The men behind male grooming brand Bulldog, Rhodri Ferrier (left) and Simon Duffy, have an air of confidence about them. They need it, too. Without any previous market experience, they have launched into the tough male grooming category, pitching themselves against giants such as Lynx, Gillette, Nivea and L'Oréal, all of which wield mighty marketing budgets and are backed by huge NPD teams.

In order to succeed, Bulldog's bite must be as good as its bark - and so far it has proven to be. In a short space of time, Bulldog has developed an impressive pedigree.

Just weeks after it was formed, the business gained listings in more than 300 Sainsbury's stores. The company is now in talks to be listed across the retailer's entire estate and will soon be positioned on branded plinths for better shelf standout.

So what possessed two men to leave behind successful jobs in banking and marketing in the US, return to the UK and take on the male grooming behemoths?

"We had worked in New York for a number of years and were wondering whether we wanted to continue to live in the States," says Ferrier. "We saw we had the same entrepreneurial spirit. Bulldog started as two mates having a chat over a beer but quickly turned to 'You know stuff about innovation and branding, I know the finance side, let's set up a business'."

The pair decided upon a male skincare range after looking around their local supermarket in New York. "The stuff going on in there was exciting," says Ferrier. "There were loads of natural products for women, but there was nothing for men. We thought there was an opportunity for us to become the first natural brand for men."

Despite having no background in skincare products, Ferrier and Duffy believed they could create their own brand, and set about making products at home. "The starting point for our business was just looking at the ingredients of products on the market," says Duffy. "We researched the ingredients ourselves and then found like-minded experts to help us. Our bathroom was like a mini laboratory."

Bulldog products - which include shampoo, shower gel, moisturiser and shave gel - contain no potential carcinogens such as parabens or sodium laureth sulfate, or any artificial colours and fragrances. However, the company has been careful to ensure its natural positioning does not emasculate the brand. Rather than taking its cues from other natural brands, which are "all flowers and beehives", says Ferrier, Bulldog is an overtly male brand.

"Most men don't know what parabens are so there is no point in having 'paraben-free' in big letters on the pack," says Duffy. "We want the naturalness of our products to resonate but we want to be seen as a male brand."

"There are plenty of brands that target men but most have a unisex compromise," adds Ferrier. Take Nivea For Men, L'Oréal Men Expert and Simple For Men, he says, which are all male versions of what are ostensibly female brands. "This wouldn't be acceptable in any other market. Drinks companies don't produce a pint version of Babycham for men, so why should a similar thing happen in toiletries?"

The name Bulldog was picked to appeal to guys because of the dog's scruffy yet loveable image. "The brands we compete with celebrate what's on the outside, with images of men with rippling six-packs," says Duffy. "We decided on an image that would appeal more to ordinary guys."

They say they are not concerned that the name may conjure up images of aggression. "We love the name," says Duffy. "Bulldog are thought of as being loyal and charismatic. They are protectors but they are not frightening."

With a turnover about £750,000, the positioning so far appears to be working. But the company recognises more work needs to be done. It plans to launch a face scrub in the middle of the year and is looking to make more shaving and shower products. A move to deodorants is also on the cards.

They pair have turned down major retailers to concentrate on getting it right in Sainsbury's and insist they take every day as it comes.

"It's easy to get carried away with growing the brand but we need to put the foundations in first," says Ferrier. "We get sales data from Sainsbury's every day just after midnight - we wait up for it. At the end of the day it's all about the sales."n

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