Manosphere's reputation bump
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Brands tied to masculinity or “the manosphere” — like UFC, DraftKings and John Deere — are on Americans’ minds, per this year’s Axios Harris Poll 100, which assigns brands scores based on factors like trust, products and services, vision and culture.
Why it matters: Some brands are breaking into the list for the first time, driven in part by the rising influence of the manosphere across social media.
Zoom in: John Deere earned an exceptionally high reputation score at No. 11, and wasn’t on the list last year.
- DraftKings (64) and UFC (82) appeared on the Axios Harris Poll 100 list for the first time this year since we started tracking brands' reputations in 2019.
Zoom out: Our online worlds are splintering, and many young men are immersed in the manosphere, which is dominated by chart-topping podcasters and President Trump himself pushing traditional ideas of masculinity.
- Some of the brands aligned with manosphere influencers — like UFC, a Trump favorite, and sports betting giant DraftKings, which frequently advertises on podcasts — are getting a boost.
- UFC CEO Dana White is also a prominent Trump supporter and gave a speech last year at the Republican National Convention.
- John Deere pulled back its DEI initiatives last summer after facing conservative backlash, including from prominent influencer Robby Starbuck.
The money quote: "Putting aside the social concerns of some of its darker meanings, masculinity is a pretty good business model right now," says John Gerzema, CEO of The Harris Poll. "It's counter-cultural. ... It's a modern-day Marlboro Man."
Go deeper: Rising costs rip into corporate reputations
