Grooming Rituals
Whether you brush your hair 100 strokes a day or give yourself a pep talk in the mirror before a big date, virtually all of us practice private grooming rituals. These ceremonies help us to transition from our private self to our public self, or back again. Grooming rituals help to inspire confidence before we face the world, and they “cleanse” us of impurities. When consumers talk about their grooming rituals, some of the dominant themes that emerge from these stories reflect the almost mystical qualities we attribute to grooming products and behaviors. Many people emphasize a before-and-after phenomenon, whereby the person feels magically transformed after she uses certain products (similar to the Cinderella myth).
Some companies that make personal care products understand the power of these rituals and supply the artifacts we need to make them happen. Nair, the depilatory maker, expanded its customer base when it targeted younger girls with its Nair Pretty product – a market the industry call “first-time hair removers.” Researchers conducted focus groups with mothers and their