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Individual Assignment

Gillette's battle to change shaving

habits in India.

1.1 Introduction
Gillette is an American brand of safety razors and other personal care products
including shaving supplies, owned by the multi-national corporation Procter &
Gamble (P&G).
Based in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, it was owned by The Gillette
Company, a supplier of products under various brands until that company merged
into P&G in 2005. The Gillette Company was founded by King C. Gillette in 1901 as
a safety razor manufacturer .

1.2 Target customer and target market

Target Market and Potential Customers A target market is a more broad group of

potential customers defined by ranges. The target market may need to be broken
down to a specific target customer should you decide to customize
your marketing efforts.

2.1 Definition of culture and related factors

Culture encompasses the set of beliefs, moral values, traditions, language, and laws
(or rules of behavior) held in common by a nation, a community, or
other defined group of people. Anthropoligists and epidemiologists have identified
many associations between culture, customs, and risks to health. ...

2.2 Definition of consumer behavior

Consumer behaviour is the study of how individual customers, groups or

organizations select, buy, use, and dispose ideas, goods, and services to satisfy
their needs and wants. It refers to the actions of the consumers in the marketplace
and the underlying motives for those actions.

2.3 Culture of Indian

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The standard, double-edged razor could not be dislodged, despite the target buyers
being educated men with more discretionary income than the average Indian.
Shaving is not a large enough operation for Indian men to warrant such a high price.
Gillette's Mach3 value proposition was focused on comprehensive market analysis
that established core shaving issues among men, including time commitment, skin
discomfort, and overall unpleasantness. "The nearest shave ever with fewer strokes
- with less irritation," according to Mach3. Since it was important to achieve the
promised results, research and development was a key value network aspect
promoting this value proposition. Increased processing capability and aligned
promotional content were used to prepare manufacturing, shipping, publicity, and
advertisement for the global launch.

2.4 Consumer behaviour in purchasing that product in that country

With such a negative mindset about shaving, Gillette had to work on improving
people's minds, which led to several innovative marketing strategies. For eg, the
'Shave India Movement 2009' program, which included many projects, backed the
launch of the latest Gillette Mach3 in 2009. To help this movement, Gillette created
the website 'India Votes... to Shave or Not Shave', which raised three divisive
questions: Is it true that shaved men are more successful? Is it true that the public
loves actors who aren't shaved? And then there's the big question: do women like
men who aren't shaved? Various media sources picked up on the campaign and
ran interviews, debates, editorials, and news reports for two months, attracting
public attention. The key aim was to launch a dialogue about shaving.

2.5 Analyse the impact of culture on consumer behaviour in that country

Until 2010, Gillette India had followed a policy of selling low-cost razors built in the
United States. Low-income Indian consumers, on the other hand, who couldn't afford
Gillette's premium price, resorted to old-fashioned double-edged razor shaving
schemes. With an estimated 400 million consumers dissatisfied with current
business offers, Gillette saw a promising growth opportunity. As a result, it
concentrated on getting to know its clients and the problems they encountered,
which necessitated spending hours meeting and interviewing customers to learn
about the importance of hygiene in their lives and to assess their needs.

Gillette developed a new customised offering after gaining a better understanding

of this market category. In October 2010, Gillette Guard, the first product produced
exclusively for the Indian market, was unveiled. It cost Rs15 per razor, which was
less than 35 cents and three percent less than the Fusion ProGlide's peak price.
Gillette Guard, which costs Rs5 for a refill cartridge, met consumer standards for
safety and ease of use. Gillette Guard differs from standard razor systems
manufactured in the developing world in a number of ways. Blades that were not
required were removed. The single-blade mechanism in the Gillette Guard defies the
trend of increasing the number of blades in a razor designed for developing
countries. The complexity of the design was minimized. The Gillette Guard is a
much simplified design, with fewer parts to assemble during development.

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 The ability to invent was critical to Gillette's success in India. In 2009, it used
novel methods of communication with customers to entice a previously uninterested
community. Gillette was able to shift customers' aversion to shaving and build real
traction for its brand through an innovative use of conventional advertising and
publicity strategies that promoted the introduction of the new Gillette Mach3. Gillette
moved from a market-driven to a market-driving policy in this way. Second, in 2010,
Gillette used "reverse creativity," as described by the Harvard Business Review, to
create a commodity that matched the needs of lower-income customers. Gillette
took a new strategy after struggling to win substantial market share in India by
offering lower and mid-tier American razors in different packaging. It went back to
the drawing board by investing heavily in market analysis to better identify the
demands and desires of its target audience.

3. Conclusion

Other businesses will benefit from Gillette's experience in India. Multinationals often
make the mistake of pushing multinational brands in a one-size-fits-all approach.
Gillette's policy of devoting time and energy to learning about the interests of Indian
customers proved to be a winning recipe. This knowledge enabled it to evolve by
creating new goods and innovative engagement strategies to draw and engage
Indian customers.

4. References
https://www.businesstoday.in/magazine/lbs-case-study/gillette-innovated-improved-its-
market-share-in-india/story/204517.html

https://gillette.com/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gillette

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