Boys and Their B.L.A.D.E.S. (Part 1--Basics)

by Carrie

Darren and I were asked to give a talk on shaving at the recent Alabama Soap & Candle Meeting.  Our presentation was entitled, "Boys and Their B.L.A.D.E.S.: Gaining a Cutting Edge in the Wet Shaving Community" and this series of blog posts shares some of the highlights from our session.  Today's post is Part 1---Basics.

A quick overview of what B.L.A.D.E.S. stands for (yes, I'm a sucker for acronyms):

• Basics (Intro)
• Lather Up (Shaving Gear)
• Acronyms (of Traditional Wet Shaving)
• Diversity (Types of Shaving Soaps)
• Explore (Research and Development)
• Synthesis (Creating Your Own Recipe)

Most of the attendees at the conference were soapmakers and were either unfamiliar with traditional wet shaving or only had a superficial knowledge of the wet shaving world.  We tried to impress upon them how huge the world of traditional shaving had become and how the industry was continuing to grow at a very fast pace.  

A few points of interest that we shared from our experience and research:

1. In the past, it was mainly women who purchased grooming products for men.  However, that's not the case today.  Men are buying for themselves and making their own product choices, many times without the input of any female.  
2. According to a report by Global Industry Analysts, Inc. (GIA), the global men's market is expected to reach about $30 Billion by the year 2020.  (Read their announcement here.)
3. We conducted our own informal survey of our followers on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and asked the following question:  On average, how much money do you spend a month on shaving gear and products? (This would include razors, blades, soaps, creams, aftershaves, etc.) Our results?  We had 60 people respond and the average reported monthly shaving expenditures was $56.
4. Marketing/selling grooming products to men is much different than selling bar soaps to women.  Basically, we wanted them to know that adding a few shaving products to a women-focused company/brand will not bring men flocking to their door.

Next Up....Lather Up!

A question for our wet shaving enthusiasts....Do you talk about shaving with those that don't share your interest/obsession?  If so, do you find that they "get it" or do they just think the whole thing is completely crazy?