Cut Throat Marketing
For the last 30 years or so I’ve shaved almost exclusively using Gillette blades and gel. True, I finally wizened up to their cynical innovation strategy a couple of years ago and, a bit like the way the majority of us now behave when new iPhones are released, I stuck with what worked. After all, how many blades does a face need ?
Rivals came and went but I pretty much remained loyal. Even installing an Amazon Dash Button (remember those) on the shaving mirror to restock.
And then on Saturday I came face to face with a Harry’s aisle end display in Boots (for American readers High Street druggist owned by Walgreens) picked up the product - everything felt good about the package, simple, elegant, weighty - hitting all the cues along with three colours (orange, blue and green).
I bought one.
The next morning I vowed to never use a Gillette again such was the quality of the shave.
So why do I bring this all up ? A couple of reasons;
I had latent Harry’s brand awareness because of smart social media ad serving - simple messages which I was exposed to (when I look back) on a regular basis
The power of physical disruption. Aisle end and shelf displays may feel like they are the unsexy part of a marketers portfolio but done well they work (I wasn’t even shopping for razors that day). Physical retail is NOT dead it just needs to work on its purpose
Gillette products are encased in plastic, acres of the stuff. That is starting to grate - for environmental reasons but also it commodities the brand
Harry’s has maintained it’s ‘start-up’ vibe it played into the desire to leave a mainstream product and experiment a little
They have created a product which is superior and even contained a little ‘surprise and delight’ (a beard trimmer attachment which doubles as a travel case to protect the blades), not mentioned on the pack but discovered at home.
A great experience and a raft of lessons for every marketer.
Clearly I am not alone, earlier this month Edgeware Personal Care announced its purchase of Harry’s for $1.4 billion.
About The Author
The author is a brand consultant and founder of Mission Critical, a highly focused and curated weekly briefing for time poor and information hungry decision makers.
