Getting a Man’s Attention Is getting Trickier

It seems that grabbing the attention of male consumers can be challenging, as 35% of men who use personal care products say they do not even pay attention to ads, a figure which rises to 48% of Baby Boomers, according to recent research compiled by Mintel.

Mintel’s research found that nearly one in five (18%) of US men who use personal care products believe men are as sexualized as women are in ads. What’s more, some 20% of the same group agree that men are stereotyped in advertisements for these products.

So what might work better? Be funny. According to Mintel, making men laugh could be the answer for personal care brands, with one third (33%) of men who use personal care products stating they prefer ads that are humorous. Overall, one quarter (25%) of personal care users feel that the male models, celebrities and athletes used in these ads do not represent them.

According to Mintel, millennial men who use personal care products are especially likely to seek authenticity, preferring ads that feature someone they identify with (25%), as compared to 19% overall, and they are also more likely to gain inspiration from ads (24%) than male consumers overall (15%).

“Today’s men may tune out generic or generalized advertising, but featuring men across a variety of ages, body types or styles could make male spokesmen more relatable, as men prefer to see someone they can relate to that is not photoshopped. Brands and retailers will need to constantly adapt to appeal to the diverse male population, which spans beyond physical characteristics and race, but also sexual orientation, disabilities and even life ambitions,” said Rebecca Cullen, home and personal care analyst at Mintel.

The men’s personal care category in the US was expected to reach $4.4 billion in 2016, remaining nearly flat from the year prior. However, men’s personal care sales grew 15% when looking at the period from 2011-16. Current sales growth has stemmed from the antiperspirant and deodorant segment, the largest segment in the men’s personal care category, accounting for more than one third of market sales. Shaving represents the second largest segment with 27% of overall market share, while skin care accounts for 21%. The strongest gains in the men’s personal care market were seen in the smallest segment, hair care, which makes up 15% of market share and grew nearly 27% between 2011-16.

“Growth has slowed more recently, as the category has stabilized and been impacted by competition from a growing number of male-specific and unisex options. Antiperspirant and deodorant experiences the heaviest usage and men are more likely to use a male-specific version, benefiting the segment,” said Cullen. “Going forward, we predict hair care will continue to experience the strongest gains as the segment is benefiting from numerous male-specific product launches, as well as men becoming more invested in their hair care routines due to interest in hair care products that offer gender-specific benefits.”

More info: www.mintel.com