Male Mind
New twist on men’s services creates opportunities
By Sean Eads
Originally published in ASCP's Skin Deep, August/September 2007. Copyright 2007. Associated Skin Care Professionals. All rights reserved.
The average red-blooded American male's attitude toward salons, spas, and just about any skin treatment has typically not been positive. In fact, this squeamishness was spoofed in the popular television show, "Married with Children," featuring Al Bundy's humiliating experience in a women's salon. The hilarious episode was nominated for three Emmys. That was in 1989.
How times change. The International Spa Association reports the number of men now counted as spa clientele have quadrupled since Bundy's bad hair day. They comprise 3 percent of spa guests in the United States. Men's professional grooming has become one the hottest trends in skin care. Smart operators have men squarely in their sights.
Wherever today's skin care professionals work, they can take some pointers from the spa and salon marketing that's being done with men in mind. With men-only chains springing up, there are opportunities to learn from their techniques, find additional employment opportunities, and consider franchise ownership.
A New Breed
Metrosexuals--loosely defined as affluent, urban males who pay more attention to appearance and grooming than was once considered masculine--have made grooming regimens more familiar to men. But men still seem to prefer their services in an atmosphere without ethereal music and flowery aromas. The growth of male-oriented salons in the past decade represents a major attempt to make hair and skin care treatments attractive to men.
The American Male franchise system is one of the leaders. "It's easier for men to seek beauty treatments when they know there won't be women in the lobby casting glances at them," says Rebekah Davis of American Male Salon of Denver. "If guys want hair highlights, they have to sit around with foil in their hair. Having women around can make them feel very self-conscious." On this philosophy they have built a fifteen-salon nationwide system that has three husband-and-wife franchises and two owned solely by women.
Sports Stuff
Creating a salon for men involves much more than just limiting the presence of women. Some salons are stocked with sports and business magazines, television sets, and talk radio. Chicago's 316 Barber Club Spa has pool tables for waiting customers. American Male offers clients beer to help them relax (if you try this, make sure you've checked your area's liquor laws). A key difference between gender expectations may be women seek salon services to get away from it all, while men are attracted to familiar surroundings. A women's salon seems to work best as an exotic setting, where a men-only salon could be a better fit if it looks like a sports bar.
Careful interior design is essential to attracting men. American Male Salon of Philadelphia, for example, has a wall dedicated to sports memorabilia. The Denver branch showcases a plush reception area resembling that of a Fortune 100 company. "Our clients are typically over twenty years old and tend to be businessmen," Davis says. "They're interested in their professional appearance, want something more than a haircut, but don't feel comfortable in a place where you walk in and immediately smell a lot of girly fragrances."
Chat Them Up
In whatever setting, estheticians can do a lot to make men feel comfortable. Men talk about different things and have different expectations. "I personally really like sports, cars, and doing things outdoors," Davis says. "I'm usually up on all the teams, so that's a great icebreaker. You've got to study up on male interests. If you hate sports and hate cars, find another conversation topic men like and keep current with it. Think of it as just another skill set to develop."
"The best part of working with guys is that you can tease them," Davis says. "You can't really tease women. I had a guy who was reluctant about getting a mini-facial. The entire idea of having his face touched just seemed really bizarre to him. So I teased him a little bit to encourage him and it worked. He was so nervous at the beginning but after two minutes, he actually fell asleep in the chair."
Skin care professionals should note there are some services with which most men may always feel uncomfortable. Waxing hairy backs and between eyebrows seems widely accepted. But Davis reports most of her clients are a hard sell when it comes to foot-related services. According to Davis, many men are worried estheticians will be disgusted by their feet, assurances that it's just another job for the professional don't seem to allay those fears.
"A paraffin hand treatment, however, is always an easy sell," Davis says. "Once men dip their hands in it and learn how good it feels, they're hooked."
Target Your Menu and Marketing
How you describe services can be as important as the services themselves. Just because there's a man in manicure doesn't mean most guys see it as manly. American Male uses masculine terminology, sports, business, and automotive metaphors, as well as active images to market their services. A manicure becomes hand detailing, which sounds like a car headed for the shop to get racing stripes. Service packages have names like Guy on the Go, Men at Work, and Men at Play. And what guy isn't going to feel like a CEO when he gets an Executive Facial?
You also need to adapt your marketing strategies. American Male has both a corporate website and those for individual salons. Online advertising is a good idea. Traditional advertising campaigns in local markets should focus on magazines with an obvious male readership, such as sports and finance. Target areas where affluent males gather, like private golf clubs. Cross-promote with gyms and exercise centers to tie in as another element of physical fitness.
* * *
We've come a long way since Al Bundy blushed his way through his famous haircut. Men are now ready to walk through your door.
Sean Eads is an information services librarian, Jefferson County Public Library, Colorado.
The average red-blooded American male's attitude toward salons, spas, and just about any skin treatment has typically not been positive. In fact, this squeamishness was spoofed in the popular television show, "Married with Children," featuring Al Bundy's humiliating experience in a women's salon. The hilarious episode was nominated for three Emmys. That was in 1989.
How times change. The International Spa Association reports the number of men now counted as spa clientele have quadrupled since Bundy's bad hair day. They comprise 3 percent of spa guests in the United States. Men's professional grooming has become one the hottest trends in skin care. Smart operators have men squarely in their sights.
Wherever today's skin care professionals work, they can take some pointers from the spa and salon marketing that's being done with men in mind. With men-only chains springing up, there are opportunities to learn from their techniques, find additional employment opportunities, and consider franchise ownership.
A New Breed
Metrosexuals--loosely defined as affluent, urban males who pay more attention to appearance and grooming than was once considered masculine--have made grooming regimens more familiar to men. But men still seem to prefer their services in an atmosphere without ethereal music and flowery aromas. The growth of male-oriented salons in the past decade represents a major attempt to make hair and skin care treatments attractive to men.
The American Male franchise system is one of the leaders. "It's easier for men to seek beauty treatments when they know there won't be women in the lobby casting glances at them," says Rebekah Davis of American Male Salon of Denver. "If guys want hair highlights, they have to sit around with foil in their hair. Having women around can make them feel very self-conscious." On this philosophy they have built a fifteen-salon nationwide system that has three husband-and-wife franchises and two owned solely by women.
Sports Stuff
Creating a salon for men involves much more than just limiting the presence of women. Some salons are stocked with sports and business magazines, television sets, and talk radio. Chicago's 316 Barber Club Spa has pool tables for waiting customers. American Male offers clients beer to help them relax (if you try this, make sure you've checked your area's liquor laws). A key difference between gender expectations may be women seek salon services to get away from it all, while men are attracted to familiar surroundings. A women's salon seems to work best as an exotic setting, where a men-only salon could be a better fit if it looks like a sports bar.
Careful interior design is essential to attracting men. American Male Salon of Philadelphia, for example, has a wall dedicated to sports memorabilia. The Denver branch showcases a plush reception area resembling that of a Fortune 100 company. "Our clients are typically over twenty years old and tend to be businessmen," Davis says. "They're interested in their professional appearance, want something more than a haircut, but don't feel comfortable in a place where you walk in and immediately smell a lot of girly fragrances."
Chat Them Up
In whatever setting, estheticians can do a lot to make men feel comfortable. Men talk about different things and have different expectations. "I personally really like sports, cars, and doing things outdoors," Davis says. "I'm usually up on all the teams, so that's a great icebreaker. You've got to study up on male interests. If you hate sports and hate cars, find another conversation topic men like and keep current with it. Think of it as just another skill set to develop."
"The best part of working with guys is that you can tease them," Davis says. "You can't really tease women. I had a guy who was reluctant about getting a mini-facial. The entire idea of having his face touched just seemed really bizarre to him. So I teased him a little bit to encourage him and it worked. He was so nervous at the beginning but after two minutes, he actually fell asleep in the chair."
Skin care professionals should note there are some services with which most men may always feel uncomfortable. Waxing hairy backs and between eyebrows seems widely accepted. But Davis reports most of her clients are a hard sell when it comes to foot-related services. According to Davis, many men are worried estheticians will be disgusted by their feet, assurances that it's just another job for the professional don't seem to allay those fears.
"A paraffin hand treatment, however, is always an easy sell," Davis says. "Once men dip their hands in it and learn how good it feels, they're hooked."
Target Your Menu and Marketing
How you describe services can be as important as the services themselves. Just because there's a man in manicure doesn't mean most guys see it as manly. American Male uses masculine terminology, sports, business, and automotive metaphors, as well as active images to market their services. A manicure becomes hand detailing, which sounds like a car headed for the shop to get racing stripes. Service packages have names like Guy on the Go, Men at Work, and Men at Play. And what guy isn't going to feel like a CEO when he gets an Executive Facial?
You also need to adapt your marketing strategies. American Male has both a corporate website and those for individual salons. Online advertising is a good idea. Traditional advertising campaigns in local markets should focus on magazines with an obvious male readership, such as sports and finance. Target areas where affluent males gather, like private golf clubs. Cross-promote with gyms and exercise centers to tie in as another element of physical fitness.
* * *
We've come a long way since Al Bundy blushed his way through his famous haircut. Men are now ready to walk through your door.
Sean Eads is an information services librarian, Jefferson County Public Library, Colorado.
