Goop is expanding its wellness presence by targeting men.
On Wednesday, the brand debuted a podcast called Goopfellas and a new men’s vertical on Goop.com. A monthly men’s-focused newsletter will debut June 5. Goop sees 2.5 million unique visitors a month, according to Elise Loehnen, Goop head of content, and 23% of Goop’s existing audience is male. The podcast and web content will focus on a variety of topics, including mental health, self-care, toxic and modern masculinity, relationships, health and food.
“Our opportunity isn’t to bro out with them, but to help men feel more connected to their bodies and emotions,” said Loehnen. “It’s less performative and more intuitive. That doesn’t exist as much [for men], and there is a real opportunity for something softer.”
Goop has made itself a household name, due in large part to its embrace of the wellness movement. While it has received criticism since its launch in 2008 for hawking products with unfounded claims, like the benefits of using a $66 vaginal Jade and Rose Quartz Egg, it has managed to skyrocket to a valuation of $250 million and expand internationally to markets including Japan and the U.K.
The Goopfellas podcast is designed to be a “proverbial dinner table,” said Dr. Will Cole, functional medicine practitioner, Goop contributor and Goopfellas podcast co-host. “We envisioned it as a conversation that isn’t a formal interview but rather a riffing and discussion,” he said. “Men are more private, so this podcast and other Goop initiatives are designed to help them understand that they can get in on the wellness conversation.”
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Editorial stories will strike the same tone, with Goop publishing up to two articles a week in addition to the monthly newsletter. The brand is taking a test-and-learn approach, Loehnen said. Goop will reevaluate its position in about four months to further develop content and possibly make additional hires. Beyond the editorial content, Goop is also looking to establish events for its male audience and create male-centered social media pages on Instagram and Facebook. In addition, it will market its own unisex vitamin supplements to men in the Goop men’s vertical. Goop declined to state what percentage of men purchase products or follow its social media channels currently.
Goop is venturing into the men’s wellness space at a time when the category is on the upswing. Startups like Hims and Ro are approaching the space by using content, humor and approachable advertising to communicate male health and wellness concepts to a new generation. Overall, research firm Allied Market Research expects the global personal-care market for men to be worth $166 billion by 2022.
But Goop is not immediately looking at sales figures or growing its percentage of male readers in order to evaluate success. Instead, Loehnen said she is focused on monitoring men’s reactions and responses.
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“I care more about engagement than readership size,” she said. “Are we connecting with men? Providing value? Are they taking actions? Do they write in and share the content [for example]? Those are the primary key performance indicators.”
