The growing vanity of Latin American men is moving the male grooming market in the region. More guys are taking care of their skin, hair and body, which is evident in statistics provided by Euromonitor International. During the past five years, sales of men’s grooming products in the region nearly doubled, topping $7.5 billion last year. Brazil is the No. 1 market in Latin America (and the No. 2 market in the world), followed by Mexico and Argentina.

The market is dominated by Procter & Gamble, Unilever and other international companies. Best-selling P&G shaving brands in Latin America include Gillette Prestobarba, in the disposable segment, and Gillette Mach 3, in systems. According to the company, Gillette holds an 81.6% value share of razors and blades in Brazil,  followed by Unilever and Natura, respectively, according to Euromonitor.

Although traditional items such as shaving products, deodorants and perfumes are the market leaders, products for hair and skin are growing in demand throughout Latin America. A Unilever survey found that 43% of Brazilian men would like to have their hair in better condition (more shine and softness, less damage), while 35% want stronger hair and 31% want less dandruff. The results of the survey, led Unilever to introduce Dove Men + Care at the end of 2012.

Natura, too, expanded its offerings to give men what they want. New this year to the Natura Men line are five hair products: shampoo to reduce oiliness, 2-in-1 shampoo, anti-dandruff shampoo, conditioner for all hair types and gel fixative. Natura Men is formulated with technological and natural ingredients such as Pro Vitamin B5, moringa extract and quinoa bio-amino acid to strengthen and restore hair.

Deodorant is the No. 1 product category in the Argentinian men’s grooming market. To boost its share in this important segment, Unilever has expanded its deodorant plant in Tortuguitas, which is a province of Buenos Aires. It is the company´s largest deodorant spray plant globally and exports to other countries in Latin America, Asia and the Middle East.

Thanks to the success of its Rexona and Axe brands, Unilever is also the leading deodorant marketer in Brazil, which happens to be the biggest market for deodorants in the world. Axe Top is the newest variant, and the preferences and opinions of Brazilian men had a big influence in the creation process. According to the company, Axe Top’s fragrance transforms the classic fougère family into something more modern and sophisticated.

Brazilian franchise chain Boticário Group outperformed in fragrances in 2012 through its business unit O Boticário. The company has invested heavily in advertising campaigns and new products focusing mainly on mass fragrances. It has recently started using its force of in-store saleswomen to sell products through the direct-selling channel. Earlier this year, O Boticário expanded its Malbec and Quasar men’s fragrances with two new limited versions. Malbec, which is billed as world’s first fragrance that’s based on wine alcohol and macerated in French oak barrels, came out with Malbec Absolut to commemorate the Men´s Day and Quasar with Quasar Quest to commemorate Father´s Day.

O Boticário and Natura introduced brands such as Boticário Men and Natura Homem, respectively, for skin care whose both characteristics bring together five functions, including: soften skin after shaving, moisturizing, UVA and UVB protection, anti-aging action and sebum control. These products are also promotes the practicality, a quality valued by men.

According to the Brazilian Society of Dermatologic Surgery (SBCD), men want treatments that primarily improve the quality of their skin and alleviate wrinkles. So, beyond razors and deodorants, the men’s market in Latin America has great potential. The benchmark could be the powerplayers in the deo sector. Competitors can learn from Unilever and P&G; for instance, the way they have diversified their product portfolios and tailored their marketing tactics to the male consumer.

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Daniela Ferreira
Correspondent
[email protected]
Mobile: 55-11-993880867

Daniela Ferreira is a marketing and communication professional in both consumer and B2B cosmetic markets. With a degree in social communication and postgraduate work in business administration, her expertise includes managing and launching products, communication planning, market studies and analysis, and identifying new business opportunities. She also has beauty blog (www.circulodabeleza.com.br), and is a makeup artist and image consultant.