Ep. 15 – Data Driven Grooming: Manscaped’s Consumer Strategy with Monica Aguilo.

Transcript

[00:00:00] Ellie: so, but yeah, um, I’m conscious of your time. I appreciate you taking the time to be here today. Monica, here we go. Thank you so much for being on the elusive consumer. It’s a show where we talk to people who are data-driven and who understand the importance of being data-driven. And I am particularly happy to be speaking to you because you, as a professional, seem to be of the mindset that data is key for growth, and so is your organisation.

[00:00:34] So before we go into manscaped as a business, tell us a little bit about your professional journey.

[00:00:41] Monica: Perfect. Well, thank you for having me, Ellie. I started my marketing career at big companies like Ford Motor Company, Procter Gamble, and Nestle. And then later I started my own consulting company called Propeller, where I worked with local San Diego brands and successful DTC startups like [00:01:00] Manscaped. But I always knew that what I loved about marketing was understanding the psychology of the consumer and building that into a strategy for the business.

[00:01:09] And while I learned from top marketers and large companies, I really have a strong passion for working with smaller teams and companies that move a lot more quickly. So currently I lead consumer insights, strategy, and social impact at Manscaped. Manscaped, as you know, is a prominent men’s grooming company that revolutionised the industry with its below-the-waist grooming tools.

[00:01:29] And I love using Consumer Insights to develop strategies for the company. At Manscaped, we’ve established a really strong Consumer Insights function, and it’s amazing to see how we’ve made the brand truly consumer-centric from the very beginning, which is pretty rare for a D2C that is kind of our age.

[00:01:45] But I think it’s one of the reasons we’ve been so, so successful.

[00:01:49] Ellie: Right. And we’re going to talk a little bit about that. The fact that you only have been around a few years and still have a consumer insights department, which is, like you said, so [00:02:00] incredibly rare and powerful. It’s probably a key factor for your exponential growth, but going back to that consumer-first mindset, I heard one of your public speaking where you mentioned that consumer feedback and testing is critical.

[00:02:17] And the fact that when you ask for their feedback, they are actually very honest with you and truly want you to succeed, which I loved. Could you tell us a little bit more about that and give us some examples?

[00:02:32] Monica: Yeah, I mean, I think, you know, at the end of the day, what I tell all the C suite, right? Like, I don’t have the answers, but our consumers do. And they will tell us if we ask them. They are so, so honest with us, especially at MANSCAPED, we’ve built a community called the MANSCAPED Ballers, and they’re kind of our most core, loyal consumers.

[00:02:52] And they love the brand, and they’re super highly engaged with the brand, and they really want us to be there. So when we asked [00:03:00] some things, they’re really telling us in with our best, you know, our best interest in mind and, and they are very honest and it’s just always so refreshing and eye-opening and kind of like you know, when they tell us things like so clearly and succinctly, these decisions that we’ve been agonising over for months and they are just able to kind of just nail it on the head.

[00:03:23] Like first time, it’s just yeah, I don’t have the answers, but the consumers always, always do. So I, whenever there is a question, you know, I think we just need to go back to the consumer and ask them.

[00:03:34] Ellie: right. And in terms of asking those questions, and I don’t know if you have any examples top of your head right now, but has there ever been a moment where you’ve been surprised by some consumer insights or by some of the feedback that they’ve given

[00:03:52] you?

[00:03:53] Mm

[00:03:54] Monica: I mean, I think that happens a lot, right. Which is a great reminder that we’re not the consumer, you [00:04:00] know, and that our gut instincts maybe aren’t always the right thing. So one of the, one of the things that we were hypothesising before we were launching our beard trimmer. was that maybe people wanted to replicate this barbershop quality at home, right?

[00:04:15] Because we have a really great trimmer that can almost mimic kind of like a barbershop quality experience. But quickly what we found out through our research was that men didn’t want to replace that experience, right? Like they have these relationships with their barbers and they like the experience that they have.

[00:04:35] And they actually equated it to a barista where they said, I could get the same machine at home, but I’m not going to be able to make that same coffee the way they do it because they do it day in and day out. So really that barbershop quality was Not only the equipment, but the skill that you need to have right to be able to deliver that style and that quality and so we quickly pivoted [00:05:00] from this potential positioning to you know, a new one.

[00:05:03] And so, yeah, it is surprising and that’s what research is all about. It’s about validating or invalidating whatever your hypothesis or

[00:05:11] assumptions are.

[00:05:12] Ellie: Right. And I think that last part is so critical because oftentimes businesses will ask the questions, but not necessarily listen. And that is, I think, within our role in research is critical, as you said, being able to effectively communicate it to the right stakeholders in a way that They understand and can relate to and talking a little bit about how to communicate that message effectively.

[00:05:41] Your background is in marketing and as a marketer, how do you think that has shaped your journey in consumer insights?

[00:05:49] Monica: Yeah, I really think that my marketing background has been such a strength for this role, honestly, because I really do think like a marketer when I’m setting up the [00:06:00] research and when I’m analyzing the research and when I’m trying to present it. So we have like three guidelines that we like to follow.

[00:06:07] We like to say we analyze like marketers to still like a CEO and then socialise the insights like a PR pro. So I really think, you know, The goal I know what the goal is. It’s always to sell more premium grooming solutions to men. And so when you’re thinking about that, as you’re setting up your research and really trying to set it up in a way that you’re going to get the results that you need, you do have to kind of think about it as a marketer.

[00:06:33] Distilling the insights like a CEO to me means taking that one or two nuggets that you really want whoever you’re presenting to walk away with. And you know, that’s what the CEO wants. He wants like one or two things that he can action. So if you can create your story when you’re presenting around one or two key things that you want them to walk away with.

[00:06:54] Then I think you have, you have a successful presentation and then socialising like a [00:07:00] PR, PR pro you know, I think that now, especially in the role that I’m in, the most important part of my job is really socialising those insights and making sure that people are seeing them, making sure they’re having conversations around them and making sure that we are actioning them.

[00:07:15] So We do little roadshows, which is what I call them, but we do a couple of monthly share-outs, one with our C suite, which is just for them to kind of talk about in that group, all the research we’re doing and the potential actions. And then we do one with our VPs and directors so that they also see the research and can action it with their teams.

[00:07:34] And those have been really, really great in socialising the insights within the organisation.

[00:07:40] Ellie: Right. I like that because I think often in any industry, really, you just assume that everyone else understands the importance of what we do and not really speaking the audience’s language in the same way as we need to understand the consumer to consume. To better communicate with them. I want to go back to [00:08:00] Manscaped in terms of as an organisation.

[00:08:02] For some of our audience members who might not be as familiar with the brand, can you tell us about Manscaped, how it was founded and your mission statement? Right.

[00:08:15] Monica: We were founded by Paul Tran. He is our CEO. And we were initially founded as a solution, you know, for men who wanted to groom below the waist but hadn’t found a good solution. And so he saw this need and an opportunity to really innovate against that. And so was able to really take it and run with it and has created grooming solutions for men.

[00:08:41] Not only in the groin area but now we call it, you know, beyond the groin. And I think men really appreciate that we were focused on kind of their anatomy and even their most sensitive areas, you know, and so now Manscaped has built a lot of trust to to help them in grooming and other areas [00:09:00] as well.

[00:09:00] So he, you know, he really was key in, Figuring out what that white spot was and then actioning on it and then being able to kind of gain that consumer trust through our quality tools and formulations and then building that into an even larger business.

[00:09:19] Ellie: In terms of how you best build trust with your customers? What do you think are critical steps in order to, to achieve that?

[00:09:29] Monica: Yeah that’s a really important question and one that we look at a lot at Manscaped, but I think building trust with your consumers is a few things. It’s making sure that you have a real dialogue with them so, you know, and that dialogue goes both ways of really listening to what they have to say about you and your brand and your products and then actioning on that.

[00:09:52] And then also, you know, I work a lot with Manscaped on our brand strategy. And we’ve just gone through a big [00:10:00] revamp of our brand strategy. I helped them kind of develop, develop the initial one. But making sure that that’s true to who you really are as a brand. That you are Walking the walk and not just talking the talk and making sure that those values that you set forth for your brand, you’re really delivering on and you know, those that, like you said, that mission and vision statement that you set for yourself, that you’re really trying to live up to that every single day.

[00:10:26] Ellie: Right and. I really liked the fact that at Manscaped, you use quite a bit of humour to also build that rapport and community with your consumers. In terms of that humour, I watched the shark tank episode where your CEO was on, and I’m going to quote him where you said that, where he said, sorry, that you trim the hedges.

[00:10:53] If you trim the hedges, the tree stands taller and everyone was laughing and that’s how he opened. Think that that [00:11:00] humour is a critical factor in your company’s success?

[00:11:05] Monica: I definitely think that humour is a critical factor in the success of Manscaped, and I talk about this a lot. Because I feel like all of our other values and things that we offer are things that can be copied by a competitor. So our other values are like inclusivity and honesty and social impact and innovation.

[00:11:27] Which are all great things to strive for. But I feel like humour is the one that sets us apart. And the one that really differentiates our brand and especially our style of humour. No one can really, well, no one has really copied us so far. And I think it would be difficult for some of these larger companies to talk about things the way that we talk about them, but we really strive to use humour to disarm and to use humour with a purpose.

[00:11:54] And I think that makes us really different in the marketplace.

[00:11:58] Ellie: right. [00:12:00] That humour with a purpose and goes back to the point about trust and being authentic. Do you think in your role? In the market research and insight space as well as the marketer space, have you seen that change over the years in terms of how businesses remain authentic and how they communicate with their audiences in an authentic way?

[00:12:28] Monica: Yeah. I mean, I think authenticity is something that every brand wants to strive for. Right. You want to have that authentic. Conversation with your consumers. And I think we’re all trying to find what that is, you know, and so At Manscaped, the way we look at it is we you know, we have certain things that help us make sure that like brand guidelines that we, we make sure that we stick to so that we can be sure that we are talking to consumers in the way that we want to [00:13:00] talk to them.

[00:13:01] But I think that what sets us apart is our ability to use those guidelines, but then still kind of alter the either tone or message. Based on the channel that we’re talking in. So for example, in TV, that’s probably the most PG that you’ll ever see manscaped.

[00:13:20] Ellie: Right.

[00:13:20] Monica: In social media, it gets like a little more PG 13.

[00:13:23] And then, ironically, it’s ours out-of-home. So you’re usually the racist because you’re trying to get consumers to kind of grab their attention with a one-liner, you know? So they’re usually like really out there. But yeah, that’s That ability to kind of use your brand voice and tone and your brand guidelines, but altering them for each channel So that it really kind of relates with that audience.

[00:13:50] I think is really

[00:13:51] critical.

[00:13:53] Ellie: Right. And when we talk about elusive consumers, I mean, your audience really fits the bell. [00:14:00] When operating in such a niche market, how do you go about identifying potential customers and then also ensuring that your product is and stays relevant to them?

[00:14:15] Monica: It’s not such a niche audience, actually. What we know is about 70 per cent of men are grooming their groin area. So It’s really quite high and was very surprising to me when I first came in and that’s pretty much a global phenomenon. So. It’s really about letting men know that we have a better tool than what they’ve been using in the

[00:14:42] past and that it’s dedicated specifically for this.

[00:14:46] So we say we have the right tools for the job.

[00:14:49] Ellie: Right,

[00:14:49] Monica: That’s kind of a cheeky way to talk about, you know, our tools and our below-the-waist grooming solutions. But also I think it fits us even as we [00:15:00] grow outside the groin because We’re always going to offer the best tools for the job, no matter what that grooming job is.

[00:15:07] Ellie: right. In terms of niche, I meant more in terms of your competitors. Are there other companies out there and competing in the same space in the sense of focusing on the grooming aspect, or is it maybe just, I haven’t seen or heard of it, but talk us a little bit about

[00:15:28] that.

[00:15:29] Monica: Yeah, sure. So, as far as our competitors go, when we first entered the market, we were kind of the only ones that we’re talking about grooming below the waist and really shaving your balls. But as the years have gone on, and as we’ve gained more market share, they’ve started to kind of sit up and pay attention.

[00:15:48] And so now. All of our large competitors have some sort of solution for groin grooming. Usually, they’re talking about body hair or, you know, it’s kind of a more watered-down version [00:16:00] of what we’re saying. But we do have a couple or a few D to C competitors that are really. They are really going after the same kind of niche market that we have entered and they’re definitely talking to audiences about it, but everybody has launched some kind of tool to address that area by

[00:16:19] now.

[00:16:20] Ellie: Right. And in terms of the, you mentioned that they use a watered down messaging or approach, why do you think that it’s such a taboo topic or such a sensitive area for people to this day in 2023 to be talking about?

[00:16:44] Monica: Yeah. You know, I think it’s just something that people don’t talk about on a regular basis, but it’s definitely happening. And like I said, a lot of men and, you know, women have been doing it forever, but a lot of men are doing it nowadays. And I don’t [00:17:00] know why it’s still a little bit taboo, but that’s one thing that Manscaped has tried to really break, you know, like we really tried to use that humour to break through taboos and to make it okay to talk about kind of sensitive subjects.

[00:17:15] So we’ve done it for groin grooming. We’ve done it for testicular cancer and we’ll continue to do that. We’ll continue to kind of break the taboos and have really honest conversations with men about grooming and the best solutions and just overall general health.

[00:17:33] Ellie: Right. And I want to touch about that social impact piece in a moment as well, because it’s so incredibly important, especially for businesses to use their organisation and the data that they’re collecting for something good, because we tend to hear a lot about how data is used for bad, but what are businesses such as yours doing to actually have a positive impact in people’s [00:18:00] lives?

[00:18:00] Your role is quite focused on that. Can you talk us through that?

[00:18:03] Right.

[00:18:09] Monica: Society and have been for a long time. They’re a long-time partner of ours. And we really aim to raise awareness for testicular cancer. We aim to normalise the conversation because it’s not a cancer that gets talked about a lot. And we aim to teach men how to check themselves.

[00:18:29] So, it turns out that testicular cancer is the number one cancer for men ages 15 to 35. Okay. And so paired very naturally with our brand. We were talking to men about grooming those lower regions. We were talking to younger men already. And so it was a very natural relationship and collaboration for us to help them kind of raise awareness.

[00:18:49] Because as you can imagine, as a nonprofit, they don’t have a ton of followers on social media, they don’t have. The access that we have as manscaped and the voice that we [00:19:00] have as manscaped to raise awareness. And, you know, 15 to 35 is just such a young age to think about cancer. I mean, we all think we’re invincible at those ages.

[00:19:09] And so it was so important to us to help raise awareness and to teach guys that, Hey, it’s okay to think about this, talk about this, to check yourself for cancer. And hopefully, you know, help some guys who might have waited a little too long to find it to get help and get it treated because it is 99 percent curable if you find it early, but it is cancer and just like any cancer, if you let it go too long and it spreads, obviously it can be fatal.

[00:19:42] Ellie: Right. And I read about Manscape’s collaboration with the 49ers, and I’m sure you have plenty of other partnerships. But do you think that plays a role in terms of also highlighting that men that some of you are seeing [00:20:00] Customers might be looking up to use this product and so forth.

[00:20:05] Monica: Yeah, I mean, we use our sports partnerships to raise awareness and kind of target audiences that we. Feel are a good fit for a man’s game. So yeah, the 49ers UFC we have some collabs with some other sports teams kind of around the world. And yeah, I think these guys, you know, ultimately are role models for different men.

[00:20:28] Right. And seeing that they are taking care of themselves and, you know, self-care is important to them. I think it’s You know, something that’s admirable and that other people can look up to and kind of emulate.

[00:20:43] Ellie: And you talked a little bit about your international audience earlier. And I’ll be keen to hear your thoughts in terms of when you’re looking to expand your brand globally. What other methods do you use? [00:21:00] Or what findings have you collected to date that highlight that you have to use a different approach for different markets?

[00:21:09] Monica: Yeah. So Manscaped is available in 39 countries worldwide, and we’ve done a ton of research to kind of build out where we should enter into and how people would react to our brand and our humour and our products. So we learned a lot, but yes, you’re absolutely right. Not every market is the same and our humor does not resonate quite the same in every market.

[00:21:36] And so. One big thing we learned recently, we did a deep dive into Germany. And you know, we learned as you would expect that, you know, humour, yes, they appreciate it, but they wanted it to be kind of like the second or third point, right? They really wanted us to talk about our product and our features and our benefits and what makes our trimmer a better [00:22:00] trimmer.

[00:22:00] And they wanted that to be kind of highlighted and the humour to be kind of secondary. So it is very interesting to kind of go into these markets and to learn what the consumers are looking for. And you know, how they expect things to be marketed to them so that it really resonates. So a lot of big learnings and we’re continuing to do deep dives into our biggest geographies and learn each time that we do it.

[00:22:26] Ellie: That’s very interesting and Germany as a market, I’m sure, has given a lot of interesting insights and feedback. What role do you think, or how do you, I want to talk a little bit about the sort of split between running insights and running innovation. I don’t know about your organisation, but sometimes I find that some companies will focus on it.

[00:22:55] The product innovation aspect or the consumer’s insights aspect, and they don’t [00:23:00] understand that these actually go hand in hand. How do you balance the need for data-driven insights with the more creative aspects of product innovation?

[00:23:11] Monica: Yeah, well, I’m lucky at Manscaped that I think people understand that insights can feed into all of those things, right? And so when we launch a product, we really tried to take a holistic approach into how do we use insights for every piece of this, right? And when we do it right, it works really, really beautifully.

[00:23:32] So, for example, for our beard trimmer we were able to understand men’s needs and kind of the realm of beard grooming in general. We just discovered like, what were their concerns? And it turned out to be beard itch and dry skin underneath the beard were very prominent concerns. So we developed products that were specifically designed to kind of address those things.

[00:23:53] And then through focus groups, we. We’re able to understand how much men’s beards mean to them, right? [00:24:00] Like how much they are a part of their identity. And we were able to inform our packaging design and communication strategy by having consumers rank kind of the features and benefits. We conducted things like name testing to figure out what the best name was and creative testing to figure out what was the most resonating creative campaign.

[00:24:20] So overall, really a comprehensive research-driven approach allowed us to launch a very, very highly successful product. And so we are, I am fortunate to work at a company that I think understands that insights can feed. Kind of innovation from the beginning to the

[00:24:38] end

[00:24:39] Ellie: Right. And going back to the topic we discussed earlier, do you believe that that is what has led to some of that fantastic growth? I heard somewhere you had 40 percent growth in 2021 or 2022. I believe.

[00:24:56] Monica: 2021. Yeah. I do think that being very consumer [00:25:00] centric has allowed us to have just kind of phenomenal growth. I think really being in tune with your consumer and developing innovation and creative that really resonates and meets their needs is key. And I, I hope that Consumer Insights has been fueling a lot of that.

[00:25:17] So yeah, I would Say that, you know, being a consumer-centric organisation is key to having especially a G to C be so successful in the early years.

[00:25:28] Ellie: Right. And on the consumer side of things What would you say to some of the consumers out there that might be hesitant to share data and feedback with organisations for various different reasons?

[00:25:48] Monica: Yeah, I think we all have our own comfort level of what we’re willing to, like, give to brands and companies, but I would say that you know, that the information that you share with those [00:26:00] brands and companies, they really take it to heart, and they try to make products better, and You know, messaging better and even their brands better, right?

[00:26:08] Like sometimes they need to hear from you to understand what you need. And if it is a brand or company that you have an affiliation with that you hope will stick around, then give them the feedback, give them the insights that you have, because it can be so valuable for those

[00:26:24] companies.

[00:26:25] Ellie: Right. And like you mentioned in an earlier speaking session, consumers actually want companies to succeed equally; customers companies actually want to create better products and services for their customers, which I think is sometimes forgotten. So I want to. Talk a little bit about future trends in your industry.

[00:26:51] What have you seen and how is Manscaped preparing for these?

[00:26:57] Monica: Yeah, so we do keep track of [00:27:00] kind of what some of those key consumer macro trends are going to be. We see health and wellness, you know, kind of combining a lot of different spaces. We see personalisation as one of the key things that are going to drive kind of the future in grooming. So big macro trends that you would expect to see.

[00:27:21] And we are, And we’re talking about those in our kind of larger company meetings, and when we think about kind of long-term innovation, we’re thinking about these things and how Manscaped will play a role in all of these.

[00:27:35] Ellie: Thank you for that, Monica. I have really enjoyed this conversation, and I am sure our audience will as well. But before I let you go, and before we wrap up, there is one question that I wanted to ask you in terms of the one piece of advice that you would give organisations operating in markets similar to yours: what should they be doing to [00:28:00] drive growth for their business.

[00:28:03] Monica: Yeah, I mean, I think that’s an easy one for me, and it’s really listening to your consumers. You know, your consumers really do have all the answers. So if you’re struggling for direction and strategy or growth or innovation or even creative direction, the consumers have all the answers. I don’t have any of the answers, but your consumers just do.

[00:28:23] And if you listen to them, then you will be successful. So it’s an easy

[00:28:28] one.

[00:28:30] Ellie: I mean, I wish more organisations and professionals listened to that. I think we’d all live in a place with better products and services. Thank you again, Monica. I really appreciate your time. I’m going to ask Ben to come back and join us. And we’ll see you

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