Adventures in Skin Trade
Appeared in: The Advocate Magazine
Call it a sign of the times: Vanity isn't just for gay men anymore. With straight guys going to day spas and men's fashion magazines almost as numerous as women's, it's getting harder to tell who's gay these days. Even straight guys want to look good.
That's good news for entrepreneurs such as Eric Roos and Philip Oggero, co-owners of a line of men's grooming products called Nancy Boy. Roos and Oggero joke about how many times they hear "my girlfriend sent me in here" from straight men who visit their retail store in San Francisco's Castro district. The two say that as they noticed more straight men coming in to buy Nancy Boy's line of all-natural shampoos, hair styling products, and skin care items, an idea struck them. "Gay people are lionized as the arbiters of style and fashion-whether or not it's true is beside the point," says Roos. "We've jumped on that [perception] and it's key to our success."
Nancy Boy is one of a handful of other savvy skin care companies, such as Nickel for Men and Anthony Logistics for Men, whose success in selling men's grooming products to gay men has uncovered an unexpected market: straight men.
Industry watchers say the demand for men's only grooming products has exploded over the last two years. Soap and Cosmetics magazine estimates the market for men's grooming products is around $1 billion, and the industry has grown at a rate of 10% a year over the last two years.
But with the exception of a handful of corporations, such as Nivea and Tommy Hilfiger, mainstream companies have been slow to jump on the trend. That's left the market wide open for Nancy Boy, Nickel for Men, and Anthony Logistics for Men, all of which have national distribution. Each company, however, found its success with a different approach.
Nickel for Men, which has dual company headquarters in Paris and Fort Lauderdale, Fla., started with men's-only spas in predominantly gay areas of Paris and New York City. Since 2000, the company has expanded to a full line of skin products available in more than 160 stores around the country. The company's U.S. director, Francois Grenier, says Nickel advertises in both gay and straight men's magazines.
Anthony Logistics for Men, which produces a line of skin creams and hair products available in major stores such as Sephora and Barneys, also markets to straight men with ads in magazines such as GQ. Company founder Anthony Sosnick estimates that gay customers account for 30% of the company's overall sales.
Neither Nickel or Anthony Logistics has quite the flamboyance of Nancy Boy. "We want Nancy Boy to capitalize on this notion that gay men are trensdsetters and become out the first real gay brand. I can't think of any other brand that has said 'We're gay, proud, and you should buy our products.' We [do]."
Nancy Boy started selling its products online in 2000; the following year Roos and Oggero opened their Castro store. A marketing campaign using spokesmodels helped spread the word, first in San Francisco, then in other major cities such as New York and Los Angeles. "We sent out a group of six young men that embodied the Nancy Boy spirit and had them introduce and sample products-to everyone-all across town," says Roos. "The Nancy Boy spirit taps into the notion that gays are the trendsetters, the ones to follow. Our spokesmodels exude confidence and say proudly: 'We're gay.' " It's an approach that has paid off handsomely, they say. While they won't share sales figures, Roos and Oggero say the company is profitable and has plans for expansion domestically and internationally. Next year they will open retail stores in Los Angeles and New York.
Oggero estimates that when Nancy Boy started, about 95% of its customers were gay men. Now gay men account for about 60% of their sales. He sees Nancy Boy's success as proof that gay men and straight men really aren't all that different when it comes to what they want from a grooming product.
"Men's skin care users focus on the product. Give them a product that is easy and works and they'll be loyal. Straight men are sometimes uncomfortable at first," he says, "but when the product works they don't care who it came from."
The success of companies such as Nancy Boy, Anthony, and Nickel has not escaped the notice of major retailers. Sephora and Macys, for example, have both stepped up their men's grooming products line in recent months. Sephora spokeswoman Kathleen McNeill says that Roos and Oggero may be on to something with the notion that gay men lead the men's cosmetic market. "Gay men have helped encourage the growth [of the men's skin care market] by showing how effective the products work," she says. "Now we're seeing straight men coming into our stores all the time and are comfortable asking for help-that's something we didn't see years ago."
For now, Nickel, Nancy Boy, and Anthony are happy to be ahead of the pack. Nancy Boy's Oggero says he hopes major cosmetic lines never realize how important gay men are to the men's skincare industry. "The longer they wait, the more marketshare we'll have," he says. "I'm happy with that."
