
Manosphere's reputation bump
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.
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."
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