Ashley Kang, Kantar Worldpanel06.02.14
Sales of male grooming products in Asia are now growing faster than the personal care category as a whole, with a 9% increase in 2013 compared to 6% across the entire personal care market. With use of products that are exclusively “for men” still low outside the shaving and fragrance segments, however, there are huge opportunities for brands to enter the market or grow their market share.
Regardless of their age or income level, nearly 80% of men in Asia claim they care about their looks, according to the Kantar Worldpanel research, while two-thirds believe that using grooming products is not just for women.
Men in the region use seven grooming products on average, with the fastest-growing segments during the past year being soap bars, shampoo and liquid bath products. And yet, despite the healthy growth in male grooming sales, which are strongest in Vietnam, Thailand and Taiwan, only three of those seven grooming products are “for men” variants.
Skin care products are used by 70% of Asian men, primarily in North Asia. Those in Indonesia and the Philippines use, on average, just one skin care product; while Chinese and Korean men use three. Facial cleansing is the most developed skin care segment—56% of men in Asia buy these products.
Different Drivers
The main reason Asian men give for using grooming products is that “it makes me feel better and more comfortable,” a comment made by 84% of respondents. Only 64% say they pay attention to their appearance “because women like it”—but in China, this rises to 73%. A lot of Asian men also feel that looking well-groomed is important for their job, especially in the Philippines, Vietnam and Malaysia, and they believe it is an indicator of social status.
When it comes to the issues Asian men have with their appearance, half are concerned about having dandruff, while one third are worried about bad breath and bad teeth, and one third feel self-conscious about their acne. Concerns vary regionally: bad breath is the major issue for male consumers in China, while almost half of low-income Chinese men and Filipinos suffer with acne. In contrast, many North Asian men worry about excessive sweating—yet 80% of those don’t use a deodorant.
The Size of the Prize
While growth of “for men” variants is healthy, many men still simply use whatever they find in the bathroom. As a result, the value share held by the male grooming segment within the personal care category is just 4%.
Despite bad breath being among the top three things that bother them most, only one-third of Asian men who complain about it use mouthwash, while just 35% of those worried about acne buy skin care products with anti-acne properties.
Sales of shampoo designed especially for men are growing strongly across Asia at 29%, but the product is only bought by 24% of male consumers. The growth of “for men” shower gel was 33%, but penetration is just 11%, while sales of deodorants increased 9% in the past year yet only one in three men use them. Despite the average Asian man shaving three to four times every week just 20% use shaving preparation products. This low penetration of male grooming products—with 80% of the segment achieving lower than 35% penetration across Asia—highlights how much room there is for personal care brands to launch new variants specially designed for male users, particularly in the shampoo, cleansers, oral care, skin care and personal wash segments.
Reach and Engage
Brands need to understand men’s needs and preferences, across the region as a whole and in individual countries, and find innovative ways to address them. This could involve cleverly combining benefits, based on knowledge of the concerns men have and the products they already use; for instance, developing a facial cleansing wipe with anti-acne properties, a toothpaste for smokers, or a shampoo that tackles both dandruff and oily hair. In Korea, where three quarters of men who are concerned about their wrinkles don’t use anti-aging products, skin care products that combine anti-aging properties with ingredients that combat oily or dry skin could be successful.
Evaluating the right format is vital, as is paying attention to the choices men make. For example, North Asian men don’t tend to buy fragrances, so fragrance-free deodorants might find a wider audience in the region. As 44% of Asian men are influenced by family members in terms of the grooming products they use, brands could find ways to market to their partners—for instance by producing multi-pack soaps that contain both “for women” and “for men” variants.
Instead of competing against one another, brands should work to complement each other. Less than a third of men use both shower gel and bar soap, so a bundle offer might encourage them to buy both products.
Marketers also need to know how best to connect with men in Asia. When it comes to messages, communications that focus on status and looking professional are likely to hit home in the Philippines, Vietnam and Malaysia for example.
While 77% of men in Asia are receptive to in-store marketing messages, 58% say they are always in a rush when they’re shopping, so brands need to deliver educational and practical information quickly and powerfully. Asian men spend more time online than watching TV—a total of 2.6 hours a day—so a digital marketing strategy is extremely important. The internet plays a major role in male consumers’ research habits, with half of men looking online to gather information about fashion and beauty trends and the majority of them trusting what they read. When hunting for information they use their smartphone rather than a PC or laptop, so websites must be mobile-optimized.
A digital strategy must include the use of social media to develop word of mouth: 55% of Asian men go looking for information about fashion and beauty on social media networks. Old Spice and Innisfree are two examples of brands that have created effective viral marketing campaigns via these channels.
With 748 million men aged over 15, the potential consumer base for male grooming products in Asia is huge. As people become wealthier, they are increasingly interested in their health and well-being, and more able to afford “specialist” products that provide specific benefits. The potential rewards of targeting this consumer base are very exciting—Kantar Worldpanel estimates the total market is worth $6 billion.
The opportunity for international brands to get a foothold in the Asian market is also clear: while Korea is very proud of items that are “Made in Korea,” consumers in Vietnam, Indonesia and China are more open to foreign brands. In total, just over half of male consumers in Asia consider international brands to be of higher quality than the local equivalents.
Any brand manager trying to enter one or more markets in Asia, or grow the brand’s market share there, must invest in learning about the choices men make and what drives those choices. They must then develop innovative value propositions and products that deliver the benefits that really matter, in the format that will be most appealing, and communicate those things in a way that motivates men to buy.
About the Author
Ashley Kang is regional beauty director at Kantar Worldpanel, leading both local (Korea) and regional beauty business development. Ashley has elegantly made Kantar Worldpanel a trusted advisor for clients for the past 12 years—not just local Korean players, but global heavyweights such as L’Oréal and Estée Lauder.
Regardless of their age or income level, nearly 80% of men in Asia claim they care about their looks, according to the Kantar Worldpanel research, while two-thirds believe that using grooming products is not just for women.
Men in the region use seven grooming products on average, with the fastest-growing segments during the past year being soap bars, shampoo and liquid bath products. And yet, despite the healthy growth in male grooming sales, which are strongest in Vietnam, Thailand and Taiwan, only three of those seven grooming products are “for men” variants.
Skin care products are used by 70% of Asian men, primarily in North Asia. Those in Indonesia and the Philippines use, on average, just one skin care product; while Chinese and Korean men use three. Facial cleansing is the most developed skin care segment—56% of men in Asia buy these products.
Different Drivers
The main reason Asian men give for using grooming products is that “it makes me feel better and more comfortable,” a comment made by 84% of respondents. Only 64% say they pay attention to their appearance “because women like it”—but in China, this rises to 73%. A lot of Asian men also feel that looking well-groomed is important for their job, especially in the Philippines, Vietnam and Malaysia, and they believe it is an indicator of social status.
When it comes to the issues Asian men have with their appearance, half are concerned about having dandruff, while one third are worried about bad breath and bad teeth, and one third feel self-conscious about their acne. Concerns vary regionally: bad breath is the major issue for male consumers in China, while almost half of low-income Chinese men and Filipinos suffer with acne. In contrast, many North Asian men worry about excessive sweating—yet 80% of those don’t use a deodorant.
The Size of the Prize
While growth of “for men” variants is healthy, many men still simply use whatever they find in the bathroom. As a result, the value share held by the male grooming segment within the personal care category is just 4%.
Despite bad breath being among the top three things that bother them most, only one-third of Asian men who complain about it use mouthwash, while just 35% of those worried about acne buy skin care products with anti-acne properties.
Sales of shampoo designed especially for men are growing strongly across Asia at 29%, but the product is only bought by 24% of male consumers. The growth of “for men” shower gel was 33%, but penetration is just 11%, while sales of deodorants increased 9% in the past year yet only one in three men use them. Despite the average Asian man shaving three to four times every week just 20% use shaving preparation products. This low penetration of male grooming products—with 80% of the segment achieving lower than 35% penetration across Asia—highlights how much room there is for personal care brands to launch new variants specially designed for male users, particularly in the shampoo, cleansers, oral care, skin care and personal wash segments.
Reach and Engage
Brands need to understand men’s needs and preferences, across the region as a whole and in individual countries, and find innovative ways to address them. This could involve cleverly combining benefits, based on knowledge of the concerns men have and the products they already use; for instance, developing a facial cleansing wipe with anti-acne properties, a toothpaste for smokers, or a shampoo that tackles both dandruff and oily hair. In Korea, where three quarters of men who are concerned about their wrinkles don’t use anti-aging products, skin care products that combine anti-aging properties with ingredients that combat oily or dry skin could be successful.
Evaluating the right format is vital, as is paying attention to the choices men make. For example, North Asian men don’t tend to buy fragrances, so fragrance-free deodorants might find a wider audience in the region. As 44% of Asian men are influenced by family members in terms of the grooming products they use, brands could find ways to market to their partners—for instance by producing multi-pack soaps that contain both “for women” and “for men” variants.
Instead of competing against one another, brands should work to complement each other. Less than a third of men use both shower gel and bar soap, so a bundle offer might encourage them to buy both products.
Marketers also need to know how best to connect with men in Asia. When it comes to messages, communications that focus on status and looking professional are likely to hit home in the Philippines, Vietnam and Malaysia for example.
While 77% of men in Asia are receptive to in-store marketing messages, 58% say they are always in a rush when they’re shopping, so brands need to deliver educational and practical information quickly and powerfully. Asian men spend more time online than watching TV—a total of 2.6 hours a day—so a digital marketing strategy is extremely important. The internet plays a major role in male consumers’ research habits, with half of men looking online to gather information about fashion and beauty trends and the majority of them trusting what they read. When hunting for information they use their smartphone rather than a PC or laptop, so websites must be mobile-optimized.
A digital strategy must include the use of social media to develop word of mouth: 55% of Asian men go looking for information about fashion and beauty on social media networks. Old Spice and Innisfree are two examples of brands that have created effective viral marketing campaigns via these channels.
With 748 million men aged over 15, the potential consumer base for male grooming products in Asia is huge. As people become wealthier, they are increasingly interested in their health and well-being, and more able to afford “specialist” products that provide specific benefits. The potential rewards of targeting this consumer base are very exciting—Kantar Worldpanel estimates the total market is worth $6 billion.
The opportunity for international brands to get a foothold in the Asian market is also clear: while Korea is very proud of items that are “Made in Korea,” consumers in Vietnam, Indonesia and China are more open to foreign brands. In total, just over half of male consumers in Asia consider international brands to be of higher quality than the local equivalents.
Any brand manager trying to enter one or more markets in Asia, or grow the brand’s market share there, must invest in learning about the choices men make and what drives those choices. They must then develop innovative value propositions and products that deliver the benefits that really matter, in the format that will be most appealing, and communicate those things in a way that motivates men to buy.
About the Author
Ashley Kang is regional beauty director at Kantar Worldpanel, leading both local (Korea) and regional beauty business development. Ashley has elegantly made Kantar Worldpanel a trusted advisor for clients for the past 12 years—not just local Korean players, but global heavyweights such as L’Oréal and Estée Lauder.