491 Chapter 15 Hair Care Product Claims Trefor Evans TRI-Princeton Overview The majority of this book has focused on surfactant and hair fiber science, but for many the primary reason for developing this knowledge involves a desire to formulate, manufacture, and distribute products that will ultimately be purchased by consumers. At the time of this writing, the global hair care market is estimated at around $50 billion. Putting this into perspective, if this industry were a country, it would sit in the low 70s on a list of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by nation. Clearly, there is a great deal of money to be made by meeting the diverse hair care needs of consumers—and consequently our shops and supermarkets contain aisles packed with a plethora of products. Furthermore, this shelf space represents a constant battleground, with thousands of new introductions each year hoping to displace incumbents. While there is no magical recipe for a winning product, success generally incorporates three factors—functionality, pleasing aesthetics, and a compelling and attention-grabbing communication message. The science behind technical functionality has been the primary focus of this book, but this last chapter attempts to discuss common approaches and strategies for communicating product benefits, while also describing techniques that are frequently employed to substantiate claims.