Notes from Asia
information quickly and powerfully. Asian
men spend more time online than watching TV—a total of 2.6 hours a day—so a
digital marketing strategy is extremely
important. The internet plays a major
role in male consumers’ research habits,
with half of men looking online to gather
information about fashion and beauty
trends and the majority of them trusting
what they read. When hunting for information they use their smartphone rather
than a PC or laptop, so websites must be
mobile-optimized.
A digital strategy must include the use
of social media to develop word of mouth:
55% of Asian men go looking for information about fashion and beauty on social
media networks. Old Spice and Innisfree
are two examples of brands that have created effective viral marketing campaigns
via these channels.
With 748 million men aged over 15,
the potential consumer base for male
grooming products in Asia is huge. As
people become wealthier, they are increas-
ingly interested in their health and well-
being, and more able to afford“specialist”
products that provide specific benefits.
The potential rewards of targeting this
consumer base are very exciting—Kantar
Worldpanel estimates the total market is
worth $6 billion.
The opportunity for international
brands to get a foothold in the Asian mar-
ket is also clear: while Korea is very proud
of items that are “Made in Korea,” con-
sumers in Vietnam, Indonesia and China
are more open to foreign brands. In total,
just over half of male consumers in Asia
consider international brands to be of
higher quality than the local equivalents.
Any brand manager trying to enter
one or more markets in Asia, or grow the
brand’s market share there, must invest in
learning about the choices men make and
what drives those choices. They must then
develop innovative value propositions and
products that deliver the benefits that re-
ally matter, in the format that will be most
appealing, and communicate those things
in a way that motivates men to buy. •
The majority of Asian men care about their
looks, but will they take the time to care for
their skin?
