Gillette is one of the most successful firms among men’s products, especially in the manufacture and sale of the shavers. This has been attributed to its superior marketing strategies (Kotler & Keller, 2012, p. 534). The firm has been able to convince its customers that more razorblades are better for them. Its marketing strategies have been focused on its superior double and triple razorblades.
This has worked for the company because of a number of reasons. The first reason is the emotional appeal that Ottman (2011, p. 38) says is very important in a market that is very competitive. This firm has been able to achieve emotional appeal to its customers making it a unique product to different people based on the emotions it evokes (Eddie, 2010, p. 480).
To a section of its customers, Gillette symbolizes efficiency in shaving because of their argument that their triple blade shavers are three times more efficient than a standard shaver. To another section, Gillette is the ultimate product that can be used when one has limited time. A process that would take six minutes with a standard shaver takes only two minutes.
This is so because of the double or triple blades in the shavers as explained in the commercials of this product. As shown in the case study, the marketing unit of Gillette knew that they had to convince their customers that their double blades and triple blades were more effective than the standard products in the market (Roedy & Fisher, 2011, p. 68).
The commercial for the triple blade shows a scenario where the three blades work closely in a single shave to ensure that there is no need for a repeat.
As mentioned in the case study, Gillette has been able to convince customers that more razorblades are good. However, it is now time to focus on the future of the firm. The firm must be ready to determine the path that will be taken towards achieving future success. For this reason, there is need to determine the best approach that can keep this firm active in the market.
The dynamism in the market shows that a firm must be able to change its marketing strategies to remain competitive.
The most probable focus should be an emphasis on the efficiency of a single blade. The marketing team should find a way of convincing the customers that although more is still good, each of the blades in the shavers have improved quality, making them more appropriate in shaving. This may help the firm to retain its competitiveness.
Gillette has used some of the top celebrities in the world to endorse the brand, making it one of the most popular brands in male products. In fact, this brand has been considered one of the best brands in the market for several years among men’s product. It is important to note that the success of this firm in marketing men around the world using the celebrities is that it seeks to appeal to the emotions of the viewers.
The marketing team has been engaged in extensive researches to identify some of the emotional appeals that the firm can use to attract the customers, and one such way of achieving this is to use celebrities (Ryan & Jones, 2012, p. 89). When these celebrities engage in controversies that may tarnish their reputation, then it is important to note that the brand shall also be affected.
This is so because the customers associate the celebrity with the products. Their admiration of the celebrity makes them admire the products that he or she endorses. When the celebrity’s fame turns into public hate, then that would be of negative consequences to the firm. Any time the name of the celebrity is mentioned will remind them of the product (Richards & Jones, 2010, p. 310).
The hatred that they develop towards the celebrity will also be reflected in the brand. It may be easy to assume that the impact may not be significant enough, but Kotler and Keller (2012, p. 532) warn that this may have devastating impact on a firm’s marketing message. A good example is the case of Tiger Woods and Gillette. For a very long time, Gillette has been using Tiger Woods to endorse its products.
Tiger Woods was a respected family man and a top golfer known all over the world. His popularity did not just come out of his skills in golfing. People admired him as one of the top athletes who had stable families and respected their wives. It was on this basis that Gillette considered him an appropriate celebrity to endorse this product.
As McLeish (2011, p. 59) says, it is always necessary to choose the best celebrity with as minimal controversies as possible, and this was what this firm was looking for when they settled on Tiger Woods. However, the recent controversy that led to the divorce between Woods and his wife over allegations of extramarital affairs has affected the message the firm was passing using this brand.
People no longer see Woods as a perfect family man who is always determined to care for the family. The message that Gillette was trying to bring out using this celebrity was that a caring wife would buy her caring husband a Gillette 3. When it comes out that the ideal husband used in the advert is a cheat, then the message will be lost.
Gillette has been successful in marketing for men, but it has always ignored the potential of marketing to women. Narrowing down the market focus is always important when defining the market segment that is the most appropriate to attract (Norzalita & Norjaya, 2010, p. 81). However, many have been asking whether this firm may be in a position to market successfully to women.
This is a question that may not have a direct answer because no one can have a precise determination of the future market forces, and how the forces will affect the firm in the market. This means that it is not possible to specify whether Gillette will ever be able to market to the women or not.
However, it is important to appreciate that in the current dynamic market, Gillette has not considered women as a potential target for its products. To this company, its products are still focused on offering maximum satisfaction to men in the market. This is the segment that Gillette still feels it can offer maximum satisfaction.
As at now, the strategies of Gillette are still focused on appealing to men in the market. However, this may change if it realizes that women can also be part of the important market that its products should attract. To achieve success, there are a number of issues that this firm will need to embrace. It must develop superior marketing strategies that would help it retain the male customers as it seeks to attract female customers.
It should ensure that its strategies are in line with the market needs. It must ensure that its adverts are constantly entertaining its audience as it has always been the case. Above all, it must be able to understand the changing marketing trends in the market and find ways of changing its marketing strategies in order to remain relevant in the market (Kotler & Keller, 2012, p. 533).
If the firm fails to achieve this, then it may not be possible to appeal to female customers. The stiff competition and the changing tastes and preferences among the female consumers in the market may pose a serious challenge to Gillette in its efforts to attract female customers.
Some of the female consumers strongly believe that this product is meant for men that it may not be easy to convince them to believe that women also stand to benefit from superior of the products. However, the marketing team has the responsibility of ensuring that these female customers are convinced that they too have a share in this firm.
However, Ottman (2011, p. 77) warns that in the process of attracting women, care should be taken to avoid a scenario where male customers may feel that their products or brand have been invaded by women. If this happens, they may consider switching allegiance to other brands.
References
Eddie, J. (2010). Usage, Self-Brand Connection, and Dilution, Journal of Marketing Research, 50(4), 477-488.
Kotler, P. & Keller, K. (2012). Marketing Management. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
McLeish, B. (2011). Successful marketing strategies for nonprofit organizations: Winning in the age of the elusive donor. Hoboken, N.J: Wiley.
Norzalita, A. & Norjaya, M. (2010). Analyzing the Brand Equity and Resonance of Banking Services: Malaysian Consumer Perspective, International Journal of Marketing Studies, 2(2), 180-185.
Ottman, J. A. (2011). The new rules of green marketing: Strategies, tools, and inspiration for sustainable branding. Sheffield: Greenleaf Pub.
Richards, K. & Jones, E. (2010). Key Account Management: Adding Elements of Account Fit to an Integrative Theoretical Framework, Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management, 29(4), 305-320.
Roedy, B. & Fisher, D. (2011). What makes business rock: Building the world’s largest global networks. Hoboken Wiley.
Ryan, D., & Jones, C. (2012). Understanding digital marketing: Marketing strategies for engaging the digital generation. Philadelphia, PA: Kogan Page.