05.13.08
 Black is the new “Platinum” for Zirh. For its new luxury line, the company opted for black packaging with silver accents. |
Sales in men’s grooming are up—and competition is, too. Here’s what some brands are doing to lure even the average Joe to more sophisticated choices.
The men’s grooming market is booming. There are more brands than ever before, offering men a wide range of products geared especially to their needs (some of which they didn’t even know they had just a few years ago). According to Euromonitor International, retail sales of men’s grooming products in the U.S. totaled $499.6 million in 2007, up from just $354.8 million in 2002. While the shaving category (including pre- and post-shave products and razors/blades) accounted for a significant portion, the toiletries sector is where the action is. Men’s bath and shower product sales have jumped from a paltry $64.2 million in 2002 to $218.5 million in 2007. Skin care rose from less than $72 million to $193.2 million and hair care sales rose from $646.8 million to $967.7 million, according to the Chicago-based market research group.
Keeping Up Appearances
What’s driving this growth? Are men suddenly showering more? Have they developed new skin problems? Are they growing more hair? (Oh, how they wish…)
“There has been a return to guys taking care of themselves, the classic nature of taking care of one’s self and being clean—not that it ever went away,” says Michael Gilman, founder of Grooming Lounge, a Washington-DC based online retailer touting a wide range of manly personal care products.
According to Gilman, men have always been concerned about their appearance, but many were unaware that treatments and services could help them look better—and even more simply weren’t comfortable speaking about or seeking out products that would help. After all, what man wants to ask a pretty woman cutting his hair at the salon or standing behind the counter at the local pharmacy what he should do about his acne or ear hair problem?
When Gilman and Pirooz Sarshar started GroomingLounge.com in 1999, male-focused products were few and far between. Today, Grooming Lounge operates three men’s-only barbershop/spas and its site touts more than 30 brands, including its own line of shaving products and a new collection of hair care products.
 Grooming Lounge has added a new line of hair care products just for men. |
“We have learned that guys don’t want a diner menu. They say, ‘tell me what it is and tell me how it will help me,’ ” notes Gilman, who opted for packaging that was simply designed and solution-focused when it came to their own products. “The tone and graphics are clean and simple. It is very conversational, as we like to be on our website and in stores.”
In addition, Grooming Lounge’s packaging features tongue-in-cheek descriptions and product names to help break the ice when it comes to common grooming dilemmas. For example, its new conditioner formulated for all hair types is simply called You Need Conditioner, while styling aids include Some Hair Goop and Some Hair Stuff.
Making the Connection
If simplicity and humor can make men feel more comfortable with grooming, surely there are other ways packaging design can help ease men’s fears about buying these products and at the same time, help a brand stand apart on increasingly crowded shelves.
To start, packaging design consultant Jo Ann Hines suggests companies clearly delineate a look and feel unique to men’s products. “Men don’t want their products to appear feminine in nature,” notes Hines, who says she and her husband may share some common products, but he wants products that reflect his specific needs.
Packaging expert Marc Rosen believes that men “identify with the packaging of their products as they would with a wristwatch or a car. It is a defining item,” says the New York-based consultant. Rosen pointed to Armani Attitude, a fragrance housed in a bottle that resembles a cigarette lighter, as packaging that addresses a man’s desire for products that “look good in their bathroom and feel good in their hands.”
Mimicking items from other aspects of a man’s life is a tactic enlisted by Nickel. Founded by Philippe Dumont, the Nickel line of men’s grooming products debuted in France in 1996, along with Nickel spas for men. The company, which came to the U.S. market in 2001, sources packaging components that are purely masculine: heavy-duty flask-style bottles, large tubes and metal canisters; “nothing chichi” here, according to Marie-Laure Fournier, who handles public relations for the brand.
Since Nickel was among the first lines for men created by a man, Fournier says the company knows how to connect with its clients. One of Nickel’s most notable packages is a gas can shape bottle that houses its Super Clean body scrub. According to Fournier, the grey canister “reminds them of their car. It speaks to them.”
Nickel also puts a creative, yet masculine spin on its promotional products. For example, gift sets have been housed in canisters that resemble cocktail shakers and boxes decorated with superhero cartoon-like graphics. But the brand recognizes that men also crave simplicity. Silicon Valley Wrinkle Equilizer, Nickel’s wrinkle treatment, is packed in a simple pot, and its newest product, Super Speed gel moisturizer, comes in an easy-to-use 50ml pump container.
Zirh, which had been owned by Shiseido Cosmetics since 2000, is now back under the care of former president and owner Brian Robinson, who is ready to grow Zirh’s share of the prestige side of the market. The line—which has become one of the most successful collections in prestige skin care for men—now includes Zirh Platinum, an 8-SKU collection that debuted exclusively at Barney’s New York in April.
The Platinum concept came about when Robinson saw an opportunity to fill a void in the men’s market with an “ultra luxe, technologically advanced line of products.” The line, formulated with botanicals and next-generation peptides, includes Drenched ultra hydrating moisturizer, Revive under-eye complex, Accli-Matte mattyfing moisturizer, PM Rescue night time renewing serum, R2 R-Evolution post shave healing balm, Repair deep wrinkle concentrate, Age Defense environmental response cream and Total Re-Charge retexturing facial lotion.
To match the line’s high-end positioning and sophisticated ingredient base, Robinson said it was critical to create a sharp, sleek and high-end look. “The packaging was created with a luxury feel in mind to support the price point — the message is exclusivity and prestige. These products are the best in their class and the packaging reflects that,” says Robinson.
For Platinum, Zirh opted for black packaging with silver accents, a deliberate departure from the brand’s blue and silver. “There is no doubt that the Zirh silver and blue has become ubiquitous in the men’s marketplace,” says Robinson, who says Zirh’s aluminum look “really signified masculinity at a time when men were still being introduced to the category.”
 P&G's new Old Spice Pro-Strength antiperspirant has sports-themed primary and secondary packaging. |
Having been active in the U.S. men’s skin care since 2001, Beiersdorf knows what it takes to generate sales in the mass market, and add to its bottom line. Last year, 20% of Beiersdorf AG’s total Nivea’s sales came from its Nivea men’s care products, including shower and deodorant products.
To further beef up its U.S. presence, Beiersdorf has added several products to the Nivea Men’s range, including the Extreme Comfort line (shaving gel and post-shave balm), a trio of body washes and a revitalizing body lotion. When it came to packaging, the company looked to color and label design to build its strong shelf presence.
"The intent was to drive masculinity by utilizing extremely strong male colors in a dominant fashion; the blue and silver as well as a more modern, up-to-date Nivea For Men logo,” notes Joseph Venezia, marketing director for Nivea for Men.
For a venerable brand like Old Spice, keeping current is essential to success in a market crowded with grooming brands targeting younger men. To promote the January launch of Old Spice Pro Strength antiperspirant and deodorant, P&G once again hitched its wagon to comedic actor Will Ferrell. Following up a highly integrated Old Spice marketing alliance with Ferrell’s 2006 NASCAR movie “Talladega Nights,” the new campaign features Ferrell’s “Semi-Pro” character talking (off the cuff) about the new clinical-strength antiperspirant.
 Three new body washes are part of Beiersdorf’s successful Nivea for Men collection. |
In addition to entering the growing clinical-strength deodorant market, Old Spice is looking to increase it presence in the rising men’s bath and body category with the May launch of Old Spice Double Impact Body Wash. The packaging of this product—which retails for approximately $3.99 for a 12oz bottle—features the traditional red synonymous with the 70 year-old brand. P&G has given the body wash’s packaging a modern twist with blue accents.
Give ’Em What They Don’t Know They Want…Yet
With sales projected to rise over the next several years, the men’s grooming market will see a steady influx of new brands and companies. But will more products on store shelves overwhelm the “less fair” sex?
Industry experts believe even the average Joe can be lured into using new grooming products and more sophisticated formulas. It just takes time.
“Getting guys to switch from using Barbasol is getting their toe in water,” says Gilman of Grooming Lounge. “Then they think: ‘Wow, what else is out there?’”
