ICAR MK10 035 The Male Skin Care Market in India: Perception and Propositions Do Hailrishron General Moves Fair A Care. stood in one corner of the large multi-flour S Shopper's Stop wore winkching esched shoppers rating from one shelf to another. The chopper were busy souring and grabbing skin care products displayed in its "ON SALE" walk For obvious reasons and in parietal women cutnumbered mes in such display men. But to Or Hart's men were the sounding-in-the-bick-buyers; they were happib jostling for a pick that would beit suit their skire ir enhance hier kicks In the mid crowd he saw Abat, In findone young Assistant Marketing Manager, inquiring about and then buying whitening cream This shon observation drew his mind to the year 2006. when he had proposed bunching skin care products for mai His boas hall immediately shot down the Wea as being premature for the lodian market. He recalled his beas's work, "Cunning dressed speaking on aftershave or appbing awbarber b acceptable but anything more than that might just be labon, veen for the weedkat of Indian men." Hari, who want now in his boss's shook wanted to take a relock at the issue but be more will unsure whether the skin care market condneed to be a to awe's food or an regained Aid To add to his predicament, a recent conference on Cosmelk trends of the Mikemiami', did not have much to say about the emerging market The next morning. Hlast reached office early, planning to talk to his team shant what was on his wind Jus then Mul entered his office to apprise him shout the new boarch of an under-eye cream Ihari barely thiered to what he was saying lasted be interrupted him to ask. "And. do you us skin care producist The question tock Mal by surprise, A book of antamammon erased his feed and he quickly replied, "No, Sir I would never," His reigned pore Hari a an, Its archerdood why there was a well on the male skin care market of India For a week. Or Hari did a be of secondary research on the male skin care marked and came actions media reports that revealed the wine Indian wan were indulging in a daily berly regime while others were getting increasingly interested in it This change was thought to line how brough about by increasing dispmable incomes or pork exposure to the Wat. He was somewhat convinced that make skin care products marc jud what the company naked tu camp cic in product portalis. However, he wanted to wait for a while before taking his idea to the marketing vertical New noming at 9 o'clock. To Hui drove to Rajin's office. Rajan told a very sealer pishion in "Imight"- a well known research organization. Dr Hari and Rajan had been close isociales in their previous two jobs and were known for their innovative thinking. They had downs responded each other's out of box keas while in the same time. playing devil's advocate. Rajan aid to Hurl -HL Doctor! I know some new idea brings you here. So let's have called while you tell me about it." De Hal aid back, "Who knows ine better than you? Yes. I am back with an old idea," Rajan was aware of Hart's prooccupation with men's skincare products but but there was nothing to put greebed about on that front, He asked Hart "Do you think laden mon care for shin curete Oh Hari areplied, "Well, times have changed The me of today lock whe teristhes way differently fromThe Main Soin Com Marist in India: Perception and Propoison Wow we used to. They are comcolors chest their appealnice as well as their compleshoe In fact according to of AC Nickant survey conducted in 1010 most of Muntal, Dchi Kellen, and Hydenbed, every second Indian man from the Memos is visiting salons orge a month. Theice out of five bachelors wy to look stylish all the time. You will be surpehed to brow that since January 2007, the made grooming market has been growing on de rite of 11 16 worth Ha. 695 Ging " Rajan was intrigued, "Well cubical changes in the part have brought about some role mvcmeals like worse coming a living and mus befssking Bo I was not mad that nice would now choor to nove into the female bastions - the beauty salons". The Hari clarified, "N the charge is not that drastic, it is just that lodian men are becoming comfortable with the then off grooming themselves Ike their Istemotional counterpart." Rajan replied. "I all feel Indian men are sup cpoblie to compromise their masculinity. Keeping their superiority alive. they would use skin care in rejuvenile themselves rather than for looks De Hari said, "This is the dikami. On me one hand repent hire sloodining cosmetics in being gender neutral on the eller, men are not very upen prialacts." abuse it. This miss my micly is In whether the Indian market is ready for male shin card Rajan said ronstringy "We define wich a dichotomy as a chronic resarch problem which is quite common and on be treated with a fewanch is unique culled froms poop somey. This tool is ideally used in circa where indivichrab do not respond candidly and the researcher cipitimes en arguments, ofiriver, and halden views thin members are cranurged to share. Intrigued by what he was hearing Do Hui wanted in kram more Rape went on, "There in a ppcal degree of spontaneity, In fact, the gestures, ancoddo, and focal expresion reveal a bit muc dun otter comartianed in theck of data collection." Or Hari add - This sounds great hut is it possible in organire it and wach shori notion?" Rajan primed, Feri you and lucky, as always Today, we have group of young men whiting us for a refresher course and forimmunly a is proup with a wife ape hard As an Ice braking session, I will put them through & form baierview, " Rajan called has Resowich Associate Sonvalen and guy a brief on the neearch problem, D Hani and Rajan took FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSION FOLLOWS Aditya: NAME I am 30 years old and I am making part news and ale working ar a sales andrun Manay: I Des 20 years old and a full time student in finbron donyoung d modningThe Main Sum Cow Marist in India: Perception and Propartisan Snahvisual Do you use skin care products? Nakah it Hamar Many! Nakal: Srinivasan - Why do you think maa me skin care products: howweir ronsdeparis dies, we wow to but good and to appeal to the fairer are We Alea. showing realizes the ivanal barrier faretion of the skin, making it vulnerable to infection and allergks, Regular use of skin care products helps to minimize the by plugging die nicks and cuts this arying and shirt. Aditya: Onale Meow. I aint mockery is fan changing Low are wooing quite comriew show why way Day fook and mint in blood Anr.The Main Sun Cow Manot in Indu: Perception and Propoilsan Srinhisin - Where do you buy skin care products! Aditya: Dnails Many: Afr ate aboys for my I don't beer fromn sister NAhit I hay tweet from any pound comment shire. Since I have heer wing then fir to dory f Nakul: popular was shin care hands wa how bound off Manayt Nakul: Zirk Nakai Hamars Aditya: hin have all und an all the adinthe! I would my butt-aging and aw- Nakai:The Main Sun Cow Marist in India: Perception and Propriisan Nakul: Manny: Nakul: mmbot Er the foder. Nikhil: The product defairly pun a sud rhe particular if they on muraed by twinfries de Dand Brothan - and John Atrabin in the him context For pays wind and books. Timethey mind bring Me then Manay: NikhilThe Main Sun Cow Marist in India: Perception and Propriisan ManaYL Adinga! Nakul After the group had bett, Rajan thanked Srinivasan and asked him to shuck the report by Monday Rajan turned towarth Hiri and asked, "Dad you find it incfull" An excited Or Hori said, "Sure hurt wow way informative, and I got thie arowers to ming of my questions From the diversion one thing i qahe evident - mai of all apo'are becoming more coraciom of their locks Howena, them is a wide spectrum of potential buyers and peripheral lagen and the bu cullumun ahn secin bo hing shelebed from 20-30 yours be 15-50 you're The planity will bring in he of complexity in the wins marker behines " Rajan agreal "Tuf's ink. if comune behavior is to variant, your marketing practice will have in be too. The best way to enter a new market would be to define the market segment. develop spain produce, and canfully portion it to attract the varam new pigmuni, For any marketer. there are four mage segments minely, brand loyal, rthe brand loyal hand switchers, and non atevery uzzi If you book a may MNCs lac Reebok, Nikes and I'Dical, and other bound to have tor ported the non esers and make it big by coating gu consumer segments and educating them. But I am not tow sure whether the same can he recommended in your car." De Hui grew thoudial. "Your observation is quite right but my market is still evolving and you do not find a clear didinction between users and non uses as they are still maning across brands and onepain." Able a prose. be continued. 'From the towns proup, I realized fun here were colderily four homogenous groups based on Cables and poodle usage. One was its Dicenby buyers like the Nikhil & Pimms who unkruined the value proposition and regular shin care al, Too. Aspinuit burgers like the Aditya whe ure show but Heady adopten. Third Threshold bryan like the Onnikes & Manna who me unaware but wall to be edmund and fourth. the led ilomni buyer like the Nakals who foul alienated abseil the wake proposlilen and ary still not convinced. Rajan said "If there is any price for growing. I think you would choose the first lauThe Main Sun Con Manist in Indo: Perception and Propoison chops of bygene and wait for social change to take place and trickle down to the low too. De Hari agreed "You are rich, in imediate farat world by the Discoming and Agiram bigan, Nonetheless, I will continue to be a cabbat in coucaling fic Thresholds and Indifferent langen. In be more specific, I an looking at moi from the wban mon between the mid tactics and mid thinks became the marketing offun would out need deep pockets Rajan was a Blik concerned about the segment being sorrowed down and confirmed, ' Since you or addn ssing a small separat. you mod to iridersiand that tha man belonging to thes surgery has assumed now rule. All advertisements for washing machine, refrigerators, or marquees, putriy him in a participatory role. heking his wife in al the household chores Thanfore, he is expected to be handsome and well groomed and of the some ting a caring penny and a doting batter". D Itari was not very sure what Kajan was trying to say. "What has this got to do with my market? My prislect is a pencil product to be wed by the man alone " he sial Rajan had earlier worked with an adverthing agency and he explained to llari Advertising ray not being that change but in surely likes on the responsbility of reflecting i social change Therefore, before you decide on the role model for your probnot mode it well. In should be audible and modern " 13 Hari modded, "Then reminds me of the Raymond's comply man which wry atbil whiled for a man's rucho impe to a toller man who passaway his prized possession, his jacket, to a poor man shivering on the road" Rajan ankled, "Yes, that was a social change which pare a man the pairinasian in be and withand in compromising his masculinity and the modem wound handy fed to love with this new role Therefore, in your ads it would be a good five to talk in the batter half and got her on your side to cumvines her man about the need fim shin care " D Han replied, "I hay your viewpoint and can welace A well with my family whoe the pricing of two nones - no wife and my daughter has pat rid under tremendous pressure to sroom inself My wife wants me to look like the salug husband, Haploun - Amitabh Bachchan or some diching, loving me in one of ha worth, while inn daughter want me to look like he bets - wecessful, well poured. and if the saric link De Hurl asked, "Fran, talking about rok models, what are your views on ining celebrities tribe my brand cquity! Taking the example of Shalinish Khan, I would say in the ladian markets. cokhin endorsements long worked well in selling now heat, products, and bands." Ragan replied, Thi my opinum, It's a milly expansive markding move. The city of a hand may be tobed by pulling up a cokebeby as a role model fan he star wake of an actor b live a share value which is so volatile that as soon as it falls, the brand also suffers I am not very much for celebrity Rajan continued "If you are worked about skin can toing adopted as a daily regina it will only happen gracdialby. Org posible way to semitire man toward skin-are products is to persuade thein to incraise their image of post-shave product before weaning them on to skin care offerings because men are primarily carxemed with fivetherelily over ontheties Intoduce after shave balris to alleviate the juchkane of shaving ureation and formulations for waistive skins As personal oppcanines grows in importance. men will gradually graduale to skin care product and further to specific usage produce the under oye creams, and aping, or body fruing bythem at a nockTiny price". Dor Hari said, "I to agree that the brand bryaly is fordress comes with prolonged usage of the products and not because of eckbrinks." DX Hui work on "To begin with, I haves to also create pull mangy by brand quareness as well as by colour ing our badian men to proon dieniches lo pin the X factor. I would probably shortite in life sole magazines and tall shows on elevbion chunck, Cha places which are ammu trempwally visited by es are gym and fines caners is die hardresets'. I would hire some spoke to keep my products on display and give numgim on every unit cold in line with the, the packaging for the new Fair n Care Men range would send out "visual codes" about the functions of wash product. Her while pruneting my brand, I don't want to by the run-id-the-mid binds in givingThe Main Sum Cow Marist in Inda: Perception and Propoilsan would differentials youmelt from the name forion trans lite LUmeal, Vichy: Bigthorn Heierdorf, lazy Mikaye. ShineiJe, Clarin, I'Dexitare, and The Body Shop on the one hand and the big domenic brank like Billque, Forest Estenlinks, and Shahine Hussain on the office Il malaya Healthcare too has already announced is autry, Do you intend to fight a price war" De Hui replied, "No price is a mon issue right now lecure if some visible changes ire perceived which I am une will happen, he want miral paying mare. Nonetheless your concern & quin valid. You are very right in pointing out that there are muhiple brand offerings in the hacket and an customer's mind is cluttered with bank. Also. I am aware that my products are not beller han the foulon brands. In such a case i e brporthe to have a differencefor and I have found may different who in my strong diviribution network - they Retailers. We have home in this industry for 20 years now and hinve developed good cebitintships with the retaken who can penenic i Mi er pish even to give a kick son to my new product category. Therefore I would discount my hand to the reisike giving me high margins so dud he or the will bay my hand, sell my bearal and mike more money and keep coming back for mare." Rajan said, "I would say that is a very smart sitabugs tocning retailers an the read king today Currently, your target customer is cluttered with harsh and he will surely go fin advice to his neighborhood relaiker. He will believe he words more than the chime you make and if you don't coup the walker in good turner he is sure to aquirealize all your adventsing offon by junt saying There me some complaint shout Fair n Care and you are finished right there At the same time do act over kill becaine retailers are quick brand switchers. The moment they eat a higher commis don they will dich you. And in case you go back to the retaller and sax ily my cui down your margin because now I have brand loyalists,' he will be the first one to replace your product with hit of the companion aand tell the ciloner, 'It b out of mock, you may po for this new brand, " Or Hari said, "Good sdeke this don't uany. I wil make out of this I will ng to beats judicious mix of hate pull and push in my marketing sindagy but I must compliment you You rally do know the ins and outs of sika " He put up bom In chair. planed with how the moming had poke. "Lurch Is on ine I am taking you to our fivethe lovin Dehi Dober a IHIC. La minke a treat to the new do * Rajan replied "sue I know that was coming" As thi drone down Rajan prayed, ' God give his drain wing, so that they can fly." ENDNOTE Jeep in boubker Are the dream of Hari likely in get wings as por his thenghts us are they pairy to land him knee- DO NC