Average looking men are more trusted, survey finds

    MEN WITH MANNERS DEEMED THE MOST ATTRACTIVE IN US- AND CANADA-WIDE STUDY
    ABOUT WHAT GIVES GUYS THEIR MOJO

    TORONTO, April 22 /CNW/ - Being overly-coiffed and primped isn't all it's
cracked up to be, according to the results of a new survey commissioned by
Canadian Club Whisky, which finds that average looking men are among the most
trusted, while those with manners are more likely to impress the fairer sex
than those without.
    According to the inaugural Canadian Club MANners Survey, Canadians and
Americans both agree that good manners are critical to getting the attention
of a potential love interest. The study revealed that eight out of 10
Canadians, including 86 per cent of women, believe that men with good manners
are more physically attractive than those without.
    "Canadians are known around the world for having good manners," says
Dorene Wharton, Marketing Director at Beam Global Spirits & Wine Inc. "And
Canadian Club thought it would be fun to take a closer look at whether men's
manners really matter these days. Canadian Club Whisky is about timeless
masculinity, unpretentiousness and being mannerly, and we discovered that men
and women, both Canadian and American, have some wide-ranging views on the
topic."
    The Canada-US survey, executed by Ketchum Global Research Network in
conjunction with MARC Research, asked men and women questions about
relationships, grooming, fashion, etiquette and work-life balance. With a
margin of error of +/- 4.4 per cent, the phone survey of 515 Americans and
515 Canadians found that, among other things:

    -   Compared to Americans, Canadians care less about making money and are
        more concerned with enjoying a well-rounded lifestyle.

    -   Canadians also seem less occupied with fashion trends and prefer more
        classic, timeless sartorial options. We also tend to agree that a
        classic drink in a rocks glass - not beer - is the most masculine and
        sophisticated drink to have in-hand.

    -   Canadians have an innate distrust of attractive people. When
        connecting trustworthiness with looks, Canadians say the most
        trustworthy people are average looking women (36 per cent), followed
        by average looking men. Unattractive people are trusted less than
        average-looking people, but more than good looking people, who are
        rated at the bottom. Good-looking men are trusted the least,
        especially by other men. Overall, only 17 per cent of Canadians,
        including both men and women, trust good-looking men.

    When it comes to alcohol, men and women tend to agree on which drinks are
"masculine and sophisticated" and which are "feminine and sophisticated."
Almost half of respondents (45 per cent) agree that a classic drinks in a
rocks glass is seen as the most masculine and sophisticated, followed
distantly by a bottle of beer (24 per cent). Only 4 per cent of Canadians said
a Cosmopolitan or a Martini-style drink was the most masculine drink out
there. Canadians are torn between the most masculine whisky cocktail; 25 per
cent say it's rye whisky and cola while 24 per cent say it's rye whisky and
water.

    The survey's other key findings:

    The Almighty Dollar: Americans are more money-driven than Canadians. Half
of Americans surveyed said they are willing to shift to a seven-day work week
for an increase in pay, while only 36 per cent of Canadians would do the same.
Two-thirds of Americans also say that women tend to judge men based on their
material possessions while six in ten Canadians say the same thing.

    -   Of those who would work every day for more money, 44 per cent are men
        and only 28 per cent are women.
    -   Married men are the least willing to work extra time (71 per cent) as
        opposed to their single or divorced friends (58 per cent vs. 67 per
        cent, respectively).

    Mixing Business and Pleasure: When it comes to mixing work and pleasure,
Americans are way more "flexible." Forty-five per cent of Americans have dated
a co-worker at some point, while 38 per cent of Canadians have done the same.
Americans, however, are more bothered than Canadians when a colleague dates a
client (26 per cent vs. 21 per cent), but Canadians get more upset than
Americans when someone dates a client or co-worker solely for the purposes of
getting ahead at work (74 per cent vs. 68 per cent). Twenty-one per cent of
Canadians admit to having had a one-night stand with a co-worker.

    The Callback: Forty-four per cent of Canadian men have at some point
accepted a woman's phone number only to conveniently "misplace it" and not
call her for a second chat. Not wanting to appear rude, meanwhile, 47 per cent
of Canadian women have given out a fake number. And almost three in 10
Canadian men (28 per cent) admit to bending the truth - in some cases
obliterating it - in order to pick someone up at a bar.
    "We're hoping that the MANners Survey becomes an annual barometer for
issues facing every Canadian guy in the throes of finding love, impressing the
fairer sex, and living life to the fullest," Wharton says. "Women have clearly
stated that what impresses them is a man with timeless style. And if he's got
a drink in hand, it's sophisticated and masculine - and a classic drink in a
rocks glass is at the top of their list."

    About Maxxium Canada
    --------------------
    Maxxium Canada is the Canadian division of Maxxium Worldwide BV, a global
spirits and wine distribution group operating in over 35 countries and
covering more than 60 worldwide markets. Maxxium's portfolio includes some of
the most well-known premium brands: Canadian Club Whisky, Sauza Tequila,
ABSOLUT Vodka, Level Vodka, Rémy Martin Fine Champagne Cognac, Cointreau
liqueur, The Macallan and Highland Park Single Malt Scotch Whiskeys, Alberta
Premium Whisky, Bols Liqueurs, and various wines such as Clos du Bois, Cono
Sur and KWV. Maxxium's head office is in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. For more
information, visit www.maxxium.com.

    About Beam Global Spirits & Wine, Inc.
    --------------------------------------
    Inspiring conversations around the world, Beam Global Spirits & Wine,
Inc., is building brands people want to talk about. Consumers from all corners
of the globe call for our brands, including Jim Beam(R) Bourbon, Sauza(R)
Tequila, Canadian Club(R) Whisky, Courvoisier(R) Cognac, Maker's Mark(R)
Bourbon, Laphroaig(R) Scotch Whisky, Teacher's(R) Scotch Whisky, Knob Creek(R)
Bourbon and Starbucks(TM) Liquors. Beam Global Spirits & Wine is part of
Fortune Brands, Inc. (NYSE:FO), a leading consumer brands company with annual
sales exceeding $8 billion. For more information on Beam Global Spirits &
Wine, its brands, and its commitment to social responsibility, please visit
www.beamglobal.com

For further information: or to schedule an interview with Beam Global's
Dorene Wharton, please contact: Paul-Mark Rendon, LexPR Canada, (416)
542-9140, ext. 3365, (416) 301-2391 (mobile), pmrendon@lexpr.com