On one of those social networking sites I recently posted a question to all my male “friends” who are Dads: What do you really want for Father’s Day this year?
   
The answers ranged widely from hand drawn cards to silk pajamas in the style of Cary Grant to flying lessons, but there was one common thread: nobody said anything about personal care.
   
Why didn’t anyone beg for a cool new shave kit, an anti-aging skin care treatment or the latest celebrity cologne?   
After all, isn’t the men’s grooming market supposed to be booming?
   
Clearly these guys don’t want the soap on a rope we all gave our Dads. But isn’t grooming on every man’s mind these days?
   
Maybe not.  In fact, in a new survey from Datamonitor, more than half of all male respondents said they did not seem to notice new products in cosmetics and toiletries.
   
And it’s not because launches were few and far between. In fact, Mintel tracked more than 500 new men's personal care products in the U.S. last year, a huge increase over 2007.
   
According to Datamonitor, personal care brands targeted at women have been successful in achieving a high level of engagement with their consumer bases, but that situation has not been replicated among men.       
When it comes to men’s personal care products, the market is growing. But are companies missing the mark when it comes to connecting with men—and as a result, leaving money on the table?