PZ Cussons launches new Imperial soap, shower gel

Wednesday, September 15, 2021 - 2 min read

PZ Cussons East Africa regional head of marketing Hafsa Arthur, Cussons Imperial Leather face of men's range Abednego Bingi, Imperial Leather brand manager Ruth Wang'ombe, PZ Cussons Managing Director Sekar Ramamoorthy during the unveiling of the flagship Imperial Leather brand's new Sport and Fresh Burst men's range targetted at men who have embraced selfcare exponentially. PHOTO | DIANA NGILA | NMG

By CONSTANT MUNDA

Correspondent

Personal care products maker PZ Cussons East Africa has enhanced its offering in fast-growing male self-care market segment with launch of new range soap and shower gel under its flagship brand, Imperial Leather.

The firm said the launch of Imperial Leather’s Sport and Fresh Burst range has been informed by findings of three-year research which has established that demand for men self-care products was growing faster than women’s.

About 400,000 new male consumers aged between 18 and 35 are joining the multi-billion-shilling self-grooming segment every year, PZ Cussons MD Sekar Ramamoorthy said in a statement on Wednesday.

“The Imperial Leather Sport and Fresh Burst are targeted at Kenyan men of these ages who are seen as a mixture of the millennials (born between 1981 and 1996) and generation Z (born mid-to-late 1990s) and have embraced self-care exponentially as belief in the need to invest in themselves expands,” Mr Ramamoorthy said.

“Heightened self-care consciousness is due to the influence of popular culture, access to copious amounts of information and research, online reviews and their friends’ recommendations.”

The launch follows rollout of lotions, antiperspirant roll-ons and shower foam early 2018 targeted the male-grooming segment whose annual sales are estimated at Sh6 billion and growing at five percent.

“Men are choosing to have their grooming activities at their own convenience due to concerns about close physical contact (in the wake of Covid),” Mr Ramamoorthy said.