Case Study on Consumer Behavior: Gillette

When most people hear GILLETTE, one thing comes to mindRazors. Thats to be
expected, since safety razors were invented by King C. Gillette in 1903, and the product in
various forms has been the core of the companys business ever since. Few firms have
dominated an industry so completely and for so long. Wet-razor shaving (as distinct from
electric razors) is a $900 million market. Gillettes share is 62 percent, with the remainder
divided among SCHICK15 per cent, BIC11 percent, WILKINSON sword2 percent, and a
number of private brands.
Gillette would like to achieve a similar position in the mens toiletries with a new line of
products called the GILLETTE Series. However, its record that market is spotty at best.
One Gillette success, Right Guard Deodorant, was market leader in the 1960s. Right Guard
was one of the first Aerosols, and it became a family product which was used both by men
and women. However, the product has not changed although the deodorant market has
become fragmented with the introduction of antiperspirants, various product forms and
applicators, and many different scents. As a result, Gillette slipped to third position in
deodorant sales behind P & G and ColgatePalmolive.
An even more embarrassing situation is Gillettes foamy shaving cream, a natural fit with the
razor business. S. C Johnson and Sons Edge Gel have supplanted that brand as the leading
seller. These experiences created frustration at Gillette. Despite its preeminence in razors
and blades, the company has been unable to sustain a leading position across the full range
of toiletries.
Gillette is using its most recent success, the sensor razor, as a springboard for its new
toiletries. The Sensor story provides the background necessary to understand the marketing
of the Gillette Series, and also offers some insight into Gillettes marketing prowess.
Sensor- a high technology cartridge razor- was a gamble for Gillette because it ran counter
to consumers buying preferences. Disposable razors, which were produced by the French
firm BIC in 1974, had gained control in nearly 80 % of the razor market by 1990. Gillettes
analysis showed that disposables provide a worse shave than a cartridge blade, cost more
to make than a blade and are sold at a lower profit margin. Despite its disdain for the
product, competitive pressure forced Gillette to introduce its own disposable, Good News
As concern about the squeeze that disposables were putting on profit margins grew, Gillette
began looking for a way to displace them. The company spent $ 300 million to develop a
technology to significantly improve on the three attributes desired in shaving- closeness,
comfort and safety. They came up with the Sensor, a razor with independently moving twin
blades. The Sensor produces a superior shave, but it is also more expensive to produce than
a disposable. So Gillettes gamble was that a better shave would be enough to justify a
premium price, and in the process, displace the successful but not a very comfortable
disposable razor. In addition to the R & D investment, Gillette spent $ 110 in the first year
to advertise Sensor. The strategy paid off. Estimated 1992 sales for the brand was $ 390
million, and equally important, the share of the market held by the disposables has gone
down to 42%.

Gillette then moved to capitalize on the success of Sensor. The company had a line of
toiletries in development, and the decision was made to tie them closely to sensor. The line
consists of 14 items:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

two shaving gels for sensitive and regular skin

The products in the Gillette series were developed over a three year period at a cost of $ 75
million. They were tested on 70000 consumers. An indication of their newness is the fact
that Gillette has 20 patents pending with them. Consideration had been given to introducing
the line in 1992, but the introduction was cancelled by Gillettes CEO, Alfred Zeien. He
insisted that the line not be launched until consumer tests showed that each of the 14
products was preferred to the best- performing brand in its category.
All the products have a common fragrance that Gillette calls Cool Wave. They come in silver
and blue packages like the Sensor, and the black lines on the packages match the grooved
sides of the Sensor Razor handle.
The items retail at $ 2.69 each, 10- 20 % higher than the prices of major competing items. As
was the case with Sensor, Gillette hopes that the products innovation will convince men to
switch brands and pay the higher prices.
During the Gillette Series first year, the company spent $ 60 million on a joint advertising
campaign with Sensor. Just like Sensor, the line was to introduce in January with ads on the
Super Bowl. The campaign uses the same theme as Sensor. The Best a man can get. Initial
TV commercials were one minute in length. They started with 15 seconds on shaving gels,
and cream, followed by 30 seconds on Sensor and 15 seconds on aftershaves. The
deodorants are advertised separately.
The Gillette series faces two major problems:

Convincing consumers that the line is actually better and the higher price justified
will be more difficult than with SENSOR. With the razor, Gillette had name recognition as
the dominant firm in the industry. In addition, the design differences the sensor was
visible, and a consumer can directly enjoy a closer shave. With the toiletries, Gillette
does not have a strong position in the consumers minds, nor are the benefits provided
by the products obvious. Furthermore, the mens toiletries market is extremely
competitive. Powerful firms with proven marketing skills have taken a greater interest
un this category. P & G has acquired Old Spice and Noxzema; Colgate owns Mennen,
and Unilever purchased Brut. Its unlikely the rest of the firms in the market will sit back
and ignore Gillettes activity.

Gillette is tying, the new product line to the Sensor but using a different brand name.
If consumers do not associate the Gillette Series with the innovativeness and success of
Sensor, the new line may just be another brand in an already cluttered market.
According to a Gillette Vice President, one of the most compelling aspects of the Gillette
series is its synergy with the companys core businessrazors. If the new line is successful,
Gillette anticipates adding other mens grooming products such as hair sprays and
shampoos. The firms CEO, Zeien says, were already the worldwide leader in blades, Will
we be the world leader in other (toiletries) or not? Thats our goal.

QUESTIONS:
1. Identify all the problems Gillette is facing in case study.
2. What could have been done to avoid these problems?
3.
How is the Gillette Series being positioned with respect to (a) competitors, (b) the
target market, (c) the product line, (d) price and quality?
4.
What other positioning possibilities are there?
5.
Is Gillette making the best use of the brand equity that has been created with
Sensor? Justify your answer with reason.
6.
What strategies do you propose to Gillette? Address the entire marketing mix.