Research from men’s website AskMen.com has revealed that 92% of Australian men said that online is their first port of call when looking for information on topics such as cars, gadgets, travel, money, fashion, dating and sex.

The survey, put together to celebrate the launch of the AskMen.com site in Australia, reviewed the opinions of around 700 Australian men revealing some key insights into brand and media consumption habits.

Of the men surveyed, 93% said they felt that websites offered them more up-to-date information than magazines or newspapers and that it was important to have access to both local and global information on men’s trends and issues.

Traditional media targeting the male segment has taken a fare battering over the past six months, with Audit Bureau of Circulations figures for the three months to December 2008 showing that of the 16 weekly audited men’s titles, 11 have experienced year-on-year declines of over 10%.

“With traditional print media failing to connect with men, and the financial pressure within organisations seeing many advertisers look to digital, the Australian launch of AskMen.com comes at an optimum time,” said Andrew Cordwell, national sales director, Fox Interactive Media.

In the US in November 2008, Nielsen Online recorded an average of 60 PC sessions per male net user compared with an average of 54 sessions for female users. Average time spent online was 4.4 hours longer for males than females.

Similarly, a Gallup poll found 53% of males spent more than one hour per day online, compared with just 42% of females.

Lisa E. Phillips, eMarketer, senior analyst and author of the US report, Men Online explained, “Gender, even more than race or ethnicity, is a distinguishing factor of internet use, informing online behaviour and attitudes. Men spend more time online, conduct more searches on a daily basis and do not mind seeing ads. They are as engaged in social media as women are, and most are not put off by the companies and brands they find there.”

Key findings, in which participants could select up to three preferences, included:

• The top three fashion brands for Aussie men were Bonds (26%), Levis (24%) and Hugo Boss (23%)

• The three brands voted as making the best gadgets were Sony (68%), Apple (66%) and Nokia (41%)

• The most popular beer brands for Aussie men were Corona (30%), Pure Blonde (20%), Heineken (17%), Carlton Draught (16%) and Tooheys (15%)

• Aussie men’s three favourite car brands were BMW (30%), Audi (25%) and Porsche (23%)

• The three cars Australian men most desire are; the Aston Martin DB9 (52%) the Audi R8 (34%) and the Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 (33%)

• The iPhone (61%), Motion Flow 200hz (42%) and the 3D TV (30%) were voted as the best gadgets of 2009

• The three top travel destinations nominated by Australian men were New York (47%) London (33%) and Paris (24%)

• 77% of Australian men don’t think pick-up lines are an effective way of breaking the ice with women, and

• Save for a rainy day’ was nominated the top piece of financial advice with 50% of Australian men in favour of this policy.