UK men more likely to buy beauty products if they're genderless
More than a quarter (27%) of young British men would be more inclined to buy cosmetics if they were marketed as gender neutral, according to research by data agency Future Thinking.
Almost a fifth of 25–34-year-old guys use make-up as part of their daily routine and 25% of this age group said ungendered branding would help to remove the stigma of buying and using beauty products, the research found.
UK millennial men feel the same, with 41% of 18–24 year olds stating they would adopt more of a body and face skincare routine if the marketing was gender neutral. Not to mention, 28% of this group said that non-gendered products are often less expensive than male-only ones – another pull.
Meanwhile, half of 55-year-old plus British men said they see no point in gendered products.
“It seems the industry is too focused on extending the brand opportunity for a fairly small market segment – only one in 10 of 18-24 year old males use cosmetics. A more lucrative approach might actually be to focus on the rebranding of a broader set of products,” said Noreen Kinsey, senior research director at Future Thinking.
“The rise of digital as a channel could open more opportunities, not necessarily online alone, but also in adopting emerging interactive technologies such as AR and ‘magic mirrors’ in physical stores to help engage audiences.”
The study looked into the grooming habits of more than 4,300 British men.