In the antiperspirant/deodorant market, segmentation is driving sales higher. The focus is on the creation of products targeted specifically to the needs of men and women.

According to Euromonitor International, Chicago, IL, the U.S. Ap/Deo market in 2005 approached $2.2 billion—with sales almost evenly split between men and women’s products. Euromonitor forecasts an increase to more than $2.2 billion in 2006 and $2.3 billion in 2010, with the men’s sector accounting for more than $1.1 billion (2006) and $1.1 billion (2010).

“More and more deodorants are becoming age- and gender-specific as brands compete for the spending dollars of growing market niches, particularly men and teenagers,” said Jennifer Sonstelie, research analyst for Euromonitor. “Several new products in 2005 that targeted males helped drive sales. Manufacturers are creating a need for consumers to buy products specific to their age and gender.”

Websites, too are helping consumers find products suited for their lifestyles. The Colgate-Palmolive website gives consumers an opportunity to select the ideal antiperspirant/deodorant, under the “Need Help Deciding?” link. The website allows users to choose from various prompts and then selects an Ap/Deo that’s best suited depending on the preferences chosen. Options include: antiperspirant/deodorant; deodorant only; stick; gel; long lasting protection; powerful fragrance; unscented/lightly scented; or for vegetarians.

Consumers want products that keep up with their hectic schedules, which is why Sure’s home page (www.sure.com) allows customers to click on a statement that best describes them, and then the screen displays which Ap/Deo is best suited for that consumer based on his/her answer.

Secret’s “Reveal Your Secret” quiz on its website gives women the information they need to find the Secret that’s right for them.

Michelle Vaeth, communications director for Procter & Gamble’s Secret brand, said “Secret offers the most diverse selection of forms and scents for the female consumer, while providing her with excellent wetness and odor protection. At Secret, we make it a point to listen to our consumer. By listening closely to her, we are able to gain insights that allow us to develop innovations and offer choices that will delight her.”

On Dove’s website, www.dove.com, finding an Ap/Deo is easy with a list of five statements to ‘select a need.’ They include outstanding protection, goes on clear, sensitive skin, fragrance free and cool refreshing application.

Tom’s of Maine is so confident in its products and honors its customers’ opinions, that the website offers reviews of each natural deodorant they offer, from both male and female consumers.

Tom’s of Maine offers numerous deodorant products. Its natural stick deodorant comes in honeysuckle rose and woodspice fragrances. The company’s Natural Long-Lasting Deodorant Stick comes in unscented, lavender, lemongrass and apricot scents, and the Natural Long-Lasting Roll-On Deodorant is available in unscented, lavender, lemongrass and calendula. The company also offers an alcohol-free deodorizing body spray in apricot, candula and lavender.

Let’s Hear it for the Boys

According to Colgate-Palmolive, Speed Stick 24/7 Non-Stop Protection with Micro-Absorber Technology begins working as soon as a man sweats.

Men are increasingly concerned with their image. And the image of their products are equally important. As a result, manufacturers have addressed this concern with the introduction of many male-focused products. According to Mintel International Group Ltd., Chicago, IL, these efforts have led to successful products such as Unilever’s Axe, Old Spice Red Zone and Right Guard Sport. Mintel noted that in 2004, the men’s segments had sales of $706 million, capturing 41% of Ap/Deo product sales.

According to Euromonitor, men represent a particularly attractive demographic because they already purchase these products, though few brands target them directly. A growing number of men are said to be especially image-conscious and are particularly interested in the approval of their peers. Though deodorants are a staple item, men’s interest in grooming and physical appearance creates opportunities to target them with products that specifically address their issues, whether they are tangible, like alluring fragrances, or more ephemeral, like the projection of image through brand identification. As more firms seek to target these younger consumers with age-specific products, new opportunities for value creation exist, noted Euromonitor.

Unilever’s Axe body spray for men contributed to robust growth in 2004, which was specifically from products targeting teenage and young adult men. According to Euromonitor, while overall value sales of deodorants were up by 2% in 2004, deodorant sprays surged by more than 7% from the previous year.

Due to the high penetration rate of deodorants, which Americans consider a staple of daily personal hygiene, achieving significant growth in the sector is a challenge. Men’s deodorant body sprays have had a substantial impact on boosting sales because they represented a supplemental deodorant product to everyday use of underarm deodorant. Consumers using body sprays still stick with their regular deodorants or antiperspirants for underarm use. Moreover, these products are targeted at young men, who in recent years have shown a willingness to spend more on personal care items and experiment with new products that they believe will increase their sex appeal. Finally, deodorant body sprays have proven a particular draw to teenage boys since they function as an inexpensive alternative to pricier men’s fragrances and colognes.

To capitalize on them, Unilever’s Axe is expanding its shower and hair gel offerings. The products already hold the No. 1 position in several European and Latin American markets, and are creating an increasingly powerful presence in Asia and the U.S.

The Axe shower line introduced four new products to its existing five shower gels. The new products include one shower scrub: Snake Peel, and three shower gels: Re-load, Recovery and Groove. According to Unilever, the new line helps a guy achieve the right frame of mind for the different experiences in his daily life. Axe shower products retail for $3.99 and are available in 12fl-oz. bottles.

Ban’s Intensely Fresh line has expanded with Paradise Winds, a scent that contains top notes of citrus and fruits.

Old Spice’s new Red Zone comes in four different scents, which claim to last longer than any other leading spray. The scents include Pure Sport, Aqua Reef, Glatial Falls or Metallic Ink. Old Spice has added several new products to enhance the Old Spice line, which, according to the company, has made Old Spice the No.1 Ap/Deo antiperspirant for guys.

Boys significantly contribute to the drive of teen personal care products now more than ever. According to Mintel, the teen years are an age where appealing to the opposite sex is extremely important and they may be more inclined to try products that claim to make them look cool, attractive or athletic.

“Currently, teenage males are driving the majority of growth,” said Ms. Sonstelie. “Men’s deodorants in general have experienced incredibly strong growth in recent years as a result of the increasing gender segmentation in the market.”

She explained that from 2000-2005, value sales of men’s deodorants grew 65.6%. In 2005, men’s deodorants made up around 50% of the deodorant market. This is the only men’s grooming sector, aside from those that are shaving related, where the men’s market rivals the women’s market.

Colgate-Palmolive offers men continuous protection with the Speed Stick 24/7 Non-Stop Protection, claiming that it’s the first and only men’s antiperspirant deodorant with new revolutionary Micro-Absorber Technology. According to the company, this formula contains polymer beads that can absorb up to 100 times their weight in wetness.

“Men today face fierce competition to be the best at everything they do, whether it’s sports, career or personal life,” said John Kooyman, general manager, Colgate-Palmolive U.S. Personal Care. “Active men don’t have time to worry about sweat marks and odor, so we have designed the new Speed Stick 24/7 Non-Stop Protection to keep men feeling clean and confident all day,” he said.

Speed Stick 24/7 Non-Stop Protection with Micro-Absorber Technology begins working as soon as a man sweats, according to the company. The product comes in antiperspirant gel and deodorant sticks in four fragrances: Fresh Rush, Clean Blast, Cool Fusion and Icy Surge. They retail for $3.99.

‘Ban’ing Malodors

Mintel notes that only 19% of people who use deodorant have switched brands and/or switched to a new product within their existing brand. However, fragrance is the top reason consumers switch to new products within their existing brand family.

Ban recognized this statistic and created the new Paradise Winds scent for Ban Intensely Fresh ($2.99) formula. The company’s invisible solid Ap/Deo contains top notes of citrus and fruits.

“Consumers want a product that will keep up with them, no matter what they do,” said Mark Beyreis, Ban brand manager. “Ban was created to take care of sweat and odor and has developed a patented technology that keeps consumers three times fresher than before. I think a lot of manufacturers in this business have tried to address this need with a 24-hour claim, but that has become so common that it, alone, doesn’t really help the consumer choose anymore.”

The company said that experts at Ban were the first to discover two distinct types of stress related disorders—spicy odor and s-odor (which gets its name from pungent sulfur characteristics). Ban Invisible Solids, with kihada extract and silver cancrinite, claim to uses this technology to eliminate these odors.

“Ban Intensely Fresh Invisible Solids deliver what consumers are looking for at the end of the day…smelling and feeling fresh,” added Mr. Beyreis. “Ban wanted to provide a deodorant that would do a better job. After years of research, we improved our formula, making it three times better than before, and we’ve developed great fragrances to help women feel fresh.”

Strong Enough for a Woman

Lady Speed Stick 24/7 boasts the company’s new Micro-Absorber technology, which helps absorb wetness.

While products designed specifically for men are grabbing headlines, women’s Ap/Deos continue to hold a significant position in the industry. Because of different levels of pH between a man and woman’s body, as well as the different activities and responsibilities they take on, manufacturers have had to produce products that accommodate females.

A well-know product for women, Secret, is also the No. 1-selling brand of antiperspirant and deodorant for women. The product is available in 10 different versions, from invisible, soft and wide solids, to an Ap/Deo glitter collection and sparkle body sprays. Secret’s Platinum Soft Solid is the strongest form of wetness protection available without a prescription, according to the company.

“Secret provides women and teens with excellent wetness and odor protection, while offering the most diverse selection of forms and scents,” claimed Ms. Vaeth.

Ms. Vaeth explained that scent has likely been the largest trend, which has grown significantly within the industry. Secret offers a wide variety of scents, from Violet Dazzle, Botanical Silk, Moonlit Rose and Pear Illusion, to Ocean Breeze, Peach Shimmer, Tropical Radiance and Berry Sparkle.

Colgate-Palmolive’s Lady Speed Stick 24/7 uses a new Micro-Absorber Technology that promises to work non-stop to help keep women feeling fresh and dry.

“Women today are always on the go and it is important for them to feel confident that their antiperspirant is working throughout the day,” said Mr. Kooyman. “We have created new Lady Speed Sitck 24/7 Non-Stop protection, a powerful antiperspirant to keep women as dry and protected at the end of the day as when they started.”

The antiperspirant is available in three scents: Fresh Fusion, Powder Burst and Satin Pear, and also in gel in the Fresh Fusion scent. The 2.3oz. product retails for $2.99.

Squashing Rumors

Ap/deo manufacturers are constantly sharing the positives of their products but many consumers have also heard discouraging rumors that have been spreading for years, which is that Ap/Deos cause breast cancer. While this rumor is very controversial, The National Cancer Institute said “there is no conclusive research linking the use of underarm antiperspirants or deodorants and the subsequent development of breast cancer.” Still, a study in the European Journal of Cancer noted that cancer was diagnosed earlier in women who had used deodorants or antiperspirants and who shaved under their arms more frequently. But have these articles really affected the market?

With various options, from clear gels and soft solids, to an Ap/Deo glitter collection and sparkle body sprays, Secret has a products for all women’s need.

“We understand why a consumer would be concerned by this rumor,” said Ms. Vaeth. “That’s why we’ve tried to directly address this on our website.”

Secret’s FAQ page acknowledges this concern, and in addition to summarizing the American Cancer Society’s website regarding the link between breast cancer and antiperspirants, Secret includes links to the American Cancer Society, the National Cancer Institute and the Toiletry and Fragrance Association for more consumer education. The company also noted that all P&G ingredients must pass Environmental Risk Assessment before they are safely cleared for the market.

Rumors aside, the Ap/Deo market continues to grow and marketers continue to create new products that satisfy demands from all demographics.