Internet emerges as safety net for the self conscious male consumer

With the male consumer using the internet more than the average woman, the advertising campaign is directly geared towards its specific target audience, the inhibited male consumer.

Despite the obvious up surge in male grooming prompting sales growth for such products, men continue to feel intimidated by in store cosmetic purchasing, and prefer to browse on the 'non-threatening environment' of the Internet.

Briony Davies, Euromonitor account manager for Cosmetics and Toiletries, told CosmeticsDesign that many manufacturers have targeted this mass male audience to capitalize on the need for anonymous shopping.

"The fact that the Internet enables men to browse and explore products that are not necessarily au fait within a non-threatening environment, explains why an increasing number of male grooming players are taking this tact"​ she said.

The L'Oreal site allows the male consumer to navigate through different areas of the site, detailing his skin type and routine in order to get a skin diagnosis and also buy online.

However, Euromonitor suggests that the campaign is not an innovative concept within the male skin care market, with Unilever starting the trend of targeting the male consumer in 2005 with the 'notable' Axe promotion.

Subsequent leading players within the industry followed suit, with campaigns from Proctor & Gamble and Phillips emerging that hoped to 'hit a nerve with the male consumer using clear and simple language and imagery'.

L'Oreal is thought to be making inroads in the market with the campaign in tandem with its focus on a 'none-core' area, skin care.

Davies stated, "L'Oreal's site is one indication that men's skin care is on the rise - their range of products, which are becoming as segmented as those for women with gradual tanners, eye creams, abdominal firming gels, also support the fact that men's skin care is becoming more widely accepted."​