Introduction of a Swedish Brand into Brazil’s Premium Men’s Grooming Market
This case demonstrates how market education, premium narrative, and influence can create new consumption categories and position brands within the Brazilian market.
Recipe for Men is a Swedish men’s skincare brand developed to address the specific needs of men’s skin, with a focus on performance, practicality, and sophistication.
Recognized as a relevant brand within the Scandinavian Beauty (S-Beauty) movement in 2014, Recipe for Men introduced a distinctive proposition to the Brazilian market: niche products tailored for men’s skincare, featuring minimalist design and a functional approach typical of Scandinavian design.
The market entry strategy in Brazil was structured around selective distribution and premium positioning, prioritizing channels capable of building brand value.
In its initial months, the brand was launched exclusively at Sephora, establishing presence in a high-prestige, aspirational retail environment. Subsequently, distribution expanded to specialized players in the men’s grooming segment and premium boutiques across different regions of the country.
Key strategic differentiators in the Brazilian market included:
- the first and only Scandinavian beauty brand available in Brazil at the time
- niche positioning within the men’s skincare segment
- a hybrid distribution strategy combining major retailers and specialized channels
Despite its premium positioning and international recognition, there were significant gaps in communication and digital presence.
Available materials were limited and did not reflect the brand’s aspirational potential in the Brazilian market.
The main challenges included:
- lack of a standardized visual identity for digital communication
- absence of product imagery aligned with a sophisticated visual language
- a European market that was still underdeveloped on social media at the time
- the need to build a clear narrative around men’s skincare and grooming routines
It was also necessary to translate the brand’s Scandinavian positioning to the cultural and behavioral context of Brazilian consumers, where men’s skincare was still at an early stage of development.
We developed a visual system and key visual tailored to the Brazilian market, ensuring consistency across digital channels, institutional materials, and point-of-sale presence.
We also carried out the review and enhancement of product imagery, elevating the brand’s visual perception and aligning communication with its premium positioning.
We structured the brand’s institutional storytelling for the Brazilian market, refining presentation copy and developing content to introduce the concept of a men’s skincare routine — still not widely established in the country at the time.
Communication was culturally adapted for the Brazilian audience, translating the Scandinavian brand values into a language more aligned with the local universe of grooming, fashion, and men’s lifestyle.
The content strategy also included collaborations with influencers and key opinion leaders within the men’s segment, bringing the brand closer to an audience interested in style, personal care, and well-being, while reinforcing Recipe for Men’s positioning as a reference in premium men’s skincare.
These contents were deployed across both digital and physical assets developed by Think, ensuring consistency across all brand touchpoints.
Key deliverables included:
- development of the institutional website and e-commerce
- creation of social media content
- production of editorial and institutional materials
- development of folders and printed materials to support commercial efforts
Point-of-sale and visual merchandising materials were developed, with a focus on conveying sophistication and facilitating the understanding of the product line.
These materials also helped educate consumers on men’s skincare routines, presenting product benefits and usage guidelines.
The communication strategy prioritized qualified relationships with press, influencers, and key opinion leaders aligned with the brand’s lifestyle.
The launch of Recipe for Men was featured in publications such as GQ, Vogue, Glamurama, Poder, and Carbono Uomo.
Brand activations were also carried out with influencers and specialists, including dermatologists and content creators within the men’s segment.
oram realizadas ativações contínuas em clínicas dermatológicas, lojas premium e varejistas, além de ações regionais com influenciadores. Em Porto Alegre, por exemplo, uma ativação local resultou na loja com maior volume de vendas da rede durante o período da ação.
Ongoing activations took place in dermatology clinics, premium retail stores, and mass retailers, as well as regional initiatives with influencers. In Porto Alegre, for example, a local activation resulted in the highest-performing store in the network during the campaign period.
Among the key initiatives, the brand’s participation in the Sephora Beauty Run stands out — the largest outdoor activation, with approximately 3,500 participants. The initiative included a branded GIF machine (#RUNLIKEAGIRLDERMAL) and product sampling.
Campaign Results:
- +36% increase in Dermal sales at Sephora during the campaign month
- R$195K incremental sales during the period
- ROI of approximately 4x the campaign investment
- +1,000 new social media followers, in addition to thousands of brand mentions
O case da Recipe for Men demonstra como branding, curadoria de canais e comunicação estratégica podem sustentar com consistência a entrada de uma marca internacional em um mercado competitivo e altamente segmentado.
A combinação entre posicionamento premium, distribuição seletiva e construção de narrativa permitiu introduzir no Brasil uma proposta ainda pouco explorada naquele momento: o skincare masculino de nicho com inspiração escandinava.
The Recipe for Men case demonstrates how branding, channel curation, and strategic communication can consistently support the entry of an international brand into a highly competitive and segmented market.
The combination of premium positioning, selective distribution, and narrative building enabled the introduction in Brazil of a still underexplored proposition at the time: niche men’s skincare with Scandinavian inspiration.