You read that headline correctly, for men! We see all kinds of ads for skin care for women, but how often do you see skin care marketing specifically for men. Would a reasonable number be five or ten percent? That may even be on the high side. The fact is that men spend a lot of money on skin care and grooming products. With the summer over and fall coming, now is the perfect time to launch a skin care marketing campaign to take advantage of the upcoming holiday season.
The Secret Of Marketing Skin Care Products To Men
What is the secret to capturing this very profitable niche? Well, first you have to consider the male ego. Would a tough guy buy something that has an ounce of femininity to it? Absolutely not! So, when marketing to the male sector, skin care needs to become masculine. However, by its very nature, skin care is feminine, so how can you change that? One word…packaging.
Marketing to women in this industry is easy; make the product look attractive and soft and it will at least capture their attention. For men, the opposite is true; the product must look rugged and ooze of masculinity. The product packaging must make the man feel secure enough in buying the product that he is not selling out his masculinity in order to look good.
Take a look at John Varvatos cologne as an example of how to market a product more associated with men rather than women. The John Varvatos cologne bottle has a faux leather cover on it. This is obviously not a woman’s product and no man would have a problem picking up this bottle to try out the cologne. Best of all, the cologne exudes the same masculine scent as the bottle projects. Whoever designed this bottle is pure genius!
Labeling Skin Care Products For Men
In addition to the actual packaging, the labeling of the product must be clearly “for men.” The skin characteristics of most men are also significantly different from women, so the product must be designed as such. For instance, most men have much oiler skin than women. That being the case, a moisturizer for a man must be able to absorb into the skin quicker.
Finally, look at the price point of the product. Men tend to be more frugal with their money in this niche. Whereas a woman will spend hundreds of dollars on a product if she has confidence in it may never wander, a man will tend to look for the best deal time and time again. To dominate this market, you must present a quality product at a reasonable price that exudes masculinity. Sounds easy, right? No? Well then that is why you need to call Illumination Consulting!
*Photo Courtesy of the Avendo Corporation via Creative Commons License
