Lady-Luck and Man-Envy Causing Kiwi Guys to Turn To Grooming

30th October 2013

Lady-Luck (74%) and Man-Envy (62%) Are Causing Kiwi Guys to Turn To Grooming

Kiwi guys are turning to grooming to increase their pick-up potential – three in four (74%) think they have more luck with the ladies when they look good, according to a new survey. It doesn’t stop there, as it appears to be an increasingly competitive market – 79% admit to sizing up other guys when they first meet and nearly two-thirds (62%) confess to being jealous of other men who look good.

Even though grooming is on the rise, it’s still seen as taboo for men to talk about it, let alone start sharing the details of their grooming routine with their mates – or even their partner. According to the NIVEA MEN Grooming Report, conducted by Galaxy Research, having their teeth whitened (60%) or having body hair removed (58%) top the list of do-but-don’t-tell grooming habits. But even the more everyday activities are proving to be shame-worthy, as almost half (47%) of guys wouldn’t tell their mates about using a simple moisturiser. Why? Because grooming could be seen as girlie.

But Kiwi guys are feeling so much pressure to look their best that most (78%) are prepared to go to extra grooming lengths to increase their sex appeal. So exactly what are our guys prepared to do to look their best?
• more than half (53%) would have their teeth whitened;
• nearly half would use a moisturiser (49%) or remove their body hair (45%);
• over a quarter (27%) are prepared to have a facial;
• 14% would get a spray tan and 13% would get their eyebrows waxed;

Grooming is clearly important to Kiwi guys – whether they keep it under wraps or not – but grooming isn’t the same as beauty. With a world full of female terms, men need their own language to differentiate between a grooming routine and a beauty routine.

Author of ‘Kiwi Speak’, Justin Brown, says: “When it comes to grooming, Kiwi blokes tend to keep tight-lipped on sharing their personal care routines, especially face care, with their mates. It’s not in our nature. However, if we do, it’s usually done in a mocking tone, for example, “getting into a fight with the lawnmower” in reference to a bad haircut.

“Kiwi guys have a great way of demystifying things and stripping away the glamour, yet complimenting other men on how they look is not part of their skill set. We could use a new lexicon to find new ways to communicate and learn from our female counterparts.”

Taking the lead to equip guys with their own set of grooming terms, NIVEA MEN has created the Face-care Grooming Code: a no-nonsense guide to man-maintenance. Now, for the first time, men can feel more comfortable talking about grooming with their mates, because they have a specific, men-only language to do so.

Under the new NIVEA MEN Face-care Grooming Code:
• It’s not “cleansing” it’s “surface prepping”
• It’s not “moisturising” it’s “weather proofing”
• It’s not “exfoliating” it’s “skin blasting”
• It’s not “applying shaving balm” it’s “rash bashing”
• It’s not “applying eye cream” it’s “fine tuning”

As the number one men’s skin care brand worldwide*, NIVEA MEN understands that men’s faces go through a lot daily. Relaunching this year as NIVEA MEN (previously NIVEA FOR MEN), the entire product range – from face care, deodorant and shower products – is sporting a fresh new logo and sleek look. Unlocking men’s full potential everyday starts with looking and feeling good. NIVEA MEN products feel good on a man’s skin, so they feel good in their skin, giving men a daily boost of confidence to get the most out of their day and achieve their goals.

About The Research
• The NIVEA FOR MEN Grooming Report was conducted online by Galaxy Research

• Base size: 502 New Zealand men aged 18 years and older throughout New Zealand

• Fieldwork dates: Tuesday, 3 September 2013 – Thursday, 5 September 2013

• All data is weighted to the latest population estimates

• *NIVEA MEN is the number one men’s skin care brand, worldwide. Source: Euromonitor International Limited; per Umbrella brand name classification; in retail value terms 2012

Additional Findings
• Virtually all New Zealand men have a daily grooming routine that includes the basics of brushing their teeth (96%) and using deodorant (84%)

• One in three New Zealand men include the use of moisturiser (32%) in their daily grooming routine and as many as two thirds (66%) have ever used a moisturiser

• As many as 83% of men have made an effort to improve their appearance. Gen Y are the most willing to up their grooming to increase their sex appeal (89%), but even 64% of Baby Boomer men are prepared to put in the extra effort

• Gen Y are also the most likely to succumb to jealousy of other men (78%) compared to Gen X (53%) and Baby Boomers (49%)

• The things men size each other up on when they first meet are their clothing / sense of style (27%), their build (20%) and how they’re groomed (15%)

About spokesperson Justin Brown
Since writing his first book at the age of seven (complete with ISBN number and RRP), Justin has since become a best-selling author. Amongst his ‘Speak’ series including Kiwi Speak (2008), which has sold over 15,000 copies, and Rugby Speak (2006), Justin has written 25 books in total – 5 of which are best sellers. In addition, Justin has had his writing published in New Zealand Listener and Metro Magazine and has helped to write content for a popular NZ kids television show.

ENDS

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