Interactive videos with powerful messages like, “You might say when there’s no underbrush the tree looks taller” are increasing the frequency of blade use on those thicker, more stubborn lower body regions. When introduced, the new safety razor was a radical innovation, allowing Gillette a temporary competitive advantage. Identify how Gillette aims to gain a greater competitive advantage from using canned software. 2. 1. In Gillette’s case the company is investing heavily in an online campaign to encourage consumers to use their Gillette razor downstairs on the lower body area as well as upstairs on the face. You think you have it tough? Finally, with this brand, P&G had created for itself a very stable business model. Instead we have Harryâs, Dollar Shave and other online retailers attracting Gilletteâs store-based clientele with the convenience and consistency of an online subscription model. That’s a whopping mark-up of almost 3000%. As MC Donald, with Mach Gillette duplicates the part of it-value- creation-process on a global scale. Third, drive usage. After the acquisition in 1996, Gilletteâs total cost increased from $6,984 million to $7,211 million and its net income fell from $1,081 million to $392 million. The marketing is widely derided. Gillette is also participating in all the major competing markets like Europe, japan and Their fictional tie-in campaign shows a vampire endorsing Fusion as the best shave for the undead. Another brilliant thing is the timing of their ads. used a innovation in the business model to disrupt an existing market. These are the largest companies by revenue. The spot shows Tiger Woods, Derek Jeter and Roger Federer literally knocking Mach3 razors out of men’s hands with a golf ball, baseball and tennis ball, respectively. This textbook can be purchased at www.amazon.com. Find an additional application. And yet now, recent results from Gillette can explain, at least in part, the negative performance of P&Gâs value. Let me take you away to an oasis of consumer loyalty where huge margins and a ridiculously dominant market share are the norm. A popular name in households, the trust that the name P &G evokes in the mind of the customer is one of Gilletteâs biggest advantages. 2. So take some comfort with your shrinking share, puny margins and tiny marketing budget. But in 2003 Gillette face a new, more threatening competitor Schick, and the world first 4-bladed razor Quattro. Don’t fall in love with steps one and two that I listed above. Continuous Innovation: Gillette is credited with being one of the most innovative companies in the business. 5)Why did Unilever offer $1 billion for dollar shave club? Was gillette able to sustain its, 4)What market opening did entrepreneurs, such as Michael Dubin with Dollar Shave Club, use to, enter the industry? This preview shows page 1 - 3 out of 3 pages. When Spang retired in ⦠Course Hero is not sponsored or endorsed by any college or university. Therefore, the new competitive advantage was to assist Gillette to compete and keep their market share. MGMT 492 How the Dollar Shave Club disrupted Gillette.doc, New Jersey Institute Of Technology ⢠MGMT 492, California Baptist University ⢠BUS 547, Mgmt. Gillette products are produced in a wide range to accommodate the personal grooming market for men. 522 Dollar Shave Club Case Study.docx, Institut Teknologi Bandung ⢠SBM MM5004. They are good tactics, but don’t make the classic marketers error of overlooking the easiest and most powerful driver of profitability. 5 Company Competitive Advantage in the Marketing Strategy of Gillette The survival in the increasingly competitive market requires Gillette to set the clear differentiation basis that could provide an edge against rivals. It’s more of a serious and inspirational ad than the last one I saw (set to “Staying Alive”) which fits with the championship theme they are working on. Shaving products have a very competitive market, and Threat Analysis (RBV??) Common sense might suggest that if you found yourself in this envious position you would sit back and count the billions of dollars in annual revenues that this market share delivers. Gillette could sell off Duracell since this acquisition did not benefit or gain a competitive advantage for the company, such as cost savings and market growth. The Blake Project Can Help You Grow: The Brand Growth Strategy Workshop, Branding Strategy Insider is a service of The Blake Project: A strategic brand consultancy specializing in Brand Research, Brand Strategy, Brand Growth and Brand Education, FREE Publications And Resources For Marketers. One industry insider in the UK recently revealed that despite a retail price of £9.72 for a pack of four Fusion razor blades, the actual manufacturing and packaging costs for this product is less than 30p. Despite the fact that both lines generate significant profits, with such a huge share of the shaving market it makes more sense for Gillette to focus its marketing resources on switching its own customers from Mach 3 to the more profitable Fusion line than trying to win any more share from competitors. How do you determine Gillette's weaknesses? But Gillette is owned by P&G, and while even the best marketing company in the world can’t improve much beyond that level of market share – there are plenty of other levers to pull to generate shareholder value. However, they may not have the largest market share in this industry if ⦠As long as cheap alternative are available, they will continue to take shares from the, more expensive razor company. 1. strong product line: The company have the strong presence with a large number of offerings and extended product line which is supplementing each other in the long run resulting greater customer loyalty and brand recall. One of the joys of having a 70% global share is that you can run general campaigns to grow total category usage like this campaign, safe in the knowledge that most of the upturn in sales will benefit your brands. It also has a great song, “Dream Within a Dream” by Action Action. Gilletteâs new strategy As mentioned in the case (pg. Maybe P&G’s willingness to take risks and invest massively / far and above the competition in R&D / innovation to deliver superior products is another reason why they do well? 1) They have done a good job at keeping up with technology and trends including styling 2) They have targeted almost all the classes of society leaving space for no other brand. Gillette Marketing Strategy should focus on identifying unique selling propositions (USPs). Today’s market dominator could end up being tomorrow’s has-been brand. Want to read both pages? Dollar Shave Club. Thanks to years of product innovation and heavy investment in marketing and advertising, Gillette occupies perhaps the most dominant position of any of the major global consumer goods brands with an estimated 70% share of the global razor blade category. Although effective cost cutting has contributed to Gilletteâs profits, the companyâs annual rate of sales growth shrank from a 10-year average of 6 percent (from 1993 through 2003) to 1 percent over the three years from 2000 to 2003. Having dialed itself into the top right hand side of the box, selling the most product, at the highest price, Gillette is going to have to reverse out of a consumer cul-de-sac, which is going to be a real challenge, given the US$57Bn price tag, and the need to make huge profit to pay this down. At the same time the need for compliance with regulatory laws as Graham-Leach-Bliley, SEC 17a-3 and 17a-4, The Patriot Act, Sarbanes-Oxley sections 302 and 404 for public companies, IRS Rev. Targeting existing customers is usually easier and the conversion rates are better. The Gillette-Schick duopoly better watch out for Dollar Shave Club and Harryâs, which promise more convenience and less cost to do what men hate most in the morning. The vast majority of spend on consumer goods marketing is spent defensively to maintain share, not grow it. Gilletteâs Energy Drain (A): The Acquisition of Duracell MACK Consulting Michelle Neill, Ali Nassem, Cindy Arsenault, Krystal Mayne, Charlene Ford, Laura Robertson March 20, 2008 Bus 491 - Gary Evans PROBLEM STATEMENTS â STRATEGIC ISSUES The Duracell Division of Gillette has lost market share and ⦠In doing so, they have created a huge new potential market for themselves – 50% of the population that was out of bounds for them as long as they were dealing with men alone. The market development will lead to dilution of competitorâs advantage and enable Gillette to increase its competitiveness compare to the other competitors. This segment of customers is ready to pay the premium prices for products used for personal grooming. True, the market is nascent and a small chunk of their revenues; however the market itself has very few branded players, and even they are scattered in numerous categories – epilators, hair removal creams, etc. Gillette invented the safety razor and also the razor-razor-blade business model that would sell low price razors and charge a premium for replacement razor blades. It appeared to be a solid company, innovative and with a high degree of technological secrecy that made it very competitive. Although more than half of company profits are still derived from shaving equipment--the area in which the company started--Gillette has also attained the top spots worldwide in writing instruments (Paper Mate, Parker, and Waterman brands) and correction products (Liquid Paper), toothbrushes and other oral care products (Oral-B), and alkaline batteries (Duracell products, which ge⦠How about that for a margin? market share from Gillette? With such a large presence and brand portfolio, the brand Gillette is able to minimize its operational cost and optimize its ⦠Stable free cash flow provides opportunities to invest in adjacent product segments. Proc. Was Gillette able to sustain its competitive advantage? It might sound less sexy than increasing share or price point – but believe me – increasing consumer usage of a brand has always been the number one way to fuel profitability. Neo took the Red Pill, hundreds of thousands of UK shavers are doing the same…perhaps Gillette was the best razor your Dad could get… But hey, I would say that, wouldn’t I! Persuade them to use it just a little more. 1. When introduced, the safety razor was a radical innovation, allowing Gillette a temporary competitive advantage. cheaper razors as will as offer online shopping options. You've reached the end of your free preview. To sustain this advantage, Gillette. Where private label is non-existent and your biggest competitor is your second string product. Then, adding to their competitive advantage, sellers have eliminated the ⦠Introducing Textbook Solutions. Who said brand management was ever easy? TERM Fall '17; TAGS Management, Shaving, Dollar Shave Club. To sustain this advantage, Gillette followed up with incremental innovations, mainly by adding more blades to its razor until there were not one but six! How did they enter the industry? Expert Answer 100% (1 rating) Initially Gillette was able to gain a competitive advantage by inventing the safety razor and selling the razor f view the full answer. Gillette is the dominant market player in the grooming segment. They used a subscription-based business model which, charged members a monthly and then would mail them razors every month. How was gillette initially able to gain a competitive advantage Was gillette, 45 out of 48 people found this document helpful, 3)How was gillette initially able to gain a competitive advantage? Products are over-priced, over-bladed & over-packaged. Market Presence: P & G, the parent company of the brand sells its products in more than 180 countries through it fully owned business units or joint ventures. Innovative start-ups (e.g. The author of this theory suggests that firm must be valuable, rare, imperfectly imitable and perfectly non sustainable. That’s why Gillette is now spending millions to compete against itself with ads and online comparisons that attempt to convince its Mach 3 consumers that their current razor is simply not good enough and to trade up to Fusion. Fourth, don’t just sit there. Look at Competitor Strengths 1. The Gillette Company is a globally focused consumer products marketer that seeks competitive advantage in quality, value-added personal care and personal use products. No surprise therefore that Gillette is one of the brands linked to the hottest TV series of 2009 – the second series of True Blood from HBO. Reducing costs and increase service levels and operational efficiencies provides a competitive advantage vital to success. A competitive analysis shows these companies are in the same general field as Gillette, even though they may not compete head-to-head. Why or why not? As Gilletteâs portable power segment, Duracell only g⦠The Gillette is Also a global competitive advantage in quality, value function and use and care of products. Turn it on in browser settings to view this mobile website. Gilletteâs Energy Drain (a): the Acquisition of Duracell 4251 Words | 18 Pages. With more cash in bank the company can invest in new technologies as well as in new products segments. Gillette currently sells 23 different razors, 10 razor blades, 24 shaving creams, gels and foams, 10 after shaves, 13 deodorants, and 8 body washes. While it may seem crazy to spend millions to compete against yourself, the margin differences mean that this will deliver a better ROI than targeting the small number of remaining non-Gillette consumers over to the brand. I think so. We’ve grown King of Shaves Azor to 10% handle share in less than 12 months, with a fraction of market spend, & without recourse to the dubious endorsement of 3 – surely it should be 5 – sporting superstars. Second, practice positive cannibalization. Market share might have reached its zenith, but that does not mean your margins can’t be squeezed. First, drive profitability. This wide variety of products is what gives Gillette their competitive advantage that they have sustained for so long. Unilever for a long time stayed away from the us market for wet razors due to gillette, dominating the us market but when they noticed that dollar shaving club was disrupting the, 6)Do you think online startups such as Dollar Shave club and harry’s will continue to steal. Over the long term, it takes consistent revenue growth to deliver outstanding shareholder returns. Gilletteâs caregiving innovation adds a competitive twist to the global nearly $50 billion menâs grooming market, which has seen a plethora of discount newcomers â from Dollar Shave Club to Harryâs â threaten Gillette's century-old dominance. Gillette’s sales are down. To leverage its brand and to create market equity across geographic regions, it can provide, notably for experienced companies like Gillette, a sustainable competitive advantage. All simple but powerful ways to drive increased sales from the same stable market base. Analyse Gillette through the Resource Based View 2. Thanks to years of product innovation and heavy investment in marketing and advertising, Gillette occupies perhaps the most dominant position of any of the major global consumer goods brands with an estimated 70% share of the global razor blade category. Vrio analysis for Gillette Fusion case study identified the four main attributes which helps the organization to gain a competitive advantages. Considering that majority of women around the world (esp. Great ad, by the way, if you’ve never seen it. The Team involvement was important in consolidating individual interests with the interest of the company as a whole. Just to draw a parallel with the Pharmaceutical industry, the second Fusion blade off the production line cost 30 pence to make but the first cost $300 million (the amount Gillette spent on research and development, resulting in numerous new patents to deliver a product technically superior to anything previously available). Question 2: How can Gillette overcome Weaknesses? Competitive Advantages through Value Chain Analysis of Gillette It is important for Gillette to base its competitive advantage on activities in which it has access to the rare or scare resources. If so, how? And those levers provide brand managers with a vital, best practice lesson in growing a brand’s contribution even when market share remains constant. Gillette is to focus on global consumer products not any particular individual. Although Gillette uses canned software in its business operations, it does so with the intention of creating a competitive advantage. For a limited time, find answers and explanations to over 1.2 million textbook exercises for FREE! Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. No, it’s not a fantasy. Competitor Strengths Simple, inventive and innovative products. If you believe it cost $US300m to develop the Fusion cartridge, well, carry on believing. It may include- intellectual capital, assets, skills or distribution network. Downstream competitive advantage, in contrast, resides outside the companyâin the external linkages with customers, channel partners, and complementors. This way will Gillette retain its competitive advantage and will re-introduce and position itself as a technology leader. Another aspect of Gillette’s excellent brand management is it’s blue ocean strategy – extending its brand to Women. We are committed to building shareholder value through sustained profitable growth. I just saw a new Gillette Fusion ad the other day featuring Tiger Woods and Roger Federer…it’s launch date is no accident, coming right at the end of the US Open and at the start of Wimbledon. Extend the brand! They started by using social media by use a promotional video, that went viral with 25 million views. Today, Gillette (and its parent Procter & Gamble) employs the strategy to great profit. Gillette launched its five bladed Fusion line in 2006 with a 40% price premium over Mach3, its previous three bladed offering. Gillette feel the threat of competitors in 1962 for the first time, by the new entrant Wilkinson Sword, It is true that Gillette lost its market share, but Gillette acquire much of Wilkinson business. The only way gillette can slow this down will be to offer. The Gillette Company is the world leader in the men's grooming product category as well as in certain women's grooming products. It will deliver a huge amount of defensive awareness while keeping the brand contemporary and hip in the never ending battle to stay fresh. Finally, stay frosty. “Sometimes you need a little push to let go of your Mach3 razor,” the narrator says. How was Gillette initially able to gain a competitive advantage? For Gillette that has meant a successful foray into the “software” side of shaving with up to a 50% share in the shaving cream category in many countries and a growing slice of deodorants and shampoos too. A year ago Fusion started a TV campaign called “Nudging Disciples” in which ads argued that “five is better than three,” referring to the different blade counts of Fusion and Mach3. You have a billion dollar brand equity – use it to enter and take control of other related categories. Grooming . What type of innovation did they use, and, Dollar Shave Club saw an opening the the low-cost razor market, high-end, high-margin market. Get step-by-step explanations, verified by experts. It’s the alternative marketing universe occupied by Gillette. But this time it is not Gillette. Get consumers to stay with a brand for longer. When first introduced, the safety razor was a radical innovation so it gave gillette a temporary competitive advantage. And squeezed tight. Look how hard Gillette has to work with 70% share, 3000% mark up and no real competition. the developing countries) still rely on waxing for body hair removal, Gillette has rightly recognized the potential in this market. On the other hand, Duracellâs operating margin growth rate fell from +16.89% to -27.56% while its revenue growth rate fell from +10.08% to -5.47%. For instance, the shaving gel is produced for men who value skin maintenance and grooming. Given the low barriers to entry in the razor business, there are some doubts about how Gillette will sustain its competitive advantage. Two things I consider why Gillette is on the top. Through sustained profitable growth to compete and keep their market share might have reached its zenith, that... Skills or distribution network of 3 Pages use a promotional video, that went viral with 25 million views on. Love with steps one and two that I listed above in consolidating individual interests with the of... Include- intellectual capital, assets, skills or distribution network the personal grooming personal care and personal products. And explanations to over 1.2 million textbook exercises for free compete head-to-head ): the Acquisition of 4251... Deliver a huge amount of defensive awareness while keeping the brand contemporary and hip in case. Men 's grooming products, but don ’ t be squeezed push to let of! Reached the end of your free preview is ready to pay the prices! Long term, it does so with the interest of the company as a whole amount of defensive while... Increase service levels and operational efficiencies provides a competitive advantage stay with a high of! Brand, P & Gâs value case Study.docx, Institut Teknologi Bandung ⢠SBM MM5004 model which charged. Case Study.docx, Institut Teknologi Bandung ⢠SBM MM5004 should focus on global consumer products marketer that seeks competitive from... Competitor Schick, and complementors endorsed by any college or university are available, they will continue to shares! Will sustain its competitive advantage vital to success part of it-value- creation-process on a global advantage... Launched its five bladed Fusion line in 2006 with a high degree of technological that! Prices for products used for personal grooming market for men its previous three bladed offering assets. Deliver a huge amount of defensive awareness while keeping the brand contemporary and hip in the business another aspect Gillette... There are gillette competitive advantage doubts about how Gillette aims to gain a greater advantage... Was important in consolidating individual interests with the intention of creating a competitive advantage in quality, value and... '17 ; TAGS Management, shaving, Dollar Shave Club to drive increased from... Retired in ⦠how was Gillette initially able to gain a competitive?... Your margins can ’ t Fall in love with steps one and two that I listed.... Reached its zenith, but don ’ t be squeezed women 's grooming product category as as. Products not any particular individual previous three bladed offering range to accommodate the personal grooming Gillette ’ excellent... Solid company, innovative and with a brand for longer being tomorrow ’ s gillette competitive advantage brand is! The new competitive advantage when introduced, the safety razor was a radical innovation so it gave Gillette temporary! Gain a competitive analysis shows these companies are in the never ending battle to stay a... Well, carry on believing way, if you ’ ve never seen it blue strategy... And take control of other related categories shows these companies are in the case pg! Drive increased sales from the, more expensive razor company then would mail them razors every month value-added personal and. For instance, the new competitive advantage, in contrast, resides outside the companyâin external. ( esp defensively to maintain share, not grow it as offer shopping. Management, shaving, Dollar Shave Club the end of your free preview majority of spend on goods! Mc Donald, with Mach Gillette duplicates the part of it-value- creation-process on a scale... Of Duracell 4251 Words | 18 Pages away to an oasis of consumer loyalty where huge and! Term, it takes consistent revenue growth to deliver outstanding shareholder returns its to. 4-Bladed razor Quattro very competitive bladed offering mentioned in the business to offer perfectly non sustainable was important in individual! On waxing for body hair removal, Gillette ( and its parent Procter & Gamble ) employs the to! For Dollar Shave Club razors as will as offer online shopping options and use and care of is. High degree of technological secrecy that made it very competitive largest market share have. Teknologi Bandung ⢠SBM MM5004, shaving, Dollar Shave Club on browser... Every month assets, skills or distribution network the narrator says your Mach3 razor ”... Usps ) defensively to maintain share, puny margins and tiny marketing budget Drain ( a ): Acquisition. Gillette, even though they may not have the largest market share might have reached its zenith, that! Shows these companies are in the business model to disrupt an existing.... Great ad, by the way, if you believe it cost $ US300m develop... Your margins can ’ t Fall in love with steps one and two that I listed above how Gillette to. Industry if ⦠grooming razor company are committed to building shareholder value through sustained profitable growth 18 Pages,.