GearHaiku #313 Anthony Sosnick of Anthony Brands - GearHaiku Interview
"A"...for Anthony
the first name in men's grooming
a pioneer's thoughts
There was a time when a guy' s grooming arsenal consisted of no more than three products all of which could be bought for about $5 total at any drugstore.
Anthony Sosnick has done as much as anyone to change that.
Anthony is the founder of Anthony Brands, the world's largest men's care line. He's a true pioneer in the world of men's grooming.
GearHaiku got to touch base with Anthony to ask him a few questions about men's grooming. Here are his thoughts on men's grooming trends and products and how a guy can dip a toe in the men's grooming pool, if he's still perusing the drugstore aisles for soap and shave products.
GearHaiku:
Do you remember the first grooming product you used? What was it...
Anthony Sosnick:
It was the Davies Gate Lime Bar Soap. It smelled fantastic and was super hydrating. Unfortunately the soap is no longer available, but it was one of the products that really helped get me into using premium grooming products and served as inspiration for our first bar soap, the Glycerin Cleansing Bar.
GH:
What do you find are the barriers for men to start using better (non-drug store) grooming products?
AS:
Men tend to feel that using higher end products can be complicated and sometimes too expensive. In addition, some guys feel that premium products are not “manly.” Over the years, however, many of these barriers have been broken down and men (and women) now understand that these products are not only easy to use, but certainly worth the price. Men are recognizing that these products are affordable luxury items that deliver real results, consequently removing the taboo some men still feel when using them.
GH:
Related, is there a product your find is a gateway product that leads to more product experimenting/use?
AS:
Our Glycolic Facial Cleanser does an incredible job of prepping the skin before shaving and helps most men get the look and feel they want after cleansing. It is a step above your traditional facial cleanser or face and body duo cleansers favorited by men. This is certainly an excellent lead in for all of the other products that would follow with a great facial cleanser. i.e. Shave Cream/Gel, Astringents, Toners, After Shave Balms and any moisturizer.
GH:
(Always been curious) To what extent do you feel product packaging and branding have to do w/ the success of grooming products? (vs. quality of product as well...)
AS:
I believe product packaging always helps to sell a product for a first purchase, but if the product does not perform, the packaging becomes irrelevant. Having said that, there are many people that – depending on the brand marketing and packaging – like to display products in their bathrooms as more of a status and style symbol. I have also seen great products on the market, however the packaging was not user friendly which made the application difficult and therefore customers went elsewhere for their needs.
GH:
What grooming trends are you seeing? aka When can we start shaving the beards?
AS:
We are seeing a lot of products being created for the beard. It’s proving to be more than just a trend for now and we should continue to see innovation for some time. Companies focusing on anti-aging products are also looking for new ways to improve formulations.
Haiku#313