Introduction:
In the movie American Psycho, we are first introduced to Patrick Bateman through his morning routine.
"I believe in taking care of myself" he says.
He talks to us about his cleanser - a deep pore cleansing lotion, and follows it up with a water activated gel cleanser. He then uses a honey almond scrub for the body and for the face a gentle exfoliating scrub. He then applies a herb mint face mask, which he leaves on for ten minutes. He always chooses a shaving lotion with no alcohol, because the alcohol dries your face out he explains.
He then slathers some moisturizer, an anti-ageing eye balm, followed by a second moisturizing protective lotion.
It struck me so odd that the director Mary Harron, used a detailed skin care routine to explain, something about the way this man goes on with his life is very weird. But in a way, it also made perfect sense. Because at a time (this film premiered in 2000) when men were all about Old Spice and Cinthol Soap, who was this man, who was performing a 15 step skin care routine which even the Koreans would be in awe of!
And now in 2022, things have changed and how!
Some (fun) facts:
The Male Grooming Market is estimated to be at $33 Billion. ( $33 Billion is a very big number, roughly equal to Nepal's GDP)
The Indian Male Grooming/Beauty Market is estimated to be a 5000 crore market by 2024.
Most of the Indian Consumer Goods Companies have already spotted this trend and have made some big acquisitions in this space:
Reckitt (RB) and Colgate Palmolive have both invested in Bombay Shaving Company.
Marico Acquired Beardo in 2020.
Emami increased it's stake in The Man Company to around 45%.
Wipro invested in a D2C brand - Let's Shave.
Personal Care leaders like Unilever, L'Oréal, Nivea and Himalaya already have an exclusive portfolio catering to men's needs.
So definitely a lot has happened since the Old Spice and Cinthol soap days.
So What Changed?
Year is 2005 - the year Ram Gopal Verma made Sarkar. The year Mumbai was flooded massively on July 26th. The year Nitish Kumar became the CM of Bihar for the very first time.
But that was also the year when Emami Ltd came up with a brilliant idea to introduce Emami Fair and Handsome - a fairness cream targeted exclusively at men.
There were multiple reasons this product could have failed - Fairness was a feminine trait. Applying creams was not manly or macho. Men were supposed to be tall, dark and handsome. And most importantly, men had no societal pressure to look fair.
This was when the business development team at Emami unearthed two key insights - First - Men used Talcum Powder not only to reduce sweat, but also to look fair. Second - Men were closeted users of Fair and Lovely - either buying the pack in secret, or using their female family member's Fair and Lovely cream ( the anecdote is that a store near a college in Andhra Pradesh sold more Fair and Lovely cream than an average grocer outlet, and the users were mainly boys from a nearby hostel!).
Emami identified this potential market, of skin care for men, thus opening the floodgates to the billion dollar market which the male grooming segment is poised to become in India.
With the tagline of "Duniya ka Number One Fairness Cream", Emami's Fair and Handsome still dominates the Men's Cream market with a whopping 50% Market Share.
One of the earliest Fair and Handsome ad with the King Khan himself : Fair and Handsome Shahrkuh Khan Powerdar Hindi Ad
The OG Launch Ad : Original Fair and Handsome Commercial
The 2010’s:
The success of Emami sure made everyone sit up and notice.
The Men's Grooming section was split into 4 major segments and each segment is dominated by a few Key Brands:
Gillette by P&G dominated the Men's Shaving Space:
Men's Skin Care was dominated by Emami's Fair and Handsome thanks to their first mover advantage.
But other FMCG organizations made way into the Men's Care and Cleanser's space - making facewashes and creams catering to various skin issues.
Men's Hair Care products saw brands like Set Wet ( by Marico) and Brylcreem (JV between Unilever and Godrej)
Set Wet’s Ad Campaign: : Set Wet Style - Buri Nazar Wale
Men's Fragrance :
Axe by Unilever, Fogg which was launched in 2011 by Vinni Cosmetics were some of the key brands in the Fragrance Category.
Axe Chocolate Campaign : Axe Chocolate Man commercial
The Beard and Moustache category came more recently post 2015 with many D2C brands like Ustraa, Beardo, The Man Company and Bombay Shaving Company amongst others.
But what has actually changed?
1. Cultural Norms :
Through Instagram, Films and Music Videos, we see more and more leading men include gender fluid trends into their wardrobe which is gradually merging the traditionally hard lines of “Men’s wear” and “Women’s wear”. The notion that clothing as an expression of our personality belongs to one gender or another is slowly disassembling.
International Beauty brand Maybelline featured a male model for their Mascara launch and here in India, Instagram influencers Shantanu Dhope and Ankush Bahuguna showed us how men can wear make-up too!
2. Vanity Became Important.
With the influx of Social Media and cameras capturing our every-day lives, it was important to look good, all the time. Any moment could be captured, and you could be tagged for the entire social circle to see. It was also important as a personal branding exercise, because today, our social media profile on various platforms are the first reference for anyone to get to know us.
To add to this, the men, men look up to - cricketers like Dhoni or Virat, film stars like Ranveer or Hrithik, Entrepreneurs and Social Media Influences - built their personal brand not only around their work and ethics, but also around their looks.
In an increasingly visual world, books are often judged by their cover!
3. The Rise of e-Commerce.
Men can browse products in the privacy of their mobile screens, and not be worried about the judgmental looks or be daunted by the complexity of the regimen. E-Com has made beauty shopping for men more comfortable and easy!
4. It is just business!
The female market is saturated, and very fragmented, and there are a lot of established players in the game already. So companies are now looking at men to grow their business. Categories which were Unisex - like soaps, shampoos, facewashes among others are being consciously split into male and female sub segments to push more products into a household.
A marketing maxim states that needs cannot be generated, but there is another maxim which says that customers don’t really know what they want, and between these needs and wants lies the market potential of 5000 crores in the Men's Grooming Sector!
So how do we actually sell to men?
Let me answer this through the traditional 4 P's Framework :
Product :
Keep it simple : .Complex ingredients and routine can be daunting. Clearly call out the key ingredient and the exact benefit it provides. Focus should be on a short term tangible benefit. (Ex : Kills 99% Acne Causing Germs in Single Wash)
Value Proposition : Men see skincare as a solution to a problem, rather than a part of a broader pleasurable experience. “The real entry into skincare comes with this value proposition: You have a problem, we have a solution, and the solution works because it is backed by science.”
Make it Sensorial : Unlike women, who consider skin care as a long term investment - men focus on how it makes them feel immediately. So add sensorial cues like fragrance, cooling or a tingling feel, adding texture to the product like beads in facewash or a scrub, adding colors to the product like black or red help to make it more exciting!
Build familiarity : For example, this Khiel's Men's Cream is called Facial Fuel - Heavy Lifting - which clearly speaks to the consumer in a jargon he is familiar with.
Place:
e-Commerce : e-Commerce is definitely the first priority channel for Male Grooming to build the category, launch new brands and test niche products.
Retail in Multiple Formats: It is equally important to ensure presence in other Channel like Salons, Large Retail Outlets, Modern Trade chains like Shopper's Stop and Lifestyle as these places allow the consumer to touch and feel the product (even if the final sale happens online) and for him to speak to the sales person to clear any doubts and apprehensions he might have.
Sampling: Ultimately, nothing overcomes the barrier of apprehension than using the product and experiencing its efficacy. Hence sampling to as many customers through various drives is an essential part of selling beauty to men.
Price:
Multiple Pack Formats: Studies show that price is often not a barrier to sale of Men's Grooming products. But it is important to have multiple pack formats which cater to different purchase occasions - Trials, Multiple Uses Small Pack, Large Pack for Loyal Consumers - at different price points.
Regime Led Packs: It is also helpful to pre build a regime and sell it together, along with clear instructions on how to use the products. This takes away the stress and hassle to put a right mix of products together and men are ready to pay the premium for it.
Promotion:
Online Ads : Male online shoppers are tuned in to ads in a way that female consumers aren’t, according to Entrepreneur.com, which reported that 68% of male smartphone owners are likely to make purchases as a result of ads, compared to 58% of females. As a result, investing in online ads seems like a solid strategy for marketing your brand towards men, particularly since there’s the potential for precise demographic targeting via social platforms.
Education: A key focus of marketing should be on education and creating a space where men can be comfortable learning about skincare and beauty. This can be though the brand's own media pages or through influencers. Content should be created which focuses on how a product should be used and at what frequency and for what duration.
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