Report: Image-conscious men driving growth in the beauty market

An increasing image-consciousness among men is contributing to a growth in the beauty market, says a report by Canadean.

Titled ‘TrendSights Analysis: Image Consciousness; Exploring consumers’ attitudes towards image and beauty’, the report provides insights into the effect of the visually-oriented culture of society.

Image-consciousness is traditionally associated with women and young adults. However, it is now gaining importance among men. The report states both men and women associate image with success and that women feel 1.3 times more pressure to look good than men.

This belief is strong in both the professional and personal lives of people accross all age groups, as witnessed in approximately 65% of young adults aged 16-24, 66% of women, and 61% of men.

Increasing image-consciousness also indicates narrowing gender and age disparities in the beauty market, suggests Veronika Zhupanova, analyst for Canadean. As image-consciousness men age, their desire to enhance their appearance will increase further, driving demand for anti-aging skincare and make-up products.

The increasing influence of social media is another driving factor in the beauty market. The selfie-culture among young adults has led to the increase in close-up photographs, which can expose potential skin imperfections. Therefore, young adults seek products that minimise such imperfections, explains Zhupanova.

A number of companies have taken advantage of the trend and launched products aimed specially at photo occasions such as Estee Lauder’s Flash Photo Powder.

Older consumers, however, are being overlooked in this scenario. This demographic provides a range of opportunities, which can be capitalised by companies, suggests Zhupanova. Companies can use subtle marketing strategies to target older age groups by emphasising on the importance of photographs in making memories.