Despite the troubling economy, penetration has changed little as consumers may have traded down, but rarely out, of this personal care essential, according to the report by market researcher Mintel.
Teenagers driving the market
Moreover, the research reveals that it is the teenage demographic that’s been most responsible for this growth, according to global personal care analyst Amy Ziegler; “Antiperspirant/deodorant use among teens is at 92 percent, placing them on par with adults."
However, the Mintel analyst points out that teens and adults have very different requirements therefore it is important that manufacturers market deodorants to each segment appropriately.
“Marketers should consider distributing samples at teen-oriented clothing stores and using social networking sites to build interest in their brands,” suggests Ziegler.
Loyalty is not king
When it comes to deodorant, Mintel says consumers are more likely to experiment, stating that most of its respondents experimented with other brands in the previous 12 months. However, fewer than one in five actually switched brands completely.
“Younger users were significantly more likely to make the switch than their older counterparts, which reinforces that the young consumer group should be the core focus for marketers,” says Ziegler.
When it comes to format, teens were found to favor scented products (93 percent) more than the 78 percent scented product usage among adults. Meanwhile, 77 percent of teens say they like a solid/stick and 76 percent prefer clear/invisible deodorants.
Au naturel
The “all-natural” and “organic” movement that has hit other industries hasn’t quite made the same impact in the world of underarm care. Mintel’s research confirms that only one in 10 people usually use antiperspirant/deodorant with all-natural ingredients and fewer than one in 20 buy all-organic products.
“However, 14 percent of women and 16 percent of men report having skin that is easily irritated by antiperspirant/deodorant, which could help drive the all-natural, organic and hypoallergenic formulations in the future,” concludes Ziegler.