If Bulldog wants to make it big in the £800m UK male grooming category it is going to have a fight on its hands.

The majority of the players are multinationals with large advertising budgets and a huge portfolio of products. These include powerhouses such as Procter & Gamble's Gillette, Unilever's Lynx and Sure for Men brands, as well as L'Oréal's Men Expert Range, Nivea for Men and Simple for Men.

While Bulldog's masculine positioning pitches it against overtly male brands such as Lynx and Gillette, its premium positioning and emphasis on skincare products mean that face and skin brands such as L'Oréal, Simple for Men and Nivea for Men are its major competitors.

Simple for Men produces the skincare range most akin to Bulldog's, including a sensitive moisturiser, face wash, shave foam and face scrub. The brand also takes a similar natural approach, with no added colours or perfume.

L'Oréal's Men Expert range consists of many more specific skincare products for men, including a 24-hour hydrating balm, a wrinkle decrease cream, and eye cream. Its face wash, moisturiser and post-shave balm and shave gel retail at similar price points to Bulldog. Nivea for Men has similar task-specific lines to Men Expert but also competes directly with Bulldog's core range.

Unilever's Lynx brand is less of a direct competitor with regards to range, but its strong male focus means it remains a threat. Lynx is the leading brand within the male shower category, with a value of £22m, and its targeted advertising means it appeals to many of Bulldog's core customers. It is also dominant in deodorants, an area that Bulldog intends to enter in the future.

"Every player in male grooming is a competitor," says Rhodri Ferrier, co-founder of Bulldog. "Because of this we need to offer an alternative to the big boys in every area so that we are the default natural brand."