Question for the guys

[MoonShadow]

Or anyone who sells to the guys market, for a shaving soap, which would you prefer;

Bay Rum EO,

Scent Works (Lebermuth) Bay Rum

Scent Works Green Irish Tweed (Creed type)

Sweetcakes Silver Mountain Water (Creed type)

Sweetcakes Fleurissimo (Creed type)

Sweetcakes Green Irish Tweed (Creed type)

Or something else?

Cuz I'm lost....

[rctfavr3]

I would suggest both Bay Rum and Green Irish Tweed. SW for both.

Haven't tried the others you mentioned.

A bright grapefruit + mint type is always a good seller as well.

Have you tried Black Ice or Cool Citrus Basil?

Edited July 24, 2013 by rctfavr3

[Moody Glenn]

I am afraid I am not much help for you since I am not sure about those particular scents - although I have used Bay Rum. I actually prefer something really bracing like a strong mint or citrus scents like lime or Red Grapefruit. Maybe a combination of them..... A strong "cold pine" fragrance is also great.

[Candybee]

I used to mix Bay Rum + Irish Green Tweed. Makes a great mix.

My best men's sellers scents are Drakkar, Burberry, Bay Rum, Cool Water, and Lime. But they also like Lavender and orange spice.

[judys]

I can't give away Bay Rum. My best seller is Kentish Rain from BB. Green Irish Tweed is also good.

[cedar_lea]

When I dabbled in selling my customers were mainly male so I did a bit if research in the area. My biggest suggestion is to choose 3-5 different scent types and try them all in small batches, put them on introductory special and see what moves. I'd go with a traditional cologne type scent, a clean type scent, a resenous scent (amber and oakmoss would go well with my boys), an outdoor inspired scent and a novelty scent. Those are the categories I've seen do best with male customers.

This is the part where I say some super generalized and probobly a little sexist observations about men and scent. Please don't be offended and take it a really generalized market research. . . . .

In my experience most men aren't fully comfortable with the idea of liking smelly body products. It's as if caring about such things will make them vain, or they believe most scents aren't for them. Your label and packaging is key. With shaving soap it's already clearly a product for men so that's helpful, but understand that they may assume thee isn't anything for them unless its obvious. These guys are most likely to go for a cologne type scent or a clean scent because its what's expected. The guy going for the clean scent may think that cologne scents are for guys that think they're ladies men, so something fresh and clean is the must have default.

But here's the thing -- men do like scent just like everyone else. I know guys that go crazy hunting for the perfect lavender or amber or get excited every time they remember how much they like apple or bergamot or something. The trick is to surprise them, make them comfortable enough to pick it up and love it. A great technique for this is nostalgia. Outdoor scents and novelty scents work well because they reference time spent doing something enjoyable. What activities are popular in your area or customer base? If you can find something that references that you could have something really big. Also ask what scents the women are buying. If the scent is something "unisex" like vanilla you may be able to dress up the packaging and sell it as is. Ask yourself "does this smell like a girl" because there will be guys who pick it up with that being their thought. If the answer is yes you may be able to add a little bit of something to make it more "masculine." Maybe that popular vanilla is soft and feminine so you blend it with a woody scent to make it harder. Maybe you shop for another scent that features vanilla but is more masculine. The point is to pass the "is it for me?" test and let them allow themselves to fall in love with it. Shaving soap is lightly scented so its a gateway scent. If you do this right you will want soap and maybe other body products because you could easily make scent addicts.