Post date: Dec 13, 2010 3:53:44 PM
There's no debate: masculine men aren't down with artsyfartsy skin care.That means they aren't going to spend time and moneytinkering with various flower scented creams, finger througha range of dainty tubes, jars and bottles with exotic andcryptic names, or try and keep track of which lotion goes onbefore which cream, and whether to lather, tone, peel,spritz, or scrub (sorry, I meant exfoliate).In short, skin care just isn't what masculine guys are about- and that's the way they plan on keeping it, despite thebeauty industry's best efforts to pitch them girly productafter product, in combination with public relationscampaigns to help men discover their inner femininesensitivities, as if masculinity is a handicap.And that begs the question: <ahref="http://www.facelube.com">why does the Beauty Industry
hate men so much? </a>
That is, why doesn't the beauty industry reach out and
connect with the masses of masculine men out there who
aren't responding to artsy fartsy product offerings and
sensitivity training campaigns - and never will?
Through my in-depth research on this fascinating question,
I've uncovered two reasons for this glaring problem. I refer
to them as the<a
href="http://www.facelube.com/html/founder.html"> "physical
barrier" and the "psychological barrier."
</a>The Physical Barrier
Inexplicably (and some might say obnoxiously, as well) the
beauty industry doesn't want to admit that masculine men
are…men. That's why they've expanded so many
resources to establish a stronghold in traditional beauty
venues that cater to women. Such as those rows of gleaming
department store "beauty counters" - and they aren't going
to change that setup in order to make the shopping
experience more comfortable and inviting to masculine men.
Drug stores and discount retailers aren't much better. While
they don't have the department stores' ever-present glossy
"beauty consultants" hovering around, the men's section (if
there is one at all) offers paltry few options - most if not
all of which are what the beauty industry considers to be
basic skincare and "low-end" anti-aging products. For men
who are determined to find more advanced skincare and
anti-aging products - even if it meant braving the women's
section, they are faced with multiple aisles and a dizzying
array of skincare products, each with its own set of
hyperbolic claims - making shopping for the right products
and making sense of them all, frustrating, to say the least.
Basically, as far as the beauty industry is concerned, if
masculine men want to take care of their face and want the
best products to do it, not because they've responded to the
female sensitivity training and want to look "pretty", but so
that they can gain a competitive advantage and maintain a
more youthful and vibrant appearance…well, that's
just too bad for them! Masculine men either take what the
traditional beauty shopping experience offers, or leave it.
And to no one's surprise, they're leaving it.
The Psychological Barrier
Because the beauty industry is doing such a horrendous job
of reaching men, naturally - they're doing just as bad a job
educating men about the need, value and proper use of men's
skincare products. And that ongoing ignorance - which is the
fault of the beauty industry - perpetuates the stereotype and
stigma attached to a man's use of skincare and anti-aging
products.
We all know what that stereotype is: beauty and anything
related to its maintenance is an exclusively feminine ritual
- and any man who uses such products is somehow less of a
man. In other words, the stereotype emasculates men. This
alone is enough to prevent masculine men from going anywhere
near so-called "beauty products" in the first place.
And the tiny portion of masculine men who do break this
barrier, because they care about their appearance, are
forced to hide this fact - because they'll be mocked by
their peers, and all too often, their girlfriends or wives
are under strict orders never to divulge this closely
guarded secret.
So What's Behind These Barriers?
As alluded to above, the force that keeps these barriers in
place, the force that alienates, emasculates and insults
masculine men - is the beauty industry's position that
there's just no need to pay attention to masculine men,
because 70% of men's skin care products are purchased by
women anyway. And so they simply use everything they've
learned from their women's lines, from product to marketing,
as a blueprint for reaching men. After all, if a woman like
what she sees, she'll buy it and take it home to the man.
So that means the packaging, the marketing, and everything
else in-between is geared toward women. Men aren't really on
the radar screen any more. They aren't that important, now
that the beauty industry has decided that the more effective
and fastest way to get through to men, is by sneaking around
his back to the women in his life. You know how it is -
convince her that he needs it and thereby get her to do the
beauty industry's bidding (or nagging) for them.
Is this contemptuous of men? Utterly! Is this disrespectful
to men? Entirely! Is this necessary? Absolutely Not!
Changing the Paradigm
The challenge here is to break these physical and
psychological barriers, and reverse a lifetime of social
conditioning and stigma attached to a skincare routine for
men. We need to respect the fact that there is a population
out there - the masculine man, the manly man, the man's man,
the guy's guy and the real men - who aren't getting a fair
deal by the beauty industry. In fact, they're being woefully
disrespected and treated with contempt. That has to change.
For far too long, the beauty industry has been trying to
change men, as if there is something wrong with them. It's
time the beauty industry wakes up to reality - it's the
Beauty Industry that needs to change.
And, like all real change, it has to start from the root -
that is, from within the beauty industry itself, where the
problem lies, but what does this mean in practical terms?
Simply and clearly, it means creating masculine face care
products that target men on their terms - by working with
their nature, speaking their language, respecting their
needs, and serving their interests. It also means developing
authentic and powerful marketing and advertising strategies,
tactics and campaigns that are designed, from the ground up,
to target masculine men.
So say goodbye to artsy fartsy terms like "serum" and say
hello to masculine, powerful terms like "protectant." Say
goodbye to retail channels that cater to women, and say
hello to retail channels that cater to men. And not just any
men - Masculine Men.
The Final Word
Changing the way people think and act is an uphill
challenge. The traditional beauty industry isn't interested
in changing the way it does business. It's a multi-billion
dollar industry that has blueprints in place, and if that
means that masculine men are treated like they don't even
exist…so what? They've been doing things a certain
way for decades. Why change now?
Well, here's why: because masculine men are powerful and yet
staggeringly under-served demographically. Masculine men have
a right to enjoy all of the benefits that come from taking
care of the masculine face, for a more youthful and vibrant
appearance, for an extra edge in an ultra-competitive
workplace, and more confidence and charisma. And they have a
right to be treated with respect by ALL in the beauty
industry who make, market and distribute men's skincare and
anti-aging products.
Yes, it's an uphill challenge. But so what? Masculine Men
love a good challenge!
About the Author:
Candace Chen is the world's foremost authority on the
marketing of masculine face care (men's skincare &
anti-aging) products, with 150+ US & int'l patents issued &
pending. She is also the founder of the FaceLube Marketing
System and http://www.FaceLube.com, the home of Ultra
Masculine Face Care for a Man's Man (R). FaceLube is ultra
high-end masculine men's anti-aging technology with
everything he needs, nothing he doesn't.