersed within popular culture. 54

Conclusion/ Recommendations

5.1 Conclusion Overall, research findings showed that the overarching theme within male wellness is the fact that men are only fully willing to focus on their wellbeing through physical attributes, leaving mental wellness as an afterthought due to its effeminate connotations. Within this, it is clear that the way in which men perceive themselves through their masculinity is showing that the desire to step out of the ‘man box’ is believed to taint these notions, thus creating a fear and highlighting the substantial impact that masculinity is having on wellness. In addition, the

comparison of male and female gender stereotypes found from primary research showed that, while both impact consumer perceptions surrounding what is ‘acceptable’ for men and women to do to care for their wellbeing, there was an overall more accommodating attitude to the ways of female self-care, opposite to that of males. Furthering this, while gender stereotypes are still heavily present in wellness marketing, lines are beginning to be crosses regarding what is deemed suitable for each gender, which is a pivotal concept that will springboard further research Stage 2 preparations.

5.2 Recommendations 5.2.1 Scenario Planning Gender Neutral

Building on new wave masculinity, insights from secondary research showed that breaking down gender stereotypes by almost creating a neutral zone where these typecasts are not important or are not the dominant focus is crucial. This lack of focus could in turn allow men to feel more comfortable to be themselves even if this means stepping outside of the masculine labels, prompting openness, acceptance and a willingness to try new things, all aspects that have a positive impact on male wellness as shown through the literature review. Linking this to the wellness industry, this could be argued as a way in which men could be introduced to new, even ‘feminine’ wellness activities such as relaxation/calming techniques.

This gender fluid approach could be used to educate men more on the ways in which they are already targeting their wellness, which was found through consumer interviews and a consumer questionnaire. For example, the ways in which strength and fitness are perceived through masculine ideologies could be expanded to show that masculine strength does not only come from a muscular physique, but rather a combination of fitness and mental/internal health, which utilizes a platform that many men are already comfortable with, again something found through secondary research as an effective way to connect to male consumers.

Reframing Old Wellness

Introducing New Concepts Continuing with the new wellness concepts for men, traditional gender stereotypes do not have to be completely rejected, and these could however be used in a positive way to attract male consumers to expand their wellness perceptions. Taking lead from Axe/ Lynx, using an almost challenging approach to target men by questioning if they are ‘man enough’ to care for themselves and not get caught up on stereotyping could prove an effective way to almost force men to cater to all aspects of self-care, in turn having long term positive implications as they are trying new, beneficial concepts.

Gender Stereotyping

5.3 Personal Reflection The aim of this research project was to analyse masculine stereotypes and evaluate the extent of which these notions are having an impact on perceptions surrounding male wellness and further if masculinity is causing negative implications for male health. This aim was met through conducting a combination of primary and secondary research to understand traditional vs. contemporary masculine stereotypes, their impact on how men seek help for their wellness and overall if this is the factor that is having the most dominant impact. Primary research further helped to identify gaps highlighted by the literature review around what men do and are reluctant to do in regards to their wellbeing and it helped to allow further understanding as to what men believe to be impacting their wellness and if they see masculinity as a factor. This was also compared to female

opinions alongside femininity to see if these stereotypes were fully engrained in society and whether there was more of an acceptance regarding the wellness of a specific gender, which was in turn found to be tailored more towards women. Upon reflection, improvements surrounding research include expanding the sample group used in primary research to contain those who identify as non-binary to gain a wider understanding of the effects of gender stereotypes. This could have been compared further to different generations to see the impact masculinity is having on different age groups, something that can be expanded on in the Stage 2 implementation.

References/List of Illustrations/ Bibliography/ Appendix 62

6.1 References Bailey, E., 2018a. Male Wellness - 25 September 2018 [online]. Available via: WGSN [Accessed 22 November 2019]. Bailey, E., 2018b. Male Grooming Brands - 16 April 2018 [online]. Available via: WGSN [Accessed 24 November 2019]. Baker, P. 2019. Who Cares Wins: A global perspective on men and self-care [online] Available via: Global Action on Men’s Health. [Accessed 29 November 2019]. Blakeslee, S. (2004). The CRAAP test. LOEX Quarterly, 31 (3), 4. Available at: http://commons.emich.edu/ loexquarterly/ [Accessed on 2 January 2020]. Calm. 2018. #Project84 launches today. Calm. Available at: https://www.thecalmzone.net/2018/03/project84launches-today/?highlight=ITV [Accessed 26 November 2019]. Chesters, A. 2012. A Brief History of Lynx. The Guardian. Available at:https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/ fashion-blog/2012/mar/05/brief-history-of-lynx [Accessed 8 January 2020]. Chitrakorn, K. 2019. Men are changing: Are Brands Keeping Up? [online] Business of Fashion. Available at : https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/intelligence/men-are-changing-are-brands-keeping-up [Accessed 25 November 2019]. Connell, R., 2005. Masculinities. 2nd ed. Cambridge : Polity Press. Fernandez, C. 2019. Tapping the Men’s Wellness Opportunity [online] Business of Fashion. Available at : https:// www.businessoffashion.com/articles/intelligence/tapping-the-mens-wellness-opportunity [Accessed 25 November 2019]. Ghaill,M.A. & Haywood, C. 2012. Understanding Boys: Thinking through Boys, Masculinity and Suicide. Social Science & Medicine 74 (4), 482-489. [Accessed 25 November 2019]. Gough, B. 2006.Try to be Healthy, but Don’t Forgo Your Masculinity: Deconstructing Men’s Health Discourse in the Media. Social Science & Medicine. 63. 2476–2488. Greene, J. C. (2007). Mixed Methods in Social Inquiry. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Harding, C. & Fox, C. 2015. ‘It’s Not About “Freudian Couches and Personality Changing Drugs”: An Investigation Into Men’s Mental Health Help-Seeking Enablers. American Journal of Men’s Health. 9. 451–463. Hart, C., 2017. Doing A Literature Review: Releasing The Research Imagination (sage Study Skills Series). Sage Publications Ltd. Hims. 2019. The Hims Mission. Hims&Hers. Available at: https://www.forhims.com/[Accessed 4 January 2020]. Innovation Group. 2018. The Future 100:2019 - November 2018 [online]. Pg 200-202. Available via: J. Walter Thompson Intelligence [Accessed 22 November 2019]. Kahneman, D., 2012. Thinking, Fast And Slow. London: Penguin Books. Kantar. 2018. Getting Gender Right [online] Available via: Kantar [Accessed 2 December 2019]. Krueger, R.A. 1988. Focus Groups: A Practical Guide for Applied Research. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications. Lamb, M. 2010. The Role Of The Father In Child Development. 5th ed. New Jersey: Wiley.

Levant, F. 1996. The new psychology of men. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice. 27 (3), 259–265. Howes, L. The Mask of Masculinity, 2019. The Goop Fellas Podcast [Podcast], 4 September 2019. Available at: https://goop.com/goopfellas-podcast/ [Accessed 6 December 2019]. Lomas, T., Cartwright, T., Edginton, T. Ridge, D. 2016. New Ways of Being a Man: “Positive” Hegemonic Masculinity in Meditation-based Communities of Practice. Men and Masculinities, 19 (3), 289-310. Mintel, 2019a. Health Management Trends- UK January 2019 [online]. Available via: Mintel [Accessed 25 November 2019]. Mintel, 2019b. Three ways brands can connect with men on wellness- UK June 2019 [online]. Available via: Mintel [Accessed 25 November 2019]. National Wellness Institute. 2019. About Wellness [ONLINE] National Wellness Institute. Available at: https://www. nationalwellness.org/page/AboutWellness [Accessed 24 November 2019]. O’Brien, R. Hunt, K. Hart, G. 2005. ‘It’s caveman stuff, but that is to a certain extent how guys still operate’: men’s accounts of masculinity and help seeking. Social Science & Medicine. 61 (3), 503-516. Oxford English Dictionary. 2007. Oxford dictionary and thesaurus. 2nd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Palan, K., Areni, C., & Kiecker, P. 1999. Re-examining Masculinity, Femininity, and Gender Identity Scales. Marketing Letters. 10 (4), 363-377. Priory. 2018. ‘40% of men wont talk to anyone about their mental health’. PrioryGroup [online blog], November 2018. Available at: https://www.priorygroup.com/blog/40-of-men-wont-talk-to-anyone-about-their-mentalhealth[Accessed 27 November 2019]. The Book of Man. 2019. Masculinity, stories and opinion on the new man. The Book of Man. Available at: https:// thebookofman.com/category/mind/masculinity/ [Accessed 30 November 2019]. The Future Laboratory. 2018. New Masculinity – 08 October 2018 [online]. Available via: LS:N Global [Accessed 23 November 2019]. Thornhill, A., Saunders, M., Lewis, P. 2003. Research Methods for Business Students. 2nd ed. United Kingdom: Financial Times, Prentice Hall. University of the West of England. 2012. Beer Belly is the Biggest Body Issue for Men. UWE Bristol. Available at: https://info.uwe.ac.uk/news/uwenews/news.aspx?id=2178 [Accessed 12 December 2019]. WHO, 2018. Strategy on the health and well-being of men in the WHO European Region- 16 September 2018 [online] Available via: World Health Organisation [Accessed 27 November 2019]. World Health Organisation. (2019). Mortality and Morbility Statistics. 4th ed. London: ICD. Chapter 24. World Health organization. 2017. What do we mean by “sex” and “gender”?. World Health Organisation. Available at: https://web.archive.org/web/20170130022356/http://apps.who.int/gender/whatisgender/en/ [Accessed 29 November 2019]. Wroble,A. (2019) ‘3 ways brands can connect with men on wellness’. Mintel. Available at: http://academic.mintel. com/ [Accessed 17 October 2019]

6.2 List of Illustrations Cervantes,S. (2019) Male Wellness [DIGITAL IMAGE] Unsplash. Available at: https:// unsplash.com/photos/ Aq7YXfrIG5g [Accessed 13 November 2019]

Pinterest (2019) Earth Manipulation [DIGITAL IMAGE] Pinterest. Available at: https://www.pinterest. co.uk/pin/348958671 128902310/[Accessed 13 November 2019]

Rivera, M. (2017) Darnell Thomas [DIGITAL IMAGE] Tumblr. Available at: https://blog. blackfashionmag.com/ post/150834492579/ darnell-thomas-igdudeitsdarnell-by-marcorivera [Accessed 16 November 2019]

Malevich (2019) Luuk Van Os X Maelevich [DIGITAL IMAGE] Tumblr. Available at: https://claudegrant.tumblr. com/post/71741121169/ the-boywho-luuk-van-os-xmalevich-tumblr [Accessed 16 November 2019]

Villasana, V. (2018) ‘Man Up’ [DIGITAL IMAGE] Instagram. Available at: https://www.instagram. com/p/BlBGvLhnU0S/ [Accessed 16 November 2019]

Pinterest (2019) Earth Manipulation [DIGITAL IMAGE] Pinterest. Available at: https:// www.pinterest.co.uk/ pin/348958671129182905/ [Accessed 16 November 2019]

Business Wire (2018) John Legend x Pampers [DIGITAL IMAGE] Business Wire. Available at: https://www. businesswire.com/news/ home/20180613005846/ en/Pampers-and-JohnLegend-Celebrate-DadsFathers-Day-Tribute [Accessed 17 November 2019]

Bernstein, M. (2019) Toxic Masculinity [DIGITAL IMAGE] Instagram. Available at: https:// www.instagram.com/p/ Bun1RwcBANv/?igshid 78gz [Accessed 18 November 2019]

Clift, C. (2018) Lets Talk Campaign [DIGITAL IMAGE] Creative Boom. Available at: https://www. creativeboom.com/features/ photographer-charlie-clifton-his-lets-talk-campaigncoping-with-anxiety-andaddressing-mental-health/ [Accessed 19 November 2019]

Staffonly (2016) FALLWINTER 2016 Lookbook [DIGITAL IMAGE] Fucking Young. Available at: http:// fuckingyoung.es/staffonlyfallwinter-2016-lookbook/ [Accessed 19 November 2019]

Carroll, T. (2017) The EveryMAN Project [DIGITAL IMAGE] Tarik Carroll Creative. Available at: https://www. tarikcarrollcreative.com/theeveryman-project [Accessed 19 November 2019]

Fernhout, M. (2016) 18 Photos Of Men Crying To Challenge Gender Norms [DIGITAL IMAGE] Buzzfeed. Available at: https://www.buzzfeed.com/ lauragallant/18-photos-ofmen-crying-that-challengegender-norms?utm_term=. wwBdAaMJ2 [Accessed 19 November 2019]

Pinterest (2019) Male Silence [DIGITAL IMAGE] Pinterest. Available at: https:// www.pinterest.co.uk/ pin/348958671128948663/ [Accessed 21 November 2019]

Pinterest (2019) Male Blooming [DIGITAL IMAGE] Pinterest. Available at: https:// www.pinterest.co.uk/ pin/3489586711202971/ [Accessed 21 November 2019]

Pinterest (2019) Let Boys Be Feminine [DIGITAL IMAGE] Pinterest. Available at: https:// www.pinterest.co.uk/ pin/348958671128902317/ [Accessed 21 November 2019]

DeVito, P. (2018) Too Femme [DIGITAL IMAGE] The Eat Culture. Available at: https://www. theeatculture.com/en/ normal-portrait-series-bypeter-devito/ [Accessed 23 November 2019]

Bernstein, M. (2019) Toxic Masculinity [DIGITAL IMAGE] Instagram. Available at: https:// www.instagram.com/p/ Bun1RwcBANv/?igshid 78gz [Accessed 24 November 2019]

Pinterest (2019) Female Dominance [DIGITAL IMAGE] Pinterest. Available at: https:// www.pinterest.co.uk/ pin/348958671129182552/ [Accessed 24 November 2019]

Pinterest (2019) Male Relationships [DIGITAL IMAGE] Pinterest. Available at: https:// www.pinterest.co.uk/ pin/3489586128902281/ [Accessed 24 November 2019]

Grosdidier, A.(2012) Drowning [DIGITAL IMAGE] My Modern Met. Available at: https://mymodernmet. com/alban-grosdidierdrowning/[Accessed 24 November 2019]

Falquez, C. (2017) Soft Masculinity [DIGITAL IMAGE] i-D. Available at: https://i-d. vice.com/en_us/ article/3kpb3j/radicallysoft-photos-of-blackmasculinity[Accessed 24 November 2019]

Roullet, F. (2018) Mind Confined [DIGITAL IMAGE] Quite Lunch. Available at: https:// www.quietlunch.com/ mind-confined-fredericroullet/ [Accessed 25 November 2019]

Falquez, C. (2017) Soft Masculinity [DIGITAL IMAGE] i-D. Available at: https://i-d. vice.com/en_us/ article/3kpb3j/radicallysoft-photos-of-blackmasculinity[Accessed 25 November 2019]

Pinterest (2019) Male Spa[DIGITAL IMAGE] Pinterest. Available at: https:// www.pinterest.co.uk/ pin/553802704049970/ [Accessed 25 November 2019]

Sales

Comparrison of what actions men and women undertake to care for their wellbeing.

51%

42% Sports/Gym

51%

38%

Weston,C. 2019. Factors Affecting Wellbeing [Digital Image] (Author’s Own Image).

Weston,C. Self Confidence Levels

Male Results: News/Social/ Political Factors

Family/ Friendship Pressures

Self Confidence Levels

Pressures

Watching TV/Reading a Book

chool Pressures

School Pressures

58%

44%

Spending time with Friends/Family

29% Gaming

Social Media Pressures

23%

25% Go for a Walk

25%

30%

23%

Taking time away from Social Media

12%

26%

Seeking Professional Help

Work Pressures

Family/Friendship Pressures News/Social/ Political Factors Other

Pampering Activities

21%

2019. Factors Affecting Wellbeing [DigiWork Pressures tal Image] (Author’s Own Image). Social Media

Sales Self Confidence Levels

Female Results:

News/ Social/ Family/ Political Friendship Factors Pressures

School Pressures Social Media Pressures

Self Confidence Levels

Work Pressures

Sales

Female 76%

Weston,C. 2019. Factors Affecting Wellbeing [Digital Image] (Author’s Own Social Media Pressures Image).

Bernstein, M. (2019) Toxic Masculinity [DIGITAL IMAGE] Instagram. Available at: https:// www.instagram.com/p/ Bun1RwcBANv/?igshid 78gz [Accessed 29 November 2019]

Work Pressures

Male 88%

chool Pressures

Family/Friendship Pressures News/Social/ Political Factors Other

Weston,C. 2019. Marketers Satisfaction of Gender Stereotyping [Digital Image] Male (Author’s Own Image).

77 76 75 74

Female

Weston,C. 2019. Consumer Satisfaction of Gender Stereotyping [Digital Image] (Author’s Own Image).

72 71 70 69 68

Weston,C. 2019. Wellness Safari. [photograph] (Author’s Own Image).

Axe (2019) #Bathsculinity [DIGITAL IMAGE] Axe. Available at: https://www.axe.com/ us/en/bathsculinity. html[Accessed 14 December 2019]

Hims(2019) Hims Marketing [DIGITAL IMAGE] Hims&Hers. Available at: https://www. forhims.com/[Accessed 14 December 2019]

Pinterest (2019) Male Silence [DIGITAL IMAGE] Pinterest. Available at: https:// www.pinterest.co.uk/ pin/3489586711757/ [Accessed 29 December 2019]

Hims(2019) Hims Marketing [DIGITAL IMAGE] Hims&Hers. Available at: https://www. forhims.com/[Accessed 14 December 2019]

Staffonly (2016) FALLWINTER 2016 Lookbook [DIGITAL IMAGE] Fucking Young. Available at: http:// fuckingyoung.es/staffonlyfallwinter-2016-lookbook/ [Accessed 29 December 2019]

6.3 Bibliography Books/E-Books Blakeslee, S. (2004). The CRAAP test. LOEX Quarterly, 31 (3), 4. Available at: http://commons.emich.edu/ loexquarterly/ [Accessed on 2 January 2020] Connell, R., 2005. Masculinities. 2nd ed. Cambridge : Polity Press. Greene, J. C. (2007). Mixed Methods in Social Inquiry. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Hart, C., 2017. Doing A Literature Review: Releasing The Research Imagination (sage Study Skills Series). Sage Publications Ltd. Howes, L. 2017. The Mask of Masculinity: How Men Can Embrace Vulnerability, Create Strong Relationships, and Live Their Fullest Lives. 1st e.d. United States. Rodale Books. Kahneman, D., 2012. Thinking, Fast And Slow. London: Penguin Books. Krueger, R.A. 1988. Focus Groups: A Practical Guide for Applied Research. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications. Lamb, M. 2010. The Role Of The Father In Child Development. 5th ed. New Jersey: Wiley. Oxford English Dictionary.2007. Oxford dictionary and thesaurus. 2nd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Thornhill, A., Saunders, M., Lewis, P. 2003. Research Methods for Business Students. 2nd ed. United Kingdom: Financial Times, Prentice Hall. World Health Organisation. (2019). Mortality and Morbility Statistics. 4th ed. London: ICD. Chapter 24. Journals/Journal Articles Cottini, E. (2012), “Is your job bad for your health? Explaining differences in health at work across gender”, International Journal of Manpower, Vol. 33 No. 3, pp. 301-321. Ghaill,M.A. & Haywood, C. 2012. Understanding Boys: Thinking through Boys, Masculinity and Suicide. Social Science & Medicine 74 (4), 482-489. [Accessed 25 November 2019]. Gough, B. 2006.Try to be Healthy, but Don’t Forgo Your Masculinity: Deconstructing Men’s Health Discourse in the Media. Social Science & Medicine. 63. 2476–2488. Harding, C. & Fox, C. 2015. ‘It’s Not About “Freudian Couches and Personality Changing Drugs”: An Investigation Into Men’s Mental Health Help-Seeking Enablers. American Journal of Men’s Health. 9. 451–463. Levant, F. 1996. The new psychology of men. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice. 27 (3), 259–265. Lomas, T., Cartwright, T., Edginton, T. Ridge, D. 2016. New Ways of Being a Man: “Positive” Hegemonic Masculinity in Meditation-based Communities of Practice. Men and Masculinities, 19 (3), 289-310. O’Brien, R. Hunt, K. Hart, G. 2005. ‘It’s caveman stuff, but that is to a certain extent how guys still operate’: men’s accounts of masculinity and help seeking. Social Science & Medicine. 61 (3), 503-516. Palan, K., Areni, C., & Kiecker, P. 1999. Re-examining Masculinity, Femininity, and Gender Identity Scales. Marketing Letters. 10 (4), 363-377. Market/ Trend Reports Bailey, E., 2018a. Male Wellness - 25 September 2018 [online]. Available via: WGSN [Accessed 22 November 2019]. 71

Bailey, E., 2018b. Male Grooming Brands - 16 April 2018 [online]. Available via: WGSN [Accessed 24 November 2019]. Baker, P. 2019. Who Cares Wins: A global perspective on men and self-care [online] Available via: Global Action on Men’s Health. [Accessed 29 November 2019] Innovation Group. 2018. The Future 100:2019 - November 2018 [online]. Pg 200-202. Available via: J. Walter Thompson Intelligence [Accessed 22 November 2019]. Kantar. 2018. Getting Gender Right [online] Available via: Kantar [Accessed 2 December 2019]. Mintel, 2019a. Health Management Trends- UK January 2019 [online]. Available via: Mintel [Accessed 25 November 2019]. Mintel, 2019b. Three ways brands can connect with men on wellness- UK June 2019 [online]. Available via: Mintel [Accessed 25 November 2019]. The Future Laboratory. 2018. New Masculinity – 08 October 2018 [online]. Available via: LS:N Global [Accessed 23 November 2019]. The Future Laboratory. 2019. Health and Wellness Futures – 20 June 2019 [online]. Available via: LS: N Global [Accessed 24 November 2019]. Welltodoglobal. 2018. Global Wellness Industry Trend Report [online]. Available via: Welltodoglobal.com [Accessed: 1 December 2019]. WGSN Beauty Team., 2018. Beauty Innovations: Male Grooming Winter 2018- 8 November 2018 [online]. Available via: WGSN [Accessed 24 November 2019]. Wroble,A. (2019) ‘3 ways brands can connect with men on wellness’. Mintel. Available at: http://academic.mintel. com/ [Accessed 17 October 2019]. Blogs/websites Barrie, L. 2019. Men Are Spending More to Get Healthy and Brands Want In [online] Skift. Available at: https:// skift.com/2019/03/21/men-are-spending-more-to-get-healthy-and-brands-want-in/ [Accessed 3 December 2019]. Calm. 2018. #Project84 launches today. Calm. Available at: https://www.thecalmzone.net/2018/03/project84launches-today/?highlight=ITV [Accessed 26 November 2019]. Chesters, A. 2012. A Brief History of Lynx. The Guardian. Available at:https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/ fashion-blog/2012/mar/05/brief-history-of-lynx [Accessed 8 January 2020]. Chitrakorn, K. 2019. Men Are Changing. Are Brands Keeping Up? [online] Business of Fashion. Available at: https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/intelligence/tapping-the-mens-wellness-opportunity [Accessed 2 December 2019]. Chiu, E. 2018. Rebooting Men’s Wellness [online] J. Walter Thompson Intelligence. Available at: https://www. jwtintelligence.com/2018/01/rebooting-mens-wellness/ [Accessed 3 December 2019]. Fernandez, C. 2019. Tapping the Men’s Wellness Opportunity [online] Business of Fashion. Available at : https:// www.businessoffashion.com/articles/intelligence/tapping-the-mens-wellness-opportunity [Accessed 25 November 2019]. Hicks, R. Cooper, E. 2018. Why Men Need to Start Taking Back Control of their Wellness [online] Men’s Health. Available at : https://www.menshealth.com/uk/health/a25670240/mens-wellness-start-taking-control/ [Accessed 3 December 2019]. Hims. 2019. The Hims Mission. Hims&Hers. Available at: https://www.forhims.com/[Accessed 4 January 2020]. Kahn, J. 2019. Why Men Should Care About Wellness [online] MindBodyGreen. Available at : https://www. 72

mindbodygreen.com/0-13846/why-men-should-care-about-wellness.html [Accessed 3 December 2019]. Moshakis, A. 2019. Evolution of Man: The Rise and Rise of the Male Wellness Sector [online] The Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2019/mar/17/evolution-of-man-the-rise-and-rise-of-the-malewellness-sector [Accessed 3 December 2019]. National Wellness Institute. 2019. About Wellness [ONLINE] National Wellness Institute. Available at: https://www. nationalwellness.org/page/AboutWellness [Accessed 24 November 2019] Priory. 2018. ‘40% of men wont talk to anyone about their mental health’. PrioryGroup [online blog], November 2018. Available at: https://www.priorygroup.com/blog/40-of-men-wont-talk-to-anyone-about-their-mentalhealth[Accessed 27 November 2019]. Rabang, I. 2019. Redefining Men’s Health and Wellness- One Product at a Time. [online] Bold Business. Available at: https://www.boldbusiness.com/health/redefining-health-and-wellness-market-for-men/ [Accessed 2 December 2019]. Sandler, E. 2019. How The Wellness Industry Markets To Men [online], Available at : https://www.glossy.co/ beauty/how-the-wellness-industry-markets-to-men [Accessed 2 December 2019]. The Book of Man. 2019. Masculinity, stories and opinion on the new man. The Book of Man. Available at: https:// thebookofman.com/category/mind/masculinity/ [Accessed30 November 2019]. University of the West of England. 2012. Beer Belly is the Biggest Body Issue for Men. UWE Bristol. Available at: https://info.uwe.ac.uk/news/uwenews/news.aspx?id=2178 [Accessed 12 December 2019] WHO, 2018. Strategy on the health and well-being of men in the WHO European Region- 16 September 2018 [online] Available via: World Health Organisation [Accessed 27 November 2019]. Wilkinson, C. 2017. Suit you sir? Modern men spend more than women but retail therapy is still lost on them. [online]. Barclaycard. Available at: https://www.home.barclaycard/media-centre/press-releases/Modern-menspend-more-than-women-but-retail-therapy-is-still-lost-on-them.html [Accessed 1 December 2019]. World Health organization. 2017. What do we mean by “sex” and “gender”?. World Health Organisation. Available at: https://web.archive.org/web/20170130022356/http://apps.who.int/gender/whatisgender/en/ [Accessed 29 November 2019]. Podcasts An Unconventional Approach to Healing, 2019. The Goop Fellas Podcast [Podcast], 14 August 2019. Available at: https://goop.com/goopfellas-podcast/ [Accessed 6 December 2019]. Getting Involved In Our Own Healing, 2019. The Goop Fellas Podcast [Podcast], 21 August 2019. Available at: https://goop.com/goopfellas-podcast/ [Accessed 6 December 2019]. Lewis Howes: The Mask of Masculinity, 2019. The Goop Fellas Podcast [Podcast], 4 September 2019. Available at: https://goop.com/goopfellas-podcast/ [Accessed 6 December 2019]. Michael Stipe on the Future of Masculinity and Well-Being, 2019. The Goop Fellas Podcast [Podcast], 10 July 2019. Available at: https://goop.com/goopfellas-podcast/ [Accessed 6 December 2019]. Queer Eye’s Antoni on Being Enough, 2019. The Goop Fellas Podcast [Podcast], 11 September 2019. Available at: https://goop.com/goopfellas-podcast/ [Accessed 6 December 2019]. Why Men Are Afraid to Show Emotion, 2019. The Goop Fellas Podcast [Podcast], 3 July 2019. Available at: https:// goop.com/goopfellas-podcast/ [Accessed 6 December 2019].

6.4 Appendix 6.4.1 Primary Research 6.4.1.1 Blank Survey (Male and Female Surveys are Identical) Define what the term â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;wellnessâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; means to you Which factors do you feel are the most important within wellness? (Choose 2 main answers) - Fitness - Mental/emotional health - Relaxation/ taking time out - Self care/grooming - Self confidence/ self positivity - Other Describe how you think men (18-25) look after their wellness? Describe how you think women (18-25) look after their wellness? What factors do you feel have a negative impact on your wellbeing? (Choose the 2 most influential) - School pressures - Work pressures - Family/friendship pressures - Self confidence levels/body image - Social media pressures - News/social/political factors - Other What do you do when you feel like you need to improve your wellbeing? (Choose all that apply). - Go for a walk - Take time away from social media - Spend time with family/ friends - Seek professional help (therapy, holistic healing etc.) - Watch a film/ listen to music to relax - Reading (self help/motivational/favourite book etc) - Pampering (go to a spa, have a bath etc) - Other Would you be put off using a service that appears to promote itself more to a different gender despite being available for everyone? Please Explain why:

6.4.1.2 Survey Results Male

Female

Define what the term â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;wellnessâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; means to you. Being secure healthy living and working on being happy looking after all aspects of my life healthy body and happy mind fitness mostly healthy and happy my mind and my body are all in good shape if i am well i am doing all i can to take care of my self having peak physical condititon being fit and happy healthy living having good physical health and stable mental health physical and mental health being healthy caring for myself being healthy and choosing my lifestyle to help my wellbeing feeling looking and acting healthy taking care of myself by exercise, eating well and reducing any stresses in my life taking care of my health being happy Regular health checks Healthy diet Health checks Being healthy Healthy eating Exercise Good food Beauty products Being fit,healthy and slim Wellness to me means a positive bit of health Feeling good taking care of myself being comfortable and healthy Being happy feeling healthy both in my mind and in my body caring for my health doing things that make me feel and look healthy healthy living caring for my physical and mental health caring for my wellbeing taking care of myself physical health health both physically and emotionally being healthy if im well then im happy and at my best physical health doing things to look after my health being healthy looking after my health Looking after myself through eating healthy and being active Being healthy Looking after your own well-being

working towards my happiness to achieve wellness and making healthy choices for my body exercise, meditation, wellbeing practices and overall health Self care and self love feeling content with life and being healthy Being comfortable and confident healthy living Self care and physical well being being fully happy healthy and stable Being confident and comfortable within your self securing my emotional and physical health Self awareness and love Self care physically and mentally exercise and hobbies that all make me feel happy To be physically and emotionally secure Physical and emotional wellness doing actions that care for my health Looking after yourself looking after myself Being well physically and emotionally Self love health both emotional and physical Having self assurance Being comfortable in all aspects of your life Self care mentally and physically having goals about my happiness and overall health Being healthy mentally and physically Security body and mind are healthy being well means being happy and healthy doing things that care for all aspects of my wellbeing looking after myself and doing the things that i love doing all i can to make my life the best it can be health and feeling joyful caring for myself doing things that i love and that makes me happy body and mental wellness self care self positivity and health caring for my mental and physical health happiness and fitness having a healthy lifestyle Diet Exercise eating healthy and exercising regularly Happy Healthy Healthy eating Happy Healthy Happiness loving myself and feeling happy mentally and physically healthy Good food Exercise

doing things that benefit my mind body and soul Happy Fit Happy Healthy Exercise Looking after yourself Exercise Diet Happy Healthy Healthy eating Exercise Good food Healthy eating Good food Exercise Being happy and healthy Exercise Healthy eating Diet Healthy eating Exercise Good food Good diet Exercise Good health Healthy diet Good food No stress Diet Looking after yourself Good lifestyle Being comfortable Being healthy A good state of mind Being comfortable within yourself Your mental health and fitness just overall health Wellbeing feeling like im doing all i can to be healthy body, soul and mind all being taken care of healthy body and mind feeling healthy in body and mind healthy living emotionally stable and well, looking after physical health constantly working on my physical health and taking time out to focus on my mental health taking care of my body and mind feeling good and the ways towards it taking care of my health both physical and emotional Having a healthy body and mind To be healthy Mental and physical wellbeing, overall health and happiness Good mentally and physically Keeping fit and healthy within the body and the mind Taking care of myself Being healthy and happy in all aspects of my life Which factors do you feel are the most important within wellness? (Choose 2 main answers) Fitness

Fitness

Emotional/Mental Health

Self-Care/ Grooming

Relaxation/Taking time out

Other

Describe how you think men look after their wellness By looking for comfort spending time with people who make them happy and doing things to help their body fitness and spending time with those they love clean foods exercise and having fun exercise and the gym lifestyle hanging out with friends and taking care of their bodies doing things that make them happy choosing things that help their happiness and their physical appearence making good choices for all aspects of their body and emotional state through vanity constantly considering how they look and how they feel self care grooming exercise caring for their happiness and exercise and eating a balanced diet fitness and eating well and doing things that help them have stable mental health exercise and eating well grooming exercise nutricious food surrounds himself with support and works on his physical health surrounding themselves with positivity, making healthy choices for their body which can affect the mind mixture of exercise and relaxing to care for their health as both affect eachother eating clean and regular exercise Regular exercise Good diet Health checks Fitness food Fitness Good diet Body checks Fitness Keeping fit and good products Taking time to relax Gym, grooming healthy eating, looking good, going out with friends doing things they enjoy and making healthy choices Taking time doing what they want to do exercise and nutrition spending time with friends, fitness cutting out negativity from their lives, exercise, eating well making choices that take care of their body exercise, going out with the lads for a chat building strength, eating healthy and good foods for this doing things that make them look and feel healthy and happy grooming for confidence and exercise for body taking care of their body exercise eating the right things going to the gym taking care of their appearence to make them feel well/happy in themselves getting fit and taking care of their appearence going to the gym, grooming eathing well and going to the gym Going to the gym Working out in the gym They make sure they look clean and tidy

i think men care for their wellbeing well but i think its driven by looking a certain way such as muscly and they dont focus on their mental wellness as much body focused over emotionally focused By taking time to do things that make them happy gym, cutting out anything bad for them, spending time with friends for fun By taking time out for the things that make them happy hobbies caring for their physical health seeking help Taking time to do things they enjoy doing hobbies, exercise, cutting out bad habits and food By taking time out for them self doign activities that they like to do to make them happy and fitness Self care and grooming By doing activities they enjoy fitness and using products for their appearance By spending time doing what they enjoy By making time for their hobbies driven mainly by appearance and a need to look manly Self care physically and mentally routinely going to the gym, doing what they love Working out and spending time with ones they love By doing what pleases them caring for their appearance and doing what they want By self grooming and being with family and friends By taking time out and hanging out with friends Physical activities and time for themselves fitness putting good food in their bodies By taking time to do what they want By being boys looking after their physique and their happiness hobbies and whatever they like to do to make them happy as that is pivotal to all aspects of health fitness and making themselves happy going to the gym, grooming and generally doing what makes them happy gym doing things that allow them to care for themselves doing things they like to do like hobbies and making sure they are fit grooming and exercise looking after their physique and strength grooming and exercise hobbies gym and eating well looking after body and mind doing things that they like doing fitness eating healthy foods and being happy Socialising Exercise going to the gym and going to the doctor is something is wrong Exercise Grooming Diet Exercise Exercise Diet Socialising making themselves look good by going to the gym and grooming going to the gym and doing things they love like hobbies Exercise Diet

exercise and making themselves look good Exercise Socialising Exercise Diet Exercise Diet Exercise Diet Exercise Diet Doing things they enjoy Socialising Exercise Good grooming Exercise Exercise Body grooming Socialising Exercise Socialising Exercise Diet Socialising Exercise Socialising Exercise Regular health checks Exercise Diet Gym Good food Good diet Exercise Socialising Good food Fitness By taking free time Keeping fit Taking time to do things they enjoy By taking time to do things that make them happy Keep themselves looking good and going to the gym Either with vanity or not enough going to fitness classes, making food choices that help their physique, not all the time though building on their physique and making healthy food choices gym eating well gym, spendng time with friends for happiness, eating healthy keeping fit other than the basics such as fitness i think men struggle with looking after their emotional health going to the gym, spending time with their friends to feel better going to the gym, eating well socialising/doing sports going to the gym Going to the gym for their physical health and going out with their friends for their happiness Facial hair and the gym Relax, hobbies, self care They donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t care much about their wellness Physically by going to the gym but mentally I feel as though they still bottle things up which is damaging Gym/Skin-care Going to the gym and eating well Describe how you think women look after their wellness By doing what makes them happy spending time with people exercise and eating well i think they would do the same things as a man having fun going to the gym going to the gym and pampering like i said for a man maybe pampering and relaxation techniques more from what i see its the same as a man same as a man but maybe more focus on relaxing the same as a man i would like to believe

i think its the opposite for women holistic healing, exercise and happiness exercises Physical appearance and mentally take time for themselves again the same By doing what makes them happy help seeking when needed exercise and overall doing what they want to much like a man Self pampering and spending time with ones they enjoy the same as a man but maybe worse at cutting out bad habits By spending time with family and friends and taking time for 79

more of a focus on whats inside and how they feel but still relat- self pampering ing it back to vanity i would say the same as before for a man the same as a man Self grooming and being with ones that they love caring for what they eat and what they do to their bodies and By spending time taking care of them self and doing what they how this all affects their mentality enjoy i would think the same as a man maybe more focus on pamper- fitness and caring for their looks and their feelings ing aspects By spending time with people they love and looking after their the same as a man i would say appearance grooming and self care including the same as a man, maybe Self pampering and spending time with friends and family more focus on relaxing for their wellbeing not too focused on what they look like while doing it more i would say similar to a man as these are core ways to look after focused on feeling well wellness By looking after their personal appearance and spending time the same as men although i think women take care of their with ones they love mental health better the same as a man the same as a man but i would say women care more for their By spending time with loved ones and looking after themselves mental state more than men physically and mentally exercise, relaxing, eating clean By spending time with ones that love and looking after themRegular exercise selves Good diet Health checks self care pampering going to they gym eating healthy foods Exercise Good food Self grooming and fitness Exercise food By spending time with ones they love wether it family or friends Good food Beauty products Beauty self care and alone time Healthy eating and beauty routine the same as a man as they are generic ways to take care of They try and change anything thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wrong and do things such wellness as hair treatment etc, taking time to look after themselves By self care and personal hobbies Time to theirselves, makeup, fitness By taking time for themselves same as a man more on their happiness than their body taking time out, making themselves look good and feel good again a focus on their happiness and i guess you could say womRelaxation and self care en are more concerned with their looks and with that comes same as a woman fitness same as men same as a man same as men do i would say the same as a man making choics that take care of their body aswell, i think wom- gym beauty en may focus more on how they feel more than men whatever it takes to care for themselves exercise choosing good foods to eat for this going out with the fitness and eating well and hobbies girls pampering for relaxation alongside eating well and exercise the same as men, meditation and calming techniques may be spending time with loved ones for happiness and gym for fitness more of a female thing self care pampering and general fitness the same spending time with loved ones gym eating well similar to men, maybe more focused on their feelings looking after mind and body same as a man doing things that they like doing the same as men i would say the same as a man going to the gym, making healthy choices and like men looking Diet Socialising after their appearence the same as a man exercise, eating well, pampering Exercise Grooming going to the gym Diet Exercise going to the gym, finding ways to look after their happiness Dieting and Exercise Pampering such as getting nails done or going to the spa as Diet regime thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s how they relax going to the gym and relaxing with the girls Going to spa i would say the same as a man Clean and tidy Exercise and Diet exercise healthy eating and meditation for relaxing Exercise Regular health checks Exercise Diet Exercise Healthy eating Exercise Diet things Doing things they enjoy Beauty products Exercise Exercise Diet Good diet Body grooming Diet Socialising Exercise 80

Exercise Diet Diet Good beauty products Exercise Socialising Exercise regular health checks eating well Exercise Good food Good diet and fit Diet Socialising Beauty products Good diet Relaxing By taking breaks Beauty products Their appearance and emotion well being By taking care of their appearance and mind set Taking time out, talking about issues, looking good For insecurities fitness regime exercise meditation healthy living gym eating well same as a man fitness, nutrients women are better at looking after their emotional health better i think but they still look after their physical wellness through fitness like men going to the gym, spending time with friends, talking about their mental health going to the gym, taking time for themselves, eating healthy ect. socialising, self-care/grooming, workout finding time to relax Surrounding themselves with positive people, eating healthy, taking time to relax Skincare, beauty, the gym, yoga Self care/grooming, spend time with friends Too much Retail therapy, self-care methods, the gym Gym/Skin-care/Baths/Spa/Girl time Going to the gym and relaxing What factors do you feel have a negative impact on your wellbeing? (Choose the 2 most influential)

Self Confidence Levels/Body Image Work Pressures

Self Confidence Levels/Body Image Work Pressures Social Media Pressures

Social Media Pressures School Pressures

School Pressures

Other

Family/Friendship Pressures

News/Social/ Political Factors

What do you do when you feel like you need to improve your wellbeing? (Choose all that apply).

Other Seek Professional Help Take time away from social media Pampering Female

Go for a walk

Male

Gaming Spend time with family/ friends Watch film/Listen to music/ read to relax Play/Take part in sports/Go to the gym 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70

Would you be put off using a service that appears to promote itself more to a different gender despite being available for everyone? Please Explain why: No wouldnt bother me but i know it would bother some men as it makes them look unmasculine not really unless it was overly girly if i needed to use it i dont think id care no i dont care what i use yh if it looks like its for women i dont think ill like it no if i needed to use something i wouldnt care what it looked like yeah i would say that it doesnt bother me but think i would just naturally not go for something like that no it would not bother me at all think if i used something more feminine then i would get made fun of which is wrong i would like to say it wouldnt bother me but i think i would stay away from products that look like they arent for me im confident in my masculinity that if i use something that is ‘for women’ i wouldnt feel any different if i needed to use it yes i think if something is pink or girly for example i probably wouldnt use it and find something that looks more like its for men no i wouldnt care if i wanted to use it i guess it would depend on the service as many are only for one gender anyway so they are advertised as such no i wouldnt care i use what i want to if i need it id feel wary of using something that was for women because if i told my friends this they would probably make fun of me no that would not bother me if i want to use something i just use it yes i would feel uncomfortable doing it which annoys me No Not if interested in service

no no i would just use it and not give it another thought Yes because it should definitely be advertised to all and not directly to one gender if all can attend should be promoted to all equally yes Yes because it should have equal advertising for all yes i find male things such as more male gyms too intimidating Yes because it should be equally advertised to all no Yes because it should be equally advertised to all of the genders and not just one yes i wouldnt look at it if it looked like it was for men Yes because it should be equally advertised to all if all can participate Yes because it can be misleading no Yes because it should be bias against the others Yes because it should be equally advertised no im confident to use whatever i want no matter if its not ‘normal’ Yes should be promoted equally no but i think men would if it was the other way around Yes it should all be equal if all can attend Yes it should be promoted to all of everyone can attend no i dont think it would matter to me but ive never really seen a service like that Yes it should be equal to all groups if it’s aimed at all Yes should be equally advertised Yes should be advertised to all equally no 82

Yes Would like to see same gender promote a product I am inter- Yes if it’s for all should be advertising to all ested in Yes if it for everyone then it should be promoted towards Yes Would think it was for the gender promoting it everyone equally Yes Like to see service on same gender no i dont care about things like that ill use what i want to No As long as they make it clear it’s for all genders yes if its marketed towards men then i wont look at it Yes. I wouldn’t look at product if was advertised by a different because i can find something like it thats marketed for gender women it Does depend on what the product was and what social stereo- no ill use something if i need to types are attached no it wouldnt matter to me but i would say it would matter Not sure to some men if its for everyone then i dont think it would look like its for a no because if i need to use it i will and not give it much different gender so no it wouldnt bother me thought no if its for everyone i dont care what it looks like no Yes it would be nice if it was promoted to everyone if everyone is yeah becuase if it looks like its for men then i wouldnt read eligible to participate more into it it wouldnt bother me if i needed to use it but if i saw a service in no that sort of thing doesnt matter to me passing like that i wouldnt go for it yes its not for me if its masculine no i wouldnt care no it wouldnt bother me yes if it looks like its for girls i wont use it because thats not for me i probably wouldnt look at something if it appears to be no it wouldnt bother mem targeted towards another gender im pretty confident in myself that i will use something for women no ill use something if i need to regardless of what it looks if i want to like no yes if it looks like its for a man im not using it if its something like a relaxation treatement of spa then id use it if i need to use a service i dont care what it looks like even though its considered to be for women becuase i know alot Yes like to see same gender promoting a service I’m interof men who go to spas but other than that not sure if i would if it ested in looked like it was for women no i dont care about that sort of thing i think so some services seem to be for women even though they Yes Like to see how service works for my gender arent No As long as it’s clear it’s for all genders cant say i’ve come across something that i felt i wouldn’t be that No As long as I’m interested in the service comfortable using Yes would presume it was for that gender if something is advertised as girly and pink for example i wont yes if something is manly it looks abit intimidating somelook at it times not put off but i wouldnt look to a service that appears as if it no things like that dont bother me if i want to use somewere for women even if it had no specific gender thing ill use it if its not female specific then i dont care what it looks like as long No As long as I’m interested in the service as its something that works for me no i think stereotypes are too rigid and need to be changed yes if something looks too girly i probably wont use it No As long as service is good yes if its more girly i wont look at it Yes Would think the service was for that gender Sometimes, if a product looks really girly I probably wouldn’t but No As long as I’m interested in the service it for myself even if it wasn’t for a specific gender Yes Like to see same gender promoting a service Yes, because then it is clear I am not the target No as long as I’m interested in the service No No Not if I’m interested in it No not if I’m interested in the service see same gender promoting a service I’m interested in No as long as it’s clear it for my gender No not if I’m interested in service Depends on service Yes like to see same gender promoting a product that I’m interested in No Not if the service was hood Yes Would think it was for gender promoting service Yes Like to see same gender use service No Not if I’m interested in product Yes Like to see same gender promoting a product I’m interested in No as long as it’s clear No Would try anything Yes Like to see affect of service on same gender Yes Like to see same gender promoting No No I would try it to see if it works. No No because if everyone can take part why notYes because 83

if it’s more towards a different gender I would notice there is more for them and be put off. It should just be for everyone with maybe a section for the opposite genders extra needs if they need it Yes if something looks like its for women its not intended for me to use it i often go for products or other things that are unisex wouldnt give it much thought if it was something i wanted to go to or use i dont care wouldnt bother me depends on the service sometimes, if something looks like its for men even if it isnt i probably wouldnt look at it yes, if something looks too masculine i find it quite intimidating probably not - i don’t really care who they promote it to if the thing itself feels suitable/attractive to me no i look at what a product offers not what it looks like No I use products based on what they do rather than what they look like and I often buy things that are for men anyway Yes because I’d feel like it wasn’t made specifically for me No, if it would still be good/helpful for me then I would still use it regardless. No Potentially but it depends on the product. A self-care beauty product for example might have properties best suited for female skin/male skin and therefore I wouldn’t use the opposite one. If it was aimed more towards men then probably wouldnt be interested, its not for me. No I don’t care if something is targeted towards men if I want it I’ll buy it the stereotypes don’t bother me

6.4.1.3 Consumer Interview Transcript

MALE AGED 22: How would you define wellness? - I would define it as one’s general mental and physical health, as well as general quality of life. What factors do you feel come under wellness? In terms of taking care of yourself ? - I’d say physical fitness, physical health, mental health, stress levels, social success as well i guess like having supportive friends and family and i think financial stability is important aswell. How often would you say you take time out/ relax? - Only really on weekends, I don’t have time during the week as i often stay late at work and when i get home im tired so i just go to bed so i dont properly relax after work during the week. How important do you feel taking time out is? - Very important. We all need time to recharge and take ourselves away from the stress and mundanity of every day life and work. How do you deal with feeling stressed? - Listen to music/read a book/eat and if possible, I will take myself out of the stressful situation and go for a walk, consider whether it is actually worth stressing about. It usually isn’t. How do you feel about the word ‘pampering’? - I definitely associate pampering with women, but I would say I have ‘pampered’ myself before. I think of pampering as more of a ‘once in a while’ thing though, and wouldn’t consider my daily routine (face/teeth/shave) pampering. Can you think of any brands that focus on your self-care/wellness? - Skin care brands like Nivea etc - Health shops like Holland & Barrett - Fitness and activity brands like Gymshark/Decathlon Do you feel one specific gender is targeted more in relation to wellness? Why? - Definitely women. If you compare the size of the men’s section in Boots for example, to the women’s section it’s clear to see. I also see far less marketing in general aimed at men’s health/wellness and I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like a men’s “skincare routine” without them trying to appear manly. 84

MALE AGED 18: How would you define wellness? - If i’m looking after my wellness then I would say its keeping fit, not eating too much bad food and not doing things that stress me out too much which I probably don’t do aswell as I should. What factors do you feel come under wellness? In terms of taking care of yourself ? - Exercising regularly, eating healthy foods although not all the time becuase i think thats unrealistic, doing what I enjoy like my hobbies or even just having a break every now and then actually helps how I feel, sometimes I just need some time alone if i’m in a bad mood which helps. How often would you say you take time out/ relax? - I do football at the weekends so I would say thats me taking time out from college but I guess thats not really relaxing so I usually use night time to relax, watch tv, play games on the Xbox and stuff like that. How important do you feel taking time out is? - Its important if you’re feeling too stressed because I know if im stressed I tend to get in a bad mood but i guess you cant always take time out when you start to feel stressed because you would never get anything done, because thats what it would be like for me being a student i dont really have the time to just shut off for a while ive got to schedule that in aswell. How do you deal with feeling stressed? - Usually just push through it if im honest, like i always get stressed right before exams like I did last year but I would just take 10 minutes to go on my phone or get some food and then get back on with it becuase I didnt have the time to stop, which I usually dont have but that was my fault becuase I left my work until the last minute. How do you feel about the word ‘pampering’? - I’m picturing myself lying there with cucumber over my eyes and stuff all over my face which I have acutally done before. I wouldnt say that its something I do but I like to have baths with those bombs in it which I know are for girls but they smell so nice so I guess thats like pampering. Can you think of any brands that focus on your self-care/wellness? - Not really that comes to mind like would you class shaving stuff as self care becuase i use Nivea for that. I also take vitamins for so im healthy for when I do football but thats just a normal Tesco one. Do you feel one specific gender is targeted more in relation to wellness? Why? - Yeah I guess so if you’re thinking about pampering I would picture a woman so maybe that comes from what ive seen in the shops but I cant say ive noticed a difference like I dont feel like I never see things for me.

FEMALE AGED 21: How would you define wellness? - I would define wellness as being healthy, being fit and making sure that I am happy becuase I know that when i’m not happy the rest of it goes downhill like I eat worse when im in a bad mood. What factors do you feel come under wellness? In terms of taking care of yourself ? - Exercise, eating good food which always makes me feel better than eating things like takeaways, I also feel like ive taken care of myself once ive done my skin care routine or used a face mask or new product. How often would you say you take time out/ relax? - I try to use the weekends to relax but being a student thats not always possible with deadlines. When im home from uni I relax by watching tv or not getting up so early but when im at uni I relax more by going out with friends just to get away from work. How important do you feel taking time out is? - Very important because if you dont things can get on top of you which isnt good for your health. For me aswell taking time for myself helps me to get in a better headspace which then is better for when im with people because I know i dont want to be around people if im in a bad mood and I wouldnt want that to be put on other people. How do you deal with feeling stressed? - Other than having me time id say that watching my favourite tv show, putting on a face mask and eating something like ice cream or ordering food helps me feel better but that sometimes makes me feel bad so I tend not to do it that often. How do you feel about the word ‘pampering’? - I love it. I actually went to a spa for my 21st birthday for the first time and im definatley going back it was amazing never felt so calm. I went with my boyfriend and he liked it aswell which I was suprised by but we bought lots of things from the shop like face masks and creams and have nearly used them all up. Can you think of any brands that focus on your self-care/wellness? - brands like baylis and Harding always have self-care products but thats just come into my mind becuase its been christmas. Fitness brands like Fitbit and Gymshark and brands like Dove and Nivea come to mind because they always do nice campaigns surrounding positivity and wellbeing. Do you feel one specific gender is targeted more in relation to wellness? Why? - Yes I think that its more focused on women than men which isnt good. The men that I know do care for their wellness like they go to the gym and they relax but things like pampering isnt really for them, like when my boyfriend went to the spa he was abit uncomfortable at first and said that he thought people were looking at him weirdly but after a while he got used to it.

6.4.1.4 Blank Wellness Diary

6.4.1.5 Wellness Diary Transcripts

6.4.1.6 Industry Interview Transcripts THE SPA MAN: What drove you to focus your career around male wellness? I didn’t specifically choose wellness, but once I was writing about spa and wellness I saw a huge gap in the reporting of stories about men and spa and wellness. I decided to focus specifically on this area as the male spa and wellness market is growing. Do you feel like the overall wellness market, regarding self-care and emotional wellness is targeted more towards a specific gender? If so why/why not? On the whole I think spas target a female market and men are often an afterthought. Fitness and wellness are a bit more universal and men are targeted more – more so from a fitness perspective. But when you look at things like retreats – these tend to be very female focussed. This is very different across Europe – especially the middle Europe countries like Germany, Austria and Switzerland. It is very common to see a man at a spa on his own. Do you feel that there needs to be more of a focus on male self-care within marketing? There needs to be a huge shift in attitude, perceptions so that the wellness market is demystified for men. then any marketing needs to address the physical and mental benefits. I believe that men are more interested in the end result – the benefit of wellness immersion. Not the rituals and protocols that are included along the way. To what extent do you feel that the lack of discussion surrounding male health, both by brands and by men themselves, is having a detrimental effect on male wellness? This is changing. More brands are focussing on men’s health and wellness. This is being led by the barber market, oddly enough. Bluebeard Revenge and a brand called Manual for Men are interesting brands to look at. These don’t operate in the wellness sphere – but they are addressing topics like men’s health and mental health. I think that spas need to engage in this conversation and spa and wellness brands – they could certainly benefit from this. As male wellness is largely unspoken about within society, what factors do you feel have contributed to this? By launching The Spa Man – I hope I have given a voice or space for men to discover what options there are to enjoy a wellness experience – from mindfulness to yoga, breathing techniques or a great massage. I try to write in quite a neutral matter of fact tone. Not blokely, which is important as I hope it doesn’t alienate anyone. I do have quite a large female readership too. But I believe this is because women often make drive the decision making process for spa and wellness holidays. And they research locations that are good for men. The most popular post on my site is: six of the best spas for men. It says it all. ZINZINO BRAND AMBASSADOR: Name: Mats Villarroel Berntsen Age: 27 About: Mats has over thirteen years of experience, working with children from 0-18 years old. He also has a broad portfolio as an athlete, running three full marathons, one fifty-kilometre ultramarathon, men’s physique participation in fitness and a number of years as a soccer player. After he educated himself as a personal trainer, he lifts weights in a gym five days a week. Mats is a physical educator for children by profession. He also works with sales of test-based health supplements. The brands offerings are somewhat gender neutral in relation to wellness topics. Do you feel that wellness should be marketed differently towards different genders? Why? I think that different wellness brands could be marketed directly towards its primary customers, regardless of genders. This would possibly create a better understanding for the brands of who they are actually targeting. Also, its customers would feel “more at home” when they are a part of that particular customer group. Do you feel like the overall wellness market is too feminised in its portrayal and acceptance? I don’t think that the overall wellness market is too feminised in its portrayal and acceptance. It’s getting more and more acceptable that men also spend more money on wellness because it’s directly connected with health, fitness and overall quality of life. Do you feel that there needs to be more of a focus on male self-care to help with male mental health? I am not an expert in men’s mental health and its connection to male self-care. Still, mental health is a very important subject that should be talked about. Both by men and women. To what extent do you feel that the lack of discussion surrounding male health, both by brands and by men themselves, is having a detrimental effect on male wellness. It depends. More and more men are getting better to reflect on their wellbeing, but I also know that many men feel ashamed to talk about their mental health and are afraid to ask for help. This is still a huge problem because men historically want to appear strong and independent, without need of any external help. If men don’t feel that it is acceptable to talk about the challenges they are facing, they won’t admit there is a challenge in most cases. Doing nothing also has consequences so I think the answer could be in rephrasing your question a little. Could talking more about male health, both by brands and by men, have a positive impact on male wellness? I think so. Bringing more awareness to the subject could definitely take the edge of the topic, making more men taking even better care of themselves. 88

Where do you see the future of male wellness going specifically? I think male wellness is developing a lot as we speak. More and more men care about what their external expression says about them. Men style their hair, apply different kinds of skin products and workout more than ever. I also think that the internal wellness and health is becoming more and more important too. Personal development and meditation are two examples of subject’s men care more about than earlier. While internal wellness is growing a bit slower than the external expressions, I think it’s safe to say that male awareness of their wellness and overall health is experiencing a growth right now. Do you feel more traditional masculine stereotypes are playing a part in the lack of focus and acceptation of male emotional wellness in society? I don’t think that traditional masculine stereotypes are playing a part in the lack of focus and acceptation of male emotional wellness in society.

6.4.1.7 Wellness Safari Images Weston,C. 2019. Wellness Safari. [photograph] (Author’s Own Image).

Weston,C. 2019. Wellness Safari. [photograph] (Author’s Own Image).

6.4.1.8 Focus Group Transcript Leader: (0) Chloe Weston Participants: (1) Female Aged 20 (2) Female Aged 21 (3) Male Aged 21 (4) Male Aged 22 *Participants will be referred to as their assigned number from above. For transcription purposes, pauses and interruptions have been left out for ease of reading. (0)Hi everyone, I’m Chloe ill be leading the focus group today so before we start ill give you a quick outline of why I’m doing this, what your role is and what your participation will used as within my work. So this focus group will be used for my fashion marketing and branding dissertation which surrounds the male wellness market and the market in general alongside the effects of masculinity and whether there is a lack of male betrayal within the wellness market your role will be helping me to understand how different genders within your generation define wellness alongside how you define other genders wellness and how they will look after it I will also be showing you examples of marketing in relation to wellness and get your perceptions on this. It will last around 30 minutes with them which I’ll go around each of you and ask you your answer to each of the questions that I ask feel free to jump in when it’s not your turn if you have any useful insights. Is this clear. ALL: (agree) (0)Okay so this is going to be recorded and I am going to be transcribing it later if you would like a copy or if you would like to understand more about this research feel free to ask me at any point, um, I’ll be using this information again within my work and will be writing it up fully for my dissertation member that your answers are confidential and your identities will not be disclosed you’ve been given a unique number that I will refer to you by within the transcript so anything that you write will be again confidential so feel free to be as honest as you want. Let’s get started so my first question is simply how would you define wellness overall so let’s start with participant one. (1)Okay so I would define this has been physically fit taking care of the types of food I put in my body so eating healthy foods not all the time because let’s be honest we don’t eat healthy all the time (laughs) and doing things that make me happy like my hobbies or general things like going out with my friends and, um yeah that’s about it. (0)Excellent thank you and participant number two how would you define wellness (2)Yes I would say a bit much the same as was just said so things like taking care of my fitness taking care of what food I put in my body making sure I get enough nutrients and I think feeling well is also more mentally so like taking care of my emotional state and doing things for my happiness (1)oh yes the point about happiness is a good thing to make I missed out (2)Yeah I think if you don’t have happiness then it can affect all the other aspects of your life so like I know that if I’m stressed I get her in a bad mood and stuff like this really affects your well-being (1)Yeah definitely (0)So next is number three how would you define wellness and well-being? (3)Oh God it’s hard to say something that hasn’t already been said (0) Just say whatever comes into your mind (3) Okay so I guess I would say wellness is much like what’s been said already, fitness mental health also think that wellness links to like self care and grooming and stuff like that. (0) Could you elaborate more on what you mean by self-care (3) Yes I mean like doing things to help you relax pampering that’s quite strong word though I don’t think everyone uses that but yeah I mean your basic skincare and things like that (0) Okay cool and next is participant four please (4) That means to me keeping yourself healthy both physically and mentally so like pretty much what’s already been said yeah (0) Thank you okay so keeping this in mind I’m going to ask you how do you think that men and women would take care of their wellness in a generic way so the men in the room I will ask how you think women take care of their wellbeing and the women in the room I will ask how you think men take care of their wellbeing then we can discuss as a group further, is that clear? ALL: Yes (0) So men in the room what would you say when you picture a woman taking care of her wellness to look like how would you think that they would go about this (3) Should I start? 91

(0) Yes that’s fine go ahead (3) I would say if I was picturing a woman taking care of her wellness I would picture her going to the gym keeping fit eating healthy foods kind of like what was said previously about wellness and she would take time out to relax through ways such as going out with her friends relaxing having a long bath doing skincare watching a film reading a book or like alone time activities kind of thing (0) And participant four what would you say (4) yeah I would say the same thing pretty much just generally taking care of herself in any way that she sees fit to I guess you could say like someone said before all of the things would come under pampering so like skincare body care having a long bath and anyway that they wanna relax really. (0) And to the women in the room would you say this was an accurate representation of how you care for your wellness (2) yes I would say that I do all of these things for wellness personally I focus more on the fitness side as I’m always going to the gym and I play netball on the weekends which I know it’s good for my well-being but yeah the thing about relaxation I would definitely say that that helps me unwind and feel better especially if I’ve had a stressful day which I often do being a uni student (0) And participant one (1) Yes the same for me as well I don’t go to the gym even though sometimes I feel like I should but I always try to eat right and take care of myself and yes relaxation it is really important for me I see that as one of the key points for my wellness (0) Would you say there was anything that you do regarding how you take care of your wellness that the men did not pick up on (1) No I would say they covered it all (2) Yeah me too I think that the key parts of wellness are fitness and relaxation and how this helps your mental state (0) And now I’m going to ask the woman to do the same for men so participant two could you elaborate on how you think a man would look after his wellness (2) yes I think man looks after his wellness by going to the gym eating well doing his hobbies which probably is I’d say stereotypically is like a sport or something like that I would say thats and would take care of his wellness (0) that’s great and participant one what would you say (1) I would say the same I think for men wellness is about their physique keeping fit watching what they put in their bodies (0) Okay and so I’m going to open up the discussion now to everyone about how you feel you covered the other genders wellness and how you feel the others covered your wellness (3) I actually have something I guess I think as a man they got it pretty spot on because I think that the majority of men when you think about wellness you think their body and exercise but like you don’t think about relaxing which I mean I don’t relax the way that a typical woman would relax with like pampering and things but I relax through gaming or watching a film or reading a book (1) Yeah true even though I know that men do relax obviously the thought didn’t come into my head to say that that’s the way that they would take care of their wellness (2) yeah I thought about it because it’s obvious everyone needs time to relax but I just thought the main focus would’ve been more about exercise for their wellness (4) for me personally I wouldn’t class the ways that I relax to be part of my well-being that’s just an afterthought for me I see wellness as exercise as working on my health and being fit (0) and what about women’s wellness how do you think that was portrayed (3)I’d say pretty accurately (4)yeah Id say pretty accurate as well yeah I think it’s quite easy to see how women take care of their wellness I mean you see it in advertising there’s always a woman using skincare splashing her face with water and relaxing like its everywhere (laugh) (1) Yeah I guess I’m in the fact that they mentioned saw a mixture of exercise and self-care is pretty accurate I’m always doing a face mask (laugh) (2) same (3)Yes stuff like that is pretty straightforward like I feel like gender doesn’t come into it that much when you think about how someone takes care of their wellness I feel like we’re not that different (0) okay so taking away the wellness aspect and broadening out a bit I’m going to ask if you feel generally that your gender is represented correctly and well enough in marketing in general why and why not, so men do you feel that masculinity is betrayed in a positive negative neutral kind of way in marketing in general and do you feel like you can relate to this (3) Well I mean masculinity is portrayed on the TV and in the media as being strong like a manly man aggressive which probably isn’t the best representation but I wouldn’t necessarily say that that was wrong I’d say that lately masculinity has sort of taken a hit because of things such as feminism and stuff but yeah overall I wouldn’t say that being a man is betrayed in a bad way on the TV or in a way that I don’t feel represented enough 92

(4) yeah I guess I would agree I mean the type of man that you see on the TV is usually your stereotypical man but I feel like that’s just the same for a woman that’s just the way TV and marketing is and I don’t feel like it’s going to change and I have seen some adverts that show a different side of masculinity but I don’t this is make me feel a different way (0) could you name some of the adverts that show a different side just off the top of your head if you can remember any more (4) it’s kind of hard to think about it now that you said that but I don’t know for some reason I can’t think of any sort of new man or sensitive man, the only one I can think of is the old spice which is still quite like showing a masculine man so maybe I haven’t seen as many as I would’ve thought (laugh) but I know there definitely are some (0) no worries that’s fine, any other comments on how you think men are represented maybe the women could give their opinions on how they think men are presented (1)yeah okay I think what has been said has been pretty clear I think that you see men on TV and stuff you automatically see the manly man although I know there are campaigns and things that are helping the way men see themselves like the ITV thing where they had the male statues on the roof of the building to raise awareness for male suicide which I think is quite a new thing that’s being talked about I don’t think that’s been talked about much in the past not that I can remember anyway (2)yeah I agree I think that men are being shown differently nowadays than they used to be but when you see an advert you still see a typical man (0) could you elaborate on what you mean by typical man (2) yeah so like strong trying to get a girls attention often seen like clean-shaven and shown as brave which is a lot thats seen in like fragrance adverts (0) And participants three and four do you agree with the definition of a typical man shown in adverts (3) yeah I would say that’s pretty accurate I would say that’s what I think of when I think of a man the majority of stuff that you say stuff that I do I don’t want that to make me sound like I’m a manly man (laugh) just based off initial reactions and perceptions then yeah I would say it’s a fair representation (4)I would agree not that I really think about it but when I see a man on the TV acting well like a man I just think that’s how it is supposed to be like I don’t really care (0) okay now switching to a female representation and the stereotype that is shown what do you think about this (2) well if I think about the female stereotype it’s like staying at home cooking and being there for the moment a man comes home and stuff like that but I feel like I haven’t seen that in a long time I feel like adverts and things on TV are really shifting towards women being shown as powerful strong and I think the general theme is kind of like women can do whatever a man can do if you know what I mean (1) yeah I feel exactly the same way there is definitely loads more new ways that women are being presented on the TV probably more than men like a new way of showing them a more equal way (0) And men of the room what do you feel about this do you agree (3) yeah whenever you see a woman now she’s always strong she’s always so independent although you always do see every now and then the media like to get in the woman going for a man in like a perfume advert so I think the stereotypes are still there but I think it’s definitely changing a lot more for women than it has for men (1)Oh yeah I think things if we’re thinking just about stereotypes there’s been more sort of progression for women and there has been for men even in the last couple of years (0)So open discussion now again do you feel that the wellness market just focusing on how well-being and caring for yourself is marketed do you feel like this is more biased towards a specific gender and which gender and what aspects (1) oh definitely women (3)yeah I would say it’s more a female market (2)yeah I would agree yeah (3)I feel like even though everyone knows and it’s like obvious that everyone takes care of their wellness whenever you see wellness adverts or adverts for like relaxation retreats and skincare and stuff like that it’s always a woman it’s always female colours and stuff like that yeah (0) why do you think that is (3)I’m not really sure maybe because the big part of well-being is relaxing and pampering and going to spas and stuff like that which you don’t really associate with a man you automatically think of a woman (4)yeah I agree (0) if I were to tell you that men make up 47% of all those who go to spas how does that make you feel (1)that surprises me (4)yeah that definitely surprise me (2)to be honest when I went to a spa for my birthday there was a lot of men they’re not young either like old men so maybe it’s more of an older man thing (laugh) like would you go to the spa now( referring to participants 3 and 4) (3)yeah I think I would go to spa I’ve never been but the idea always sounds nice (2)I don’t think I would go I 93

think I feel uncomfortable (0)why would you feel uncomfortable (4) because I always thought it was just loads of women I know that sounds really stereotypical (3)To be quite honest I think I would feel a little bit uncomfortable at first even if I was surrounded by loads of men I think just the idea of it would make me feel a little bit out of place (1)You can do spa things at home ease yourself into it (laugh) (3)yeah true I always see people with facemasks and I think that would be quite nice to try (4)yeah definitely not that I ever have though (0) okay so slightly shifting the topic I’m going to show you two adverts one a wellness brand that is showing masculinity and one a wellness brand showing femininity and I just want your opinions on it (proceeds to show Axe/Lynx Bathsculinity advert and Always Like A Girl Campaign) (0)let’s start with the axe or lynx as it’s known in the UK Bathsculinity advert how does that make you feel what are your opinions did you like it, with the men so participant for what did you think of it (4)I thought it was funny to be honest I liked that they used a manly man in the bath showing that he is like pampering himself but is still a man like it doesn’t make him any less of a man if that makes sense (3)yeah I agree I thought it was like a funny way to introduce men to stuff like this especially as lynx has always been a brand it’s very about you have to be this type of man a strong man a ladies man (1) Think it’s cool because that’s exactly how my boyfriend is but I don’t think he would ever admit that so showing it on the TV is probably like a step forward (2) yeah I agree with that (0) and now the Always Like A Girl campaign what were your thoughts on this one let’s start with the girls first so participant one what’s your viewpoint (1) I love this advert I remember when I first watched it like I know it’s embarrassing but I cried because I thought it was really cute with the girls and I thought it was kind of sad that when they were told to do something the older girls women showing like weakness with being a girl where is the young girls were showing strength which definitely shows that like this new way of thinking about the female stereotype is definitely changing the way young girls are seeing themselves (0)and participant two what do you think of the advert (2)yeah I really liked it I actually don’t think I’ve ever seen that one before which sounds strange but I thought it was really moving and I know this sounds a bit cheesy but I found it quite inspirational (3) yeah I found it quite inspirational aswell (laugh) no I am serious I thought this was quite cool and like a interesting way to show because like a girl has always been used as like an insult I know that sounds really bad but like everybody does use that especially boys talking to their friends and I guess I’ve never really thought about what it is like to say that to a girl which again I know sounds really really bad but I guess that’s the truth (0) what would you say was the differences between how masculinity and femininity are portrayed in these adverts then like give me an overview (2) I think that they both show strength but I feel like the female one it’s more serious than the men’s one I feel like the man is shown to be in touch with his like feminine side in order to be cared for as well as like I don’t think it’s necessarily like it shouldn’t be like that you should just be I’m a man and take care of my well-being through this way but it still makes me a man if that makes sense rather than I’m a man taking care of my wellness in a feminine way (3)Yeah I like that you shouldn’t be I’m in touch with my feminine side it should be the taking care of yourself is seen as something that is masculine (4) I agree with that (1)so do I, I think the femininity advert is definitely a lot more progressive than the male one and I feel like they’re definitely on the right lines with how they portray it (0) that’s great thank you so does anybody else have any other comments about anything that we’ve discussed today not just these adverts but in general ALL: (collectively showing that they are done) (0) that’s the end of this focus group then thank you again so much for attending and participating you’ve given me a lot to think about and use for my dissertation again if you want to know more information about I use this research feel free to get in contact with me and yeah thank you for being a part of this if you have any extra ideas again feel free to contact me so yeah see you later.

6.4.1.9 Ethics Factsheet

6.4.1.10 Consent Forms Zinzino Brand Ambassador

The Spa Man

Wellness Diaries

Consumer Interviews

Focus Group

Project Start: 08/11/19 Project Finish: 27/01/20 Week Commencing: Task PHASE 1 (Proposal, Literature Review & Initial Primary Research) Draft Proposal (Question, Aims&Objectives, Methodology) Research Canvas and Report Proposal finalised Create Gantt Chart/Timeline of research Gather research for Literature Review Write Literature Review Cover Gaps from LR/Plan deeper Primary Research Complete ethics approval Contact experts for interviews PHASE 2 (Deeper Primary Research) Create and send out Questionnaires Conduct Consumer Interviews Hand out Wellness Diary sheets to participants Gather data from Wellness Diaries Analyse PR, combine themes from LR&PR PHASE 3 (Reflection) Conduct case studies within topic Final discussions (future, recommendations, personal reflection) PHASE 4 (Outcomes) Write up final structure of report Create Visuals LOI, References, Bibliography & Appendix gathered Print Report

Stage 1 Report: Gantt Chart

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6.4.2 Gantt Chart

6.4.3 Models/Theories 6.4.3.1 CRAAP Test Blakeslee, S. (2004). The CRAAP test. LOEX Quarterly, 31(3), 4. Available at: http://commons. emich.edu/loexquarterly/ [Accessed on 2 January 2020]

6.4.3.2 Mixed Method Triangulation Greene, J. C. (2007). Mixed Methods in Social Inquiry. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

6.4.3.3 System 1 and 2 Thinking Kahneman, D., 2012. Thinking, Fast And Slow. London: Penguin Books.

Chloe Weston N0733476