According to Will King, when he launched his shaving oil in the early 1990s, there was nothing to keep men’s skin looking great. “Men’s grooming is allegedly booming, but it isn’t,” stated King, who maintains that the reason is that 99% of imagery and technology is aimed at women. “Strange! As men are 50% of the population there’s a huge untapped market.”
King believes this “slumbering” giant will awaken, but only if the men’s market can get its own language. “It’s easy to market to women using the language of beauty, but more difficult to men,” he said, explaining that it’s also important to understand what makes men tick. For example, King believes that men don’t mind looking older. “At 18, they want to look more grown up. Why not a product aimed at these guys to help them look older, a kind of reverse of anti-ageing?”
Language on packaging also needs to be carefully thought through –King suggested using words such as Skinvest, Skinsurance. He is considering bringing back his XCD range of men’s products to enhance, defend, perfect and improve. It first launched in 2003 but King claims it was ahead of its time. Other ways to growth include using the internet to connect with men {“where’s the app of the skincare world?} and borrowing from other industries, such as Red Bull, the energy drink.