Ever since the term metrosexual became mainstream, consumer marketing trends experts have realized that American men are embracing their feminine sides — just like the nail polish–wearing, sarong-sporting soccer star David Beckham. As further evidence of this trend, consider the popularity of the reality TV show Queer Eye for the Straight Guy or the fact that the number of Botox injections for men shot up 152 percent between 2002 and 2003, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Here are some gender-bending ways companies are wooing male customers as part of their business development strategy:

1. Invoke their vanity in a groundbreaking way. Since its launch in 2003, Jean Paul Gaultier’s “Tout Beau Tout Propre” line of men’s makeup — including eyeliner and powder bronzer — has resulted in the sale of more than 1 million products worldwide. (In 2003, Datamonitor, a market research company, predicted that the beauty market for men would grow at twice the rate of the female market.)

2. Be untraditional. Saks Fifth Avenue advertised in a bold new way in a major men’s magazine. Instead of highlighting one designer per page, it mixed Paper, Denim & Cloth jeans with Savile row shirts, Tod’s driving shoes, and Theory cashmere sweatshirts. “This is the way that men really dress,” says Michael Macko, men’s fashion director at Saks.

3. Make it gender-specific. “Men want to know where good food products can be found,” says Jane St. Claire, owner of the Web site www.savorcalifornia.com, which showcases regional goodies, such as Mendocino mustard and Francis Ford Coppola’s pastas. “We specifically designed our Web site with quick downloads, concise contact data, bold colors and a clean layout, so men would find it easy to use,” she adds.

4. Cater to their unique concerns. Yes, there is life beyond Barbasol. The Art of Shaving broke the mold when its rapidly expanding upscale shops were decorated to resemble private men’s clubs, with ivory walls, dark wood, leather, and marble. It even seeks to educate men about shaving correctly — not just sell products, says President Eric Malka.

5. Package it with pizzazz. To get the message to men, the Art of Shaving pioneered a wildly successful ongoing customer relationship marketing campaign with Neiman-Marcus. The department store hung the Art of Shaving’s luxurious sample kits on all of its men’s alterations. In the first month alone, it gave away more than 22,000 freebies.

6. Tie in men’s toys. Knitting is hotter than ever, and Classic Elite Yarns in Lowell, Mass., includes men in its marketing mix. Classic Elite features mathematically challenging patterns, as it realizes that men are especially attracted to complicated cable work, says Classic Elite employee Sharon Brown.

7. Show them a showhouse. After the enormous success of its 2003 apartment in Manhattan’s Trump World Tower (known unofficially as the Ultimate Bachelor Pad), Esquire magazine followed with another tribute to male interests and divine design. The publication’s newest showhouse for men, Esquire House in Los Angeles, is a $12 million mansion; 17 designers (and numerous advertisers) filled the stylish setting with inimitable installations, including Italian tiles, an extensive art collection and a chip-and-putt course in the landscaped backyard.

8. Appeal to their soft side. While women alter their destiny when they become mothers, dads do not, says Peter Demers, who has published the first Web magazine for men with children, www.americandad.com. “Intense brand-building strategies highlight the idea that dads and moms are different,” Demers says.

9. Make it just for them. Clinique and a wealth of other companies have introduced men’s skin care lines, and Fairmont Hotels & Resorts Willow Stream Spas has launched a golf facial for fellows and a take-home kit of B. Kamins, Chemist, products — so all the Rhetts out there can channel their inner Scarlet.

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