“Let’s go to the mall!” If I asked you to match a gender to this statement, you would definitely say a woman, right? Don’t be ashamed, it’s a common stereotype . . . teenage girls, housewives, and moms all clucking around from shop to shop. Well, you and the stereotype are wrong. So on second thought, be ashamed!  The ratio is actually 55% women to 45% men, with the ratio dropping to 50/50 with teenagers. So, who are these men and why are they there?

A new landscape of the mall has partially contributed to its changing demographic makeup. Gone are the days when consumers came to the mall just to shop. It is now viewed as an entertainment venue with many skipping stores to frequent movie theatres, restaurants, or even ice rinks.  Savvy mall operators are adapting quickly to this social change by opting for restaurants over new stores.

Men 18-34 account for 14.5% of Adspace’s audience composition (they represent 14% of the 12+ population). Even better, this demographic ranked highest in ad recall, with 72.3% recalling any ad, according to our latest Nielsen study. Additionally, teenage males (12-17) ranked highest in notice rate with 88% noticing the Smart Screens. So, not only are men in the mall . . . they are paying attention to the Smart Screens and remembering advertisers.

2013 was a watershed year in terms of Adspace’s programming. To appeal to the various demos in the mall, we expanded the lineup to include male and millennial focused content programs. Details Magazine’s Editor, Matthew Marden, provides style tips for young men, while BuzzFeed and NowThis News serve up the best viral content.

Advertisers from all categories also have started to take advantage of this engaged demo.  Highlights from 2013 include: Red 2, Insidious 2, Reebok, Converse, Sears Nordic Track, Bose, Batman Arkham Origins, Chevrolet, 2K Games: WWE, Radio Shak, Gold Toe, Timex, and Anki.

To those of you that have not come on board yet, what are you thinking? Don’t miss your chance to capture impressions of the menfolk in 2014!