Article

How to catch male shoppers: Market to women

The men's grooming market is set to explode, and retailers can reach it more directly by marketing to women.

August 2, 2009

Experts predict a surge in the men's grooming market — just as they've been doing for the past decade. The men's grooming market is only about one-fifth the size of the women's market, according to Euromonitor. But if the men's market is so dramatically underdeveloped, why has the oft- predicted explosion failed to materialize? Why is it so hard for men's grooming brands to catch a man?

One reason is, in a word, trial. In stark contrast to women, men are notoriously set in their ways concerning personal care regimens. While women love to try new beauty products, and love to tell their friends, men are reticent. According to a recent Datamonitor survey, 55 percent of men did not notice new personal care products, vs. 29 percent of females.

Women share product stories on blogs, YouTube and online stores, such as bellasugar.com. For men, especially Gen X and Boomers, dynamic word-of-mouth evangelism — whether it's in person, in a blog or on viral video — hardly exists.

Not many guys talk about their latest moisturizer discovery between bench presses at the gym. And, if and when men do purchase for themselves, it's often online, discreetly: 90 percent of those purchasing Billy Jealousy products online are male, 80 percent are male at labseries.com.

Since guys don't look to other guys for advice about new products, marketers need to turn to the grooming experts men do trust — women.

Because women often play a potent matchmaker role between men and new products, men's grooming brands need to consider marketing directly to women to elicit their word-of-mouth marketing magic. The fact is, nearly 70 percent of men's personal care products are purchased by women.

Some tactics men's grooming brands should consider include sampling women with products to give to their men, sponsoring a column about men's products in women's magazines, women teaching men about grooming on YouTube, or creating a "woman/mother knows best" campaign.

Splendicity.com has a featured blog entitled "She Knows Best," where women review men's products.

CVS Beauty 360 sells trial sizes of Jack Black at POP. Sephora.com has a "WHAT'S HOT IN MEN" section where product reviews are written mostly by women, not men. You'll see reviews such as this: "I bought Jack Black for my husband and he smells delicious; his skin looks great and loves the beard lube. Ladies and Gents, purchase this, you can't go wrong!"

Ironically, one of the best ways a men's grooming brand can catch their man could be to catch his woman.

Carol Davies is a partner at innovation marketing consulting firm FletcherKnight. She has held senior marketing management positions at Procter & Gamble, Bath and Body Works, The Lancaster Group and Kane, Bortree & Associates, a brand and new product consulting firm.