Joon Park, director of cultural strategy at Omnicom’s cultural consultancy Sparks & Honey, encouraged marketers to help men identify signs of distress, such as dry skin or a sudden outbreak, rather than take the preventative approach.
“The best analogy is with ChapStick: You start to feel your lips get chapped, which causes discomfort, motivating you to use ChapStick,” said Park. “This logic is still prevalent among men.”
Consider the retail context
Where men buy skincare products also plays a role in how brands should market to them. Increasingly, that means TikTok Shop, which has become the ninth-largest beauty and wellness ecommerce retailer in the U.S.
“The rise of men using skincare proves once again that social media and youth culture have real business value, and should be viewed as an important audience insight,” said Dory Ellis Garfinkle, CMO of global brand firm Siegel+Gale. “Simplicity is core to a brand that endures, and that must be balanced with a dynamic marketing mix that’s agile and allows for the ability to capture new audiences on short notice.”
Mintel’s Kitzmiller added, “Engaging in communal conversations and encouraging peer recommendations can significantly impact younger men, as these discussions are closely linked to their identity.”
On this note, in July CeraVe introduced a soap opera-inspired campaign and partnered with 40 influencers to better target Gen Z consumers. Additional research from Mintel shows 68% of Gen Z men age 18-27 report using skincare products, up from 42% in 2022.
Gen Z men, explained Park, are less dedicated to gender norms and more open to experimenting with self-expression.
Ingredients also matter. Almost half of men age 18-34 say clean ingredients are a key consideration when deciding which item to purchase, per Mintel.
“A younger audience means it’s increasingly important to make sure products are safe to use on younger skin,” said B Lalanne, vp of data and insights at Stagwell’s ad agency Crispin, who noted that teenage boys age 13-17 are skincare’s fastest-growing consumer segment. “This is where you need to work with product to determine what active ingredients make the most sense.”
Last year, U.S. retail sales of prestige skincare products increased 14% compared to 2022, according to market research firm Circana. The mass market skincare category, meanwhile, climbed around 11%.
Larissa Jensen, a global beauty industry advisor at Circana, noted that despite the beauty industry’s strength, brands shouldn’t get too comfortable.
“Consumers continue to cope with economic pressures, and being in tune with their shifting mindset is a must,” Jensen said in a statement. “Flexibility, creative thinking and effectively harnessing high consumer engagement are all part of the winning formula to drive continued growth.”
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