In a bid to expand its male grooming portfolio and increase its appeal among the discerning metrosexual male consumer, Philips has launched a new gadget, Philips Bodygroom. Positioned as a skin friendly solution for body grooming, the gadget, priced at Rs 2,495 is targeted towards the urban male. With Bodygroom, the lifestyle brand has created a new category within the men’s personal care segment. The new offering was unveiled by Philips male grooming brand ambassador, actor John Abraham. Commenting on the necessity of such a product, Abraham said, “Inspired by celebrities to a large extent and with increasing consciousness about personal grooming and hygiene, men today want to look their best even when bare bodied. Keeping this trend in mind, Philips Bodygroom is just the product that can help them feel confident and desirable.  Also, since it is extremely skin-friendly, one no longer needs to worry about nicks or cuts, and can just enjoy the feeling of being completely well-groomed.” The personal care segment and the sub-segment of male grooming products have been a fast growing category for Philips, witnessing high growth last year. This explains the heavy focus on the men’s grooming segment within the consumer lifestyle division. The brand also recently launched two new shaving gadgets and a grooming kit recently. At present, the brand’s existing portfolio for this segment consists of three categories, namely men’s shaving (face shavers), men’s grooming (face stylers), and now body grooming. The decision to launch a body-groomer was guided by the findings of a research survey conducted by Philips, which reaffirmed the importance that men place on their personal appearance and the relevance of such a product. According to the survey, 65 per cent of men are comfortable with removing body hair to complete their well-groomed look, a number that according to Philips, is only set to grow alongside the trends in the grooming and fashion space. [caption id="attachment_14071" align="alignleft" width="450"] From left: ADA Ratnan, President Lifestyle Indian Sub-Continent, Philips Consumer Lifestyle; John Abraham, Brand Ambassador, Philips Male Grooming; & Aarushi Agarwal, Director Marketing, Personal Care, Consumer Lifestyle, Philips India[/caption] Aarushi Agarwal, Director Marketing, Personal Care, Consumer Lifestyle, Philips India, said, “Our research has shown that Indian men are getting more experimental with their facial styling and body hair grooming than ever before. The days when a thick carpet of body hair was considered the epitome of sexy masculinity are over. The Indian woman now wants more style from her man, while the men are truly coming of age when it comes to expressing themselves”. She further explained that current body grooming solutions can be aggressive for the skin and lack precision. “But at Philips we have the right tools for men to trim or remove their body hair and we intend to make male grooming much easier with our extensive range of male grooming products,” she added. Philips has also been pursuing marketing strategies in line with its focus on the personal care segment. The television commercial, featuring John Abraham has been on air since some time now, and the brand has also been running an extensive facebook campaign, which according to Philips, has a fan base of 4.7 lakh.