No sweat for marketers as deodorant industry sees continued growth

Chicago (May 1, 2012) – The deodorant and antiperspirant industry continues to enjoy the sweet smell of success… seeing a 16% growth between 2006 and 2011 and according to Mintel’s latest report, population growth in the US will continue to drive this market through 2016 and beyond.

“Antiperspirant/deodorant use among teens is at 92%, placing them on par with adults,”says Amy Ziegler, global personal care analyst at Mintel.”However, teens and adults have different requirements for their deodorants, so it’s important that manufacturers market 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.”

When it comes to the format of their deodorant, teens significantly favor scented products (93%) more than the 78% scented product usage among adults. Meanwhile, 77% of teens say they like a solid/stick and 76% prefer clear/invisible deodorants.

Loyalty is not king when it comes to deodorant users. Half of Mintel respondents report experimenting with other brands in the previous 12 months, but fewer than one in five actually switched brands completely. Age is the main driver shaping consumer willingness to experiment. 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.

Some 40% of women say they pick out or purchase their significant other’s antiperspirant/deodorant versus only 18% of men who do the same for their partners. Therefore, even when marketing products to men, the response of female consumers to packaging, scent and branding should be taken into account.

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% of women and 16% 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 Amy Ziegler.