Jill Biren, co-founder of JB Skrub and former Condé Nast editor, reveals her inspiring journey of creating a personal care brand for tween boys alongside actress Julie Bowen. They discuss the unique challenges of marketing to this audience, emphasizing gender norms and the importance of relatable products. Jill shares how their body wash and spray use natural ingredients for active kids, and delves into the influence of fathers and grandfathers on grooming habits. Additionally, she highlights the brand's unexpected appeal across different age groups.
Jill Biren's realization of an underserved market for tween boys led to the creation of JB Skrub, addressing their unique grooming needs.
The brand's innovative marketing strategy uses social media and educational outreach to empower young boys about personal hygiene and self-care.
Deep dives
Understanding the Tween and Teen Male Market
There is a growing recognition that tween and teen boys are a significant demographic in the beauty and personal care market. Brands are beginning to cater specifically to their needs, as many have traditionally ignored this audience. This trend is evident at industry events, where conversations focus on how younger males are increasingly interested in grooming products and personal care. The emergence of products designed for this group signifies a shift in market dynamics, with an emphasis on addressing their unique preferences.
The Inspiration Behind JB Scrub
JB Scrub was co-founded by Jill Byron and Julie Bowen with a focus on tween and teen boys, largely driven by their personal experiences as mothers. They recognized a gap in the market where existing products did not cater to younger males, who often felt excluded from the beauty conversation. The idea arose when Jill struggled to find appropriate products for her son heading to sleepaway camp and realized that typical products did not resonate with this age group. This led them to create a brand that speaks directly to young boys' grooming needs while retaining a playful, approachable vibe.
Innovative Product Development
The product development process for JB Scrub involved extensive research and collaboration with their children to create effective solutions suited for their target demographic. They focused on functional, easy-to-use products like body wash, body spray, and face pads that do not rely on synthetic fragrances. The brand emphasizes simplicity in application, suitable packaging, and engaging branding that resonates with boys. Their unique marketing approach also highlights the importance of educating both kids and their parents about proper hygiene habits, empowering young boys with the tools they need for self-care.
Expanding Market Reach and Consumer Education
JB Scrub employs a multi-faceted marketing strategy that targets both young consumers and their parents, largely relying on social media channels like TikTok for direct engagement. The brand has made inroads into dermatology practices to enhance credibility and reach, capitalizing on the increasing need for effective yet gentle skincare products among younger users. Feedback gathered through focus groups with their children directly influences product iterations and future launches. The overall mission of the brand is to redefine how young boys perceive grooming, making it a normalized and exciting aspect of their daily routine.
Before the "aha" moment that led to the creation of JB Skrub, the brand she co-founded with "Modern Family" star Julie Bowen, Jill Biren worked in magazine publishing at Condé Nast for 16 years. But then, one day, she was packing her 9-year-old son up for camp and realized there wasn't a personal care brand made for him. He was too old to bring baby soap to camp, and she didn't want to send him with a synthetically fragranced men's product. And so, an idea was born.
Bowen, also a boy mom, related to this struggle, and the two came together to work on a brand of body care products for tween boys. They chose to do so independently and spent eight years taking it from concept to reality, until finally launching in January of 2023 with five products: a body wash, a body spray, a face wash, a face lotion and toner pads. Recently, JB Skrub added hair care to the mix with the introduction of a shampoo.
On this week’s episode of the Glossy Beauty Podcast, Biren discusses the moment she realized she'd stumbled upon a white space in the market, JB Skrub's unique motto for teaching boys good hygiene and the power of telling this rarely-spoken-to consumer that this product was, in fact, made for him.
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