Beiersdorf targets Indian males with skin whitening trend

Upping its presence in the country, the company is campaigning to further increase its foothold as the leading skin care manufacturers, and is attempting to tap into the success of the skin whitening craze that has gripped the Asian cosmetics market. Exclusively targeting the male consumer, Beiersdorf is inviting men to 'join the whitening' revolution, attempting to reach the masses with the Nivea for Men range through a series of TV and print advertisements. "The more than 500 million men are a tremendous, yet untapped potential for the cosmetics industry and for Nivea"​ said general manager Kai Bendix. The company has expressed its concerns that men are not being given the same attention as the female consumer when it comes to marketing campaigns for skin care, and that it is a largely untapped resource in the Indian market. "So far men are addressed in a very boyish way and advertising is just circling around 'getting the girl' - we clearly wanted Nivea to make a very serious statement to Indian men"​ commented brand manager Sudarshan Singh. Attempting to adjust the term 'fairness', a term that has been long used in female whitening solutions, the company is hoping to establish 'whitening' as the new term for male skin lightening products in a bid to attract more male consumers in India. The decision to target the massive untapped market of Indian men with its skin whitening range is a direct move by Beiersdorf to continue to forge its path to become the worlds leader in skin care manufacturing. Beiersdorf's Nivea skin whitening range, launched in 2005, has proved to be a big hit in Asia. At the time of the launch Beiersdorf said that it was increasingly aware of male interest in skin whitening, prompting it to make the bold step of launching the first ever male-dedicated skin-whitening product on the market. The company has recently reported success in the Chinese market and claims it is the leading player in the facial care market. According to a press release last week the Nivea Visage and Nivea For Men product lines are generating the most sales revenue in China, with the sales boost helping to consolidate Nivea as the number one chosen brand for facial cleansers in China. The boost in sales show that both male and female consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the products, with ACNeilson data stating Nivea Visage gained a market share of 7.8 per cent, achieving fourth place position - a position that is predicted to move up to third. Nivea For Men is leading the sales boom, with a market share of 24.2 per cent of the market, surpassing competitors such as Biore and L'Oreal Men Expert range to take the number one spot.