Gay Market Research - Cosmetics For Men

TOPICS: GLBT communications and marketing. Gay consumer market research data. Gay market research data. GLBT consumer market research. Gay consumer marketing research data issues. GLBT market research data on men's cosmetics market. Is there a market for men's cosmetics?

Ian Johnson, Out Now
July 31, 2007

Is there a market for men's cosmetics? Do men want make-up? Is that for gay men or all men? And who will buy?

All quite interesting to ponder.

I have long been fascinated by the encroaching of men's cosmetics lines at the Clinique and Clarins counters - as "skin care" for men has slowly grown to become a very large market.

That slow creep of 'skin care' to help you look "healthy" has slowly started to morph to include other cosmetics lines more usually associated with women - nail polish for boys (the goth boys of the world rejoice in unison!) as well as eyeliner, foundation and lip coverings - all marketed towards men.

And the money on offer is not small beer either.

Our most recent gay consumer market research data project for the leading Irish gay media market product - GCN (Gay Community News) - showed a multi-million euro market each year for men's cosmetics, fragrances and grooming products in the relatively small Irish market alone.

From the Out Now GCN 2007 Gay Market Community Research Report comes the findings that GCN readers spend more than €33 million on grooming products (skin, hair and fragrances); €19 million on grooming services (haircuts, facials and waxing) and a whopping €58 million on fashion.

The Times in London has an interesting coverage of the issue.

They remark: "there can be no question that, in spite of the recent movement towards beauty products being marketed to males, fastidious attention to appearance is still associated with gay men. It is not by chance that the term to describe the preening modern man, metrosexuality, suggests some kind of deviation from the hetero."

There has long been a sense that male grooming implies a man is gay, and the corollary is that that is somehow an undesirable thing. I would argue that in the world we live in, to be mistaken as being gay is no longer an insult - it is potentially a compliment that is code for 'you look great, so you must be gay'.

Drenched in stereotypes maybe, but there you go.

The Times piece went on to say that "where previously they packaged their products around concepts of 'health' and 'grooming' now they are more comfortable using the words 'beauty' and 'makeup.' "

It is really a question of market forces.

In a world where men are more interested in looking good than ever before, and for many the demands of busy career and social lives seem to demand it, we need not be scared about looking our best, and probably increasingly we can't afford not to try.

And that's not a gay issue or a straight issue. It's not even a marketing issue. It's primarily a modern cultural phenomenon.

Call it what you want, use whatever pop culture branding and market research demographics you like, but looking good is most definitely now very much a "modern" man thing - and seems set to stay.

For expert help with the gay consumer market, GLBT consumer market research data, and gay consumer market strategies, from the leading gay consumer marketing experts, contact Out Now.
-------------------
Bookmark GayMarketNews.com to get back here, and subscribe to our RSS feed. For reaching gay consumers, lesbian and gay market research, GLBT advertising, gay PR, GayComfort™ training and gay marketing strategies, choose OutNowConsulting.com.

Out Now Consulting and Gay Market News will keep you updated on all the latest gay marketing, GLBT community market research, LGBT travel and gay tourism, gay and lesbian communications, gay PR and gay advertising developments.

Gay market insight is Out Now: Gay Marketing. Solved.

OutNowConsulting.com |||| GayMarketing101.com
To contact Out Now, send us an email.

Helping brands marketing & advertising to gays and lesbians.
LGBT communications successfully reaching the lesbian and gay consumer market since 1992.
All content on all Out Now websites (C) 2007 - Out Now. Out Now Gay Market News -- Gay Marketing 101 gay market updates site. LGBT communications. Gay PR. Global gay PR marketing, gay public relations strategy, GLBT PR, LGBT issues training, gay advertising, LGBT market, lesbian and gay market research leaders, GLBT marketing. Gay Market News is Gay Marketing 101 - Out Now Gay Marketing, Advertising, Gay PR, Market Research. Travel Market. Training.
gay market gay advertising gay marketing gay tourism gay travel pink dollar pink pound gay agency advertising marketing travel tourism gay lesbian gay and lesbian market research glbt lgbt communications community pink euro