By now, the ongoing debate about masculinity has touched every corner of the internet, inflaming passions of men and women alike. Within the arguments, two opposing archetypes have taken center stage in online culture: the “soft boy” and the “sigma male”.
These identities, first shaped by meme culture and social media discourse, have expanded beyond internet subcultures to influence consumer behaviors, marketing narratives, and brand alignment. For brands attempting to decode male identity and reach younger, more culturally aware consumers, the soft boy-sigma male divide is more than a generational quirk to confuse Boomers– it’s a window into shifting social values and purchasing decisions.
Soft boys are typically portrayed as emotionally aware, aesthetically styled, and anti-hypermasculine. Think of celebrities like Timothée Chalamet or Frank Ocean– men who dress with intention, speak with vulnerability, and resist the alpha-male template. In contrast, sigma males represent a rebranded lone wolf masculinity– emotionally distant, self-reliant, and driven by quiet dominance. This archetype, made famous through influencers like Jordan Peterson and Andrew Tate, has found a surprisingly loyal following among disaffected young men looking for purpose in a society where traditional gender roles are eroding.
Though exaggerated, these personas reflect deeper cultural shifts that brands must understand to ensure their messaging resonates authentically with male consumers. Masculinity, once tightly defined by stiff upper lip stoicism and physical dominance, is now fluid and multifaceted. According to a 2023 report from Ipsos, 74% of Gen Z males agree that “being emotionally open” is an important part of being a man, a major departure from earlier generations. The move toward emotional transparency and individuality is a clear hallmark of the soft boy identity, which brands like Harry’s and Glossier (via their Boy Brow and skincare extensions) have leaned into with noteworthy success.
However, as you can imagine, the soft boy’s vulnerability isn’t always received warmly. Some online forums and right-wing influencers portray this identity as weak and performative, fueling the rise of the sigma male– a persona embraced in the manosphere and crypto-entrepreneur spaces. Sigma males have become associated with high performance, non-conformity, and the outright rejection of social hierarchies– traits that align with aspirational, success-driven branding. Need proof? Look no further than the marketing tones of brands like Alpha M or even Tesla during its Elon Musk-led peak: brash independence, rule-breaking, and individual power.
But brands that pander too hard to this ideal risk alienating growing swaths of their audience. Gen Z and Millennial consumers are not only more diverse but also more values-oriented than any generation before them. A 2022 study from Morning Consult revealed that 65% of Gen Z expect brands to take clear stances on social issues, and that includes representations of gender. This is why brands operating in fashion, grooming, fitness, and tech would be wise to tread carefully between embracing modern masculinity and inadvertently reinforcing toxic tropes.
Brands like CeraVe, for example, have cleverly leveraged soft boy aesthetics without an off-putting preachiness. They’ve aligned with the soft boy’s self-care and emotional clarity while keeping the product utility-forward through clean visuals, diverse influencer partnerships, and a minimalist design ethos. Meanwhile, the rise of independent brands such as Topicals or Function of Beauty shows that customizable, expressive products attract young male consumers who value identity expression over rigid gender roles.
Conversely, sigma-identifying consumers gravitate toward utility, status, and control. Think of the success of noise-cancelling headphones from Bose, which were promoted for their focus-boosting and productivity-enhancing qualities. These cues appeal to the self-disciplined image that many sigma-aligned men strive to project to the world. Likewise, fitness brands Myprotein or WHOOP often use language that emphasizes optimization, peak performance, and biohacking– all central elements of the sigma male playbook.
But the spectrum between soft boy and sigma isn’t a strict binary concept. Most consumers fall somewhere in between. A 2023 report from YPulse found that 62% of Gen Z males said they don’t feel represented by traditional male stereotypes, suggesting that even those who might be a little intrigued by sigma traits are not entirely on board with its rigid ideology. This “middle space” is ripe and ready for brands to innovate, offering campaigns and products that reflect this real-world complexity, not a caricature of “what a man should be”.
As with everything regarding messaging now, representation is another critical layer. For Black and Brown men, the soft boy/sigma divide can be especially fraught. Figures like Donald Glover, who has openly explored themes of vulnerability, awkwardness, and identity, have helped broaden the scope of what masculinity looks like for men of color. Brands that tap into this dimension, such as Pyer Moss or Telfar, signal a cultural fluency as well as an understanding of the social pressures men of color face when navigating masculinity in public spaces.
Similarly, in queer communities, the idea of masculinity is being reshaped altogether. Soft masculinity is often celebrated, not as a rejection of strength, but as a redefinition of it for a new era. Fenty Skin has captured this insight well, creating inclusive spaces where skincare, fashion, and grooming are not bound by gender but by self-expression. It’s an enticing fluidity that appeals to younger consumers across the spectrum who reject binaries and favor brands that meet them exactly where they are, not where society tells them they should be.
While this all sounds like an interesting sociological dialogue, what does it all mean for marketers and brand strategists?
It means paying close attention to how modern masculinity is expressed– visually, verbally, and socially. Campaigns that rely on outdated tropes of domination or detachment risk falling flat, or worse, becoming part of a dreaded backlash that could be slow to recover from. On the flip side, brands that overcorrect and package emotional intelligence as the new form of male perfection also miss the mark. Authenticity lies in nuance. Success lies in meeting consumers in the messy middle– that’s where real life is, and where softness and strength coexist.
Soft boys and sigma males aren’t just memes. They’re both cultural barometers for a new era in masculinity. For brands looking to tap into this moment, the goal should not be to pick a side. It should be about genuinely understanding what these identities reveal about changing consumer values and the growing complexity of gender.
