‘’Men are becoming more aware of self-grooming, body image and hygiene and this is what has opened a plethora of opportunities for businesses’’

Time is the most valuable resource a person has at his disposal. In practice, men are constantly exposed to Dos and Don’ts in all realms of life. Great men are barred from taking control and leading their life from within by their constant anxieties and fears and fear of conformity. Being a gentleman is a journey, not a destination, and something which a man should always try to be. The Man Company offers to support one in the endeavour after one have made the decision to go on the route from being just a Man to a contemporaneous Gentleman. Their goal has always been to offer the purest, highest-quality skin, hair, and body care products. Beyond simply offering you with items of the finest quality that we believe will improve your appearance, we pay special attention to the contents we employ. All of our products are made with carefully chosen natural ingredients and best essential oils and are clear of toxic chemicals. All men can shop at The Man Company for all of their grooming needs, including face wash, body wash, shampoo, shaving gel, hair gel, and scents. The company’s founders noticed there aren’t many brands that are exclusively dedicated to men’s grooming. Men had limited options than women for grooming and self-care as well. So, The Man Company was founded in 2015 by Bhisham Bhateja, Hitesh Dhingra, Rohit Chawla, and Parvesh Bareja in reaction to this market gap.

 Products for men’s personal care and grooming are supplied by The Man Company. There are facts and there are stereotypes. An instance of a stereotype is the idea that guys from India don’t care about their appearance. Male grooming is one of the consumer segments in India that is expanding the fastest. By 2016, the Indian market for male grooming is expected to grow to $750 million, according to Nielsen. Skin care, skin-lightening creams (ugh), and beard conditioners have joined the traditional trio of “shaving foam, deodorant, and razors.” Unfortunately, a lot of these men are compelled to buy items designed specifically for women or go to their regional supermarkets pretending to buy groceries for their sisters. In order to address the emerging market of self-aware Indian men, The Man Company, a subscription-based ecommerce business for men’s grooming items, aims to eliminate the stigma associated with men grooming. So, to provide solutions for the aforementioned problems, the manufacturers produce its items at more than 11 different factories spread around the country. Over 22 Indian cities have an omnichannel presence for the enterprise. The company’s entire chain of products is available on both their own website and other well-known e-commerce platforms like Amazon, Nykaa, Flipkart, and Myntra. The Man Company has more than 30 Exclusive Brand Outlets scattered across India in terms of its offline presence. It has collaborated with companies such as, Shopper’s Stop, Spar, Reliance Smart, More, and Central to expand its offline presence. Along with 500+ Salons throughout India, the brand has collaborations with Lifestyles pharmacies like Apollo, Med Plus, and Guardian. Toni & Guy, Headmasters, LOOKS, and Enrich are a few of the salons that it partners with. At the moment, a sizeable chunk of the company’s revenues come from offline channels. To publicize its products, The Man Company also uses an affiliate network. Owners of websites, blogs, and email databases can use their following items and subscribers to advertise the business’s goods in exchange for a commission.

According to few sources, The Man Company has raised a total of about $ 17 Million in funding. Emami, who owns a 45.96 percent stake in the business, is a key investor in The Man Company. Redcliffe Capital and Bollywood actor Ayushmann Khurrana are other notable investors.

Since its founding, The Man Company grew substantially. The Man Company sold 70,000 pieces in its first year of existence, according to creator Hitesh Dhingra, and the figures are growing. By March 2022, the company wants to sell 50 lakh units, as per Dhingra in an interview with PTI.Dhingra claims that with growth of 20–25 percent month over month, the Man Company hopes to break even by September 2022. The Man company Board believes revenue of Rs 225 Crore by 2023. The Man Company reported net income of Rs. 45 Crore for FY 2021. To promote profits, the business has teamed with credit provider platforms like Cred. Thus, according reports from February 2022, the corporation is investing a sizeable portion of its earnings—approximately 35% of revenue—in marketing and advertising. The Man Company is currently providing about 100 SKUs and is seeking to increase its line of goods. In an effort to position itself as a one-stop shop for all of a man’s personal care needs, it has expanded into personal care appliances including shavers and trimmers.

According to experts, the market for men’s grooming products is expanding, albeit slowly. The market for men’s personal care products is much smaller than the market for women’s products. Five years ago, there was no room for direct-to-consumer brands in the men’s grooming market. However, this market has now grown by anywhere from Rs 600 to Rs 800 crore, according to one of the venture capitals firms that have made investments in the area. Although it would take several years to reach a massive level, the market for direct-to-consumer brands in the men’s grooming industry would rise with growing consciousness.

THE CHANGING SCECERIO

According to Statista, the global market for male grooming will be valued around US$ 29.14 billion by 2024, demonstrating both the industry’s potential and the developing need on a global scale. What then is causing this growth?

1. Awareness – A growing number of guys are accentuating their appearance and finding increased self-confidence in it. More guys are openly developing a habit of using products that are specifically made for them, such as face masks, scrubs, eye serums, facial cleansers, moisturizer, and even bronzers, instead of solely using musky shaving products and deodorants.
2. Technological aid- Consumers’ increased emphasis on looking nice at all times is greatly influenced by the increased visibility brought on by the social media era. Men are growing more conscious of their personal hygiene, body image, and grooming. E-commerce has also increased the internet market’s penetration, making it simple to access a variety of quickly expanding products. A form of conscientious consumerism is being fuelled by the increase in beauty blogs and social media influencers, which has also led to more transparent exposure. According to a study by Grand View Research, the global market for vegan cosmetics would be valued $20.8 billion by 2025 and grow at a CAGR of 6.3 percent throughout that time.
3. Wanting to be good looking – The organic and vegan beauty revolutions in particular have played a significant role in raising consumer awareness of beauty and wellness goods, which has helped to expand their audience to include men. Young men who choose to link themselves with brands whose ethos they identify with are more responsive to growing conversations about ecologically responsible, ethically manufactured, and cruelty-free skin-care products.
4. Demand increases- Calling for Better Everyone, especially the young, is more inclined toward self-care and grooming in the information age. Using much easier access to information than in the past, people are becoming more aware of the advantages of taking care of themselves with natural, safe, and cleaner goods. The acceptance and confidence of products free of potentially harmful ingredients like parabens, phthalates, heavy metals, and propylene glycol is becoming easier for men today than it was for their forefathers. Since these products are now widely available thanks to e-commerce, demand is increased and obstacles to consumption are broken.

 UNDERESTIMATED BUT NOT ANYMORE

 The men’s grooming market is undoubtedly smaller than the skin care and grooming market for women, although this difference is expected to close over time. Stereotypes have an impact on the industry and inhibit advancement. The marketing, packaging, and branding of the men’s “grooming” range must strike a delicate balance in design and advertising since men are still queasy with references to the products as “beauty range.” This is done to avoid turning off the male consumer with feminine names or slender, delicate-looking bottles.

This perception issue is so severe that industry titans whose brands are firmly linked to the women’s cosmetic market encounter resistance when attempting to market their line of products for men. This is also encouraging additional players to enter the market, enabling more segmentation and diverse offerings.

Another recent subtle shift in marketing strategy is that contemporary companies are moving away from overtly masculine messaging, leaving variations of beer, combat, and gasoline alone. Instead, they are leaning toward a better understanding of male consumers and more clever marketing to help remove the stigma affiliated with men’s beauty procedures being “unmanly.” Men require a private, customised space and professional grooming. Nothing beats a massage for alleviating stress and fatigue. Instead of using multiple different items for regular maintenance, I think a man only needs a few multipurpose ones. An aftershave lotion that hydrates and also revitalises the skin, for instance, might be advantageous. Men spend more time outside than women do, which makes their skin harder. Male skin is therefore more exposed to the sun’s rays and the impacts of the environment. Men are more likely to use sunscreen, hair tonics, and hair styling products. Men’s products ought to be simple to apply and not require a lengthy regimen. Cleaning and sun protection are two of a man’s daily routine’s most crucial components. To get rid of all the toxins that have been deposited on the skin throughout the day, cleansing at night is essential. Applying sunscreen before spending time in the sun is crucial for preventing UV radiation damage. Men are now more conscious of fitness and good health. In fact, proper exterior hygiene and interior health are the foundation of attractiveness. Yes, men are also impacted by this.

Men and women both place equal importance on safe skincare. The following factors will work as catalysts to unlock this industry’s promised potential:

• Men’s products are created with consideration for the biological requirements of their skin.
• straightforward branding and advertising
• healthy nutrients and moral behaviour
• Using digital channels to sell
• Transparency
• Effortless convenience items

The market for male grooming is experiencing a major shift as both big and small businesses enter the space. The online market has also seen the rise of numerous niche start-ups that offer vegan, organic, and all-natural products to appeal to the male consumer group. Standing on the verge of growth with an annual growth rate of up to 25%, the shelves promise to fill up with an ever-increasing variety of exciting products that give men the glow of excellent health.

 In an interview with Forbes the founder, Dhingra also came to the realisation that the traditional definition of a “gentleman”—a man who wears suits and ties and is clean-shaven—had changed. Even a 25-year-old with baggy clothes and an unruly beard might be considered a gentleman, he adds, noting that the “badge” was not associated with any particular occupation. The fact that a gentleman’s core values—honesty, authenticity, ambition, and affection—have not changed is what matters most. Being vulnerable is acceptable. Whatever sexual orientation you choose to have is acceptable, he argues. He smiles and says, “Mard ko bhi dard hota Hai’’ (men also experience the anguish). Dhingra, on the other hand, adds one more gentlemanly trait: someone who is willing to acknowledge and correct errors. The epidemic exposed The Man Company’s weak spot because it previously derived almost 45% of its revenue from an offline source: modern trade. He laments, “With the shutdown last year, instantly 45% of our business were wiped out for the first 6 to 8 months.” A lesson was learned. The company actively increased its internet presence, and its FY21 revenue was Rs 42.89 crore. He makes it clear that he is a gentleman who is conscious of his flaws and makes an effort to improve them. He ends by saying, “That’s the brand we want to be.” Playing by the rules is a gentleman’s brand.

REFERENCES

https://www.forbesindia.com/article/m.a.d-marketing-advertising-decoded/turning-men-into-gentlemen-how-the-man-company-is-breaking-masculinity-stereotypes/69111/1

https://startuptalky.com/the-man-company-success-story/

https://yourstory.com/companies/the-man-company/amp

https://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/start-up-the-man-company-bets-on-the-vanity-of-indian-men-115092300916_1.html

Aishwarya Says:

I have always been against Glorifying Over Work and therefore, in the year 2021, I have decided to launch this campaign “Balancing Life”and talk about this wrong practice, that we have been following since last few years. I will be talking to and interviewing around 1 lakh people in the coming 2021 and publish their interview regarding their opinion on glamourising Over Work.

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In the year 2021, we wrote about 1000 Inspirational Women In India, in the year 2022, we would be featuring 5000 Start Up Stories.