Many marketers believe that adult women make all the household purchase decisions, and younger women make or break most movies. From the home to Hollywood, however, you can't discount the influence of 18-34 guys, according to a new report from entertainment portal/ad network Giant Realm.
Indeed, nearly three in five -- 58.5% -- of 18-34 guys say family and friends ask for their opinion on which video games to buy, and a whopping three-quarters -- 77% -- say they are asked for recommendations on which movies to see.
Young men also might be seen as a good source for movie recommendations, given that one-quarter -- 24.8% -- hit the theaters on opening weekends for movies they want to see. An additional 39.8% say they might go to the premieres if the movie suits them.
Conducted earlier this month, the study of more than 850 men between the ages of 18 and 34 revealed that despite recent headlines of diminished job prospects for Generation Y, young men are genuinely pleased with the direction of their careers and lives.
The study found that nearly one-third -- 29.5% -- of respondents report "things are going great -- I wouldn't change a thing," when asked about their overall work and life outlook. Another 44.9% say that things are "okay" and with just a few minor changes they would "be even better off."
Only one in six -- 16.2% -- say "I need to change direction... and fast!"
The study found that nearly two-thirds -- 64.7% -- of 18-34 guys are employed, with 40.4% working in jobs they think are good for their careers. Another one-quarter -- 24.3% -- say they are working, but feel it is time for a better gig. One-fifth -- 21.7% -- of respondents are students; and 14% are unemployed, with the majority -- 79.8% -- of this latter group actively looking for work.
"Young men are a resilient group, optimistic and fairly positive of their current state," said James Green, president of Giant Realm. "They have good jobs, they're motivated, they're social, they're spending money and they influence their family and friends. The fact that young men see themselves as being in a good place is good news for advertisers who target this important group to promote the products guys love."
Although 45.9% of all respondents live at home with their parents, 7 in 10 -- 69.8% -- of those who do say mom and dad "like having me at home."
Of those respondents living at home, the majority -- 62.2% -- are between the ages of 18 and 24.
Also of note, 50.3% of all respondents say their parents kick in with extra spending money or help pay the bills all the time, or when asked. Some 43.7 kick in even when respondents are gainfully employed.