Ellyse Veitch

Prepared for Brian Chesnut

Consumer Behaviour
MRKT-3010

INDIVIDUAL
ASSIGNMENT
November 29th 2018
Intro
In 2018, the gender binary is something that is an extremely popular topic of discussion.

In terms of personal gender identity, the lines are becoming more and more blurred

every day of what it means to identify as a “man” or a “woman”. However, when it

comes to the beauty industry, especially with personal hygiene products, the gender

binary could not be more concrete. This report will cover the strategies in marketing

men’s beauty products and how they differ from marketing to women and the price

difference in “men’s” personal hygiene products and “women’s” personal hygiene

products.

The Men’s Skincare World

Gender specific personal hygiene products were originally created because of a

concept referred to as the “Gender Contamination concept” a term coined by a

professor named Jill Avery (Moore, 2013). This concept is defined as "cultural

disapproval that takes place when objects seen as having a strong gender identity are

used by the wrong gender." (Moore, 2013). An example of this would be products like

Dove bar soap. A product such as this isn’t overtly feminine, however it isn’t hyper-

masculine either. It has completely white packaging connoting feminine innocence and

softness and is also marketed exclusively to women. Therefore, if a man were to use it,

it’s highly possible they would experience “gender contamination”. This is when

companies such as Dove saw an opportunity to capitalize on a man’s fragile masculinity

and make a product specifically for male use.

“High-end companies like Estée Lauder, Clarins, and Kiehl's have had men's skincare

lines for years (some for decades), and more affordable brands have since followed

suit. Everyman Jackgrooming products hit Target shelves in 2007, while Dove debuted

its Men+Care line in 2010” (Segran, 2014). As of 2014, “the male grooming market

[was] valued at $6 billion in the U.S. alone and $33 billion globally” (Segran, 2014).

Additionally, “forty-three percent of American men use skincare products that go way

beyond shaving: we're talking moisturizers, anti-aging creams, eye gels, luxury facial

cleansers, and concealers.” (Segran, 2014). In 2018, considering the wider acceptance

within North America of breaking down gender barriers, it’s safe to say these numbers

have only grown. According to Michelle Probst, owner and creator of men’s skincare

line Menaji Skincare, there are different techniques to marketing beauty products to

men versus women. As a result of men feeling hesitant to “beautify” themselves, Probst

explains it’s all about selling men the idea of improving their overall health through their

personal care routines, rather than looking beautiful (Segran, 2014).

“The Pink tax”

It’s no secret that there are many global inequalities among genders. However,

something one wouldn’t necessarily expect is gender inequality within an industry

predominantly created by and marketed towards women. In 2015, “the New York City

Department of Consumer Affairs released a study comparing the prices of over 800

products. The goal of the study was to estimate the price differences male and female

shoppers face when buying the same types of items.” (Elliot, 2018). The findings of this
study proved to be very interesting. For personal care products such as razors,

deodorant etc. products for women ended up costing 13% more overall (Elliot, 2018).

It’s disheartening to see that even in an industry mostly

made by women for women, women still experience

gender-based inequalities. Furthermore, the only real

difference between the men’s and women’s products is the

masculine versus feminine packaging and the scent.

Conclusion
"Men are no longer the only breadwinners, and gender

roles are starting to blend," says Joseph Grigsby, VP of

global marketing for Lab Series, Estée Lauder's men's

skincare brand. "We're seeing a convergence of masculine

and feminine ideals." (Segran, 2014). Since their launch in

1987, Lab Series has noticed a shift in terms of how men

generally view skincare and personal hygiene. Grigsby has noticed that “millennials,

who are increasingly exposed to powerful female figures, no longer associate beauty

rituals with femininity, but rather with self-care and success.” (Segran, 2014). As a result

of this switch, hopefully there will be a future with exclusively gender-neutral products,

all priced the same, and the days of strategizing marketing specifics between men and

women within this industry will be over. Ultimately it comes down to the fact that

everyone should be taking care of their skin and hair etc. regardless of their gender.
References
Elliot, C. (2018, July 5). The Pink Tax- The Cost of Being a Female Consumer. Retrieved from
Listen Money Matters: https://www.listenmoneymatters.com/the-pink-tax/
Moore, T. (2013, August 14). Products Made for the Opposite Sex Results in Shame and Cooties.
Retrieved from Jezebel: https://jezebel.com/using-products-made-for-the-opposite-sex-
results-in-sha-1112744180
Segran, E. (2014, November 11). The Secret Psychology Behind Selling Beauty Products to Men.
Retrieved from Racked: https://www.racked.com/2014/11/11/7569603/beauty-products-
for-men-dove-lab-series