Henkel’s grooming brand Stmnt (pronounced “statement”) is making moves.
The brand is launching a hair and beard shampoo, a translucent shave gel and an aftershave lotion, which puts the brand squarely in the “grooming” category after its initial launch with just hair products. Those range in price from $21.98 to $34.95.
“We cocreated the brand with barbers to lead the shift from styling to care and ritual,” said Caroline Klaas, vice president of marketing, Henkel Consumer Brands for the North America Professional Beauty Division. “With Stmnt, we stay extremely close to culture and community, and we know how important this is for brands today — everything at Stmnt starts with the barbers and creators, and that really ensures authenticity and grooming is going through a fundamental shift.”
Part of this shift, Klaas reasoned, is a strengthened emotional connection between consumers and their grooming routines. “For the shopper, shave, beard and skin are no longer separate steps. They’re part of a connected system, and it’s really important that we educate the consumer around it and we can provide that education,” she said. “We can provide that education at every single touchpoint, be it online via platforms, social and digital marketing engines.”
Henkel has been in a state of growth outside of the brand, too, having acquired both Olaplex and Not Your Mother’s in March. “Stmnt provides a really unique opportunity for Henkel because it is based on innovation and positioned for really rapid growth. We understand the importance of having a culture-forward, pro-grooming brand,” Klaas said. “We have our community of barbers and our three creators, and the community is not just a part of the brand, but they shape how products are developed, how trends move into culture. It complements the portfolio by addressing a more culture-driven, creator-led consumer.”
In addition to Amazon and TikTok Shop, the brand is expanding brick-and-mortar retail, albeit slowly. “We are focusing on building demand through community and digital, and then retail will follow,” she said. “This allows us to enter retail from a position of strength and exactly the way we want to enter it, because we already have an engaged consumer who is looking for the brand.”
In terms of the brand’s marketing mix, showing up in more culture-forward moments outside of just grooming is also important. “We had Stmnt at the Super Bowl, and that wasn’t just about visibility. We had styling stations bringing together creators, we had the community, the influence at scale. And grooming is naturally a part of that conversation,” Klaas said. “It gave us the opportunity to directly connect with our audience in a safe space where style, identity and self expression are there with the players, front and center. Those environments matter to us.”
