Does gender influence sense of humor?

A new Media Daily News post suggest that what a person finds humorous could be influenced by their gender, could humor really be in our genetics?

The article “Humor in Ads” by David Goetzl analyzes where these differences are. for instance, the Nielsen report revealed that for millenials (age 13 to 34) men prefer “slapstick, edgy, sarcastic” comedy, while females appreciate an “off-beat, but not mean-spirited” approach.

Of course there are other factors that differentiate male and female viewers. Women like themes that highlight “strong female celebrities and having fun/happy situations and women characters they can relate to.

While men also liked the “normal” guys, they preferred exaggerated situations. And by watching just about any beer commercial, I easily see the difference in target audience and extreme imagery – think giant ice cold mountains and freezing trains.
In addition, the Nielsen data suggests media viewing habits of men and women are different. Women in the 18-to-49 demo watch about 11 hours more of TV a month than males. Men on the other hand consume video on the Internet and mobile phones slightly more than women.

Just goes to show that you really do need to understand your audience and media channels before starting any marketing communications campaign.

 

About these ads