Words well written. DE shaving is a small niche that is probably only profitable for it's purveyors and aggregators (WCS, Bullgoose, Shave Nation and the like).
Why so little marketing for DE blades/razors?
- Thread starter abrowncrayon
- Start date
What is said on this thread is so true and if i may add. Advertising costs are passed on to the consumer, if Wet or DE shaving products were advertised the cost of these products would go up. This day and age, people do not have enough time, its constant on the go, Pampering yourself with a DE shave takes too much time for these men on the go cartridge shaving is faster, strong calculated advertising by say Gillette Fusion (Gillette and 50 other brands like Braun, Old Spice, Tide, Pampers, Bounty, etc. owned by Procter & Gamble) seems to guide peoples every day lives.
Denis
Denis
Personally I think the best "bang for the buck" would be to get DE shaving into media. Have TV and movie characters shaving with DE razors. Position it as the "classy and masculine" shaving option (I guess AoS is basically doing this with wet shaving and fancy mach 3 handles). I'm not sure how much it would cost or if we should just be targetting script writers to put these scenes in (though a wet shaving scene has to be a nightmare for the continuity folks) but that would have the greatest impact, IMHO, outside of men just passing on the tradition to their kids.
It seems like this question has already been answered, but I would still like to add my 2 cents based on my observations.
Advertising campaigns are designed to convince people to buy a product that they otherwise wouldn't think they wanted or needed, or wouldn't even know they were missing (Think your 4 blade razor is good enough? You're wrong! Until you've shaved with 5 blades, you haven't even known what life could be like!). This only works for products that are cheap, and can be bought conveniently by the masses.
Niche products don't advertise because they can't make the same argument to convince masses. It will never work. There is no jazzy feature on a DE razor to justify the initial cost. In today's throw-away society, spending $50 on a metal razor that will last a lifetime seems like an investment. The people that will buy niche products are willing to spend more money, and they will seek out the brands and products they need by word of mouth.
True, DE shaving used to be cheap, and you could buy a Gillette Tech for the 1950's equivalent of a $7 Fusion handle. However, DE shaving has become an expensive, niche market. DE shaving vs cartridges is akin to drinking fine vintage wines vs $8 grocery store brands. If you aren't particularly interested in vintage, you won't even know where to buy it, and you would balk at the prices.
Sure, technically, you can buy 1 of everything (1 brush, 1 razor, 1 soap, 1 pack of blades, 1 AS), and if you stick with it until you've used up your consumables, eventually you may break even or even start saving money. But realistically, the cheapest you can get out of the gate is about $50, and you have to do research and buy half the stuff online or from specialty shops in big cities. Compare this to the $10 starter kit that Gillette has out right now for the Flexball, and it's a financial no-brainer.
In reality, however, I think the majority of people doing this thing have spent much more than you would have ever spent if you never switched to wet shaving in the first place. And I think my key point is that all this money is not available to Gillette for them to win over by advertising. We will spend this money where we will, and gladly, because we are discerning men (and at least 1 woman) who are not swayed by pandering advertisements. Heck, I don't even watch TV.
Advertising campaigns are designed to convince people to buy a product that they otherwise wouldn't think they wanted or needed, or wouldn't even know they were missing (Think your 4 blade razor is good enough? You're wrong! Until you've shaved with 5 blades, you haven't even known what life could be like!). This only works for products that are cheap, and can be bought conveniently by the masses.
Niche products don't advertise because they can't make the same argument to convince masses. It will never work. There is no jazzy feature on a DE razor to justify the initial cost. In today's throw-away society, spending $50 on a metal razor that will last a lifetime seems like an investment. The people that will buy niche products are willing to spend more money, and they will seek out the brands and products they need by word of mouth.
True, DE shaving used to be cheap, and you could buy a Gillette Tech for the 1950's equivalent of a $7 Fusion handle. However, DE shaving has become an expensive, niche market. DE shaving vs cartridges is akin to drinking fine vintage wines vs $8 grocery store brands. If you aren't particularly interested in vintage, you won't even know where to buy it, and you would balk at the prices.
Sure, technically, you can buy 1 of everything (1 brush, 1 razor, 1 soap, 1 pack of blades, 1 AS), and if you stick with it until you've used up your consumables, eventually you may break even or even start saving money. But realistically, the cheapest you can get out of the gate is about $50, and you have to do research and buy half the stuff online or from specialty shops in big cities. Compare this to the $10 starter kit that Gillette has out right now for the Flexball, and it's a financial no-brainer.
In reality, however, I think the majority of people doing this thing have spent much more than you would have ever spent if you never switched to wet shaving in the first place. And I think my key point is that all this money is not available to Gillette for them to win over by advertising. We will spend this money where we will, and gladly, because we are discerning men (and at least 1 woman) who are not swayed by pandering advertisements. Heck, I don't even watch TV.
Do we want to have the masses in on our secret ? Right now we have this quiet little hobby where no one really bothers us.
It is still cheep, yes you are spending allot but that is because you keep buying more stuff.
you let every one in on it and you will have allot more people looking for a limited supply of no longer produced razors.
If every one shaved with DE what would we do ? I mean what would we talk about ?
what would we collect ?
by god we would be...normal.
It is still cheep, yes you are spending allot but that is because you keep buying more stuff.
you let every one in on it and you will have allot more people looking for a limited supply of no longer produced razors.
If every one shaved with DE what would we do ? I mean what would we talk about ?
what would we collect ?
by god we would be...normal.
There is no mass marketing because there is no mass market, it's that simple. As much as we on B&B love our traditional shaving 99% of men use the mass marketed products from Gillette and the like. As others have said, producers of traditional products couldn't dream of affording any kind of marketing campaign.
Often derided by many but you have to admit that AOS are at least doing something to spread the word about the benefits of wet shaving using a brush and soap/cream.
Often derided by many but you have to admit that AOS are at least doing something to spread the word about the benefits of wet shaving using a brush and soap/cream.
While DE shavers are a small niche, I truly believe our numbers would be greater if there were a marketing blitz like they do for carts. Most of the new shavers only know carts and their dads only used carts. They just don't know the option is there and not just something you see in old movies. IMHO
I also agree that I would like it to stay a small community. Its already hard enough to get "limited batch" and artisan soaps before they sell out!
It probably doesn't help that the only recent DE razor add used a known con artist (*AHEM), pawn shop owner as its pitch man.
If your goal is to try and sell a product based on it saving the customer money, don't use a professional grifter to sell it for you.
If your goal is to try and sell a product based on it saving the customer money, don't use a professional grifter to sell it for you.
Consider that P&G owns Gillette, and petesurg products international who makes gillete super stainless, gilltte super platinum, permasharp, iridium super, astra, sputnik, polsilver, 7'0clock yellow, rotbart, nacet, and tiger. (under an ES microscope they all look pretty much identical too) They also own a factory in India that makes even more of our favorite brands.
They also own art of shaving and sell and probably own part of dovo/merkur. There is like 200 stores nationwide, and P&G dominates the foreign market for DE brands. Sounds like they are advertising just fine to me.
They also own art of shaving and sell and probably own part of dovo/merkur. There is like 200 stores nationwide, and P&G dominates the foreign market for DE brands. Sounds like they are advertising just fine to me.
After reading all of the posts in this thread I've come to the conclusion that everyone here on B&B are Canadian. Canadians are by and large a very insecure people. We are constantly on the lookout for some smidgen of praise or even a glancing acknowledgement that we actually exist. When a Canadian gets noticed in American media, we often puff out our chest with pride. Rob Ford's crack-scapades and the attention he's gotten, well let's say it hasn't really hurt him among the "regular" folks...the progressives in Toronto are embarrassed by him because he's so common to use crack, instead of fancy-pants cocaine.
On the reverse side of the coin, Canadians get all huffy when we're ignored. Hey, how come you guys didn't get our input when you rolled out "free" socialized healthcare? We know how to do it! Why didn't you constantly call the space shuttle robotic arm, the Canadarm? Jeez, I mean our name's on the damn thing! Oh, and the Iran hostage thing? We totally saved your bacon on that one, but Ben Affleck's the real hero? Please read all of that with your tongues firmly in your cheeks...
Alright, so why are all of us here on B&B Canadians at heart? We sit up and take notice when Pawn Star Rick Harrison starts hawking DE razors (personally I'd sit up and take notice if one of the Duck Dynasty guys started hawking DE's). We sit up and take note of some Norwegian composer/conductor who shaves with a DE in an Apple commercial. We list the scenes James Bond shaves. I re-watched that old Gillette ad that featured Don Zimmer and Roy Campanella on the occasion of Zim's passing, marveling at how Don managed a razor over his cheeks filled with chaw.
Yet we obsesss over why we DE users are being slighted over being ignored in the mass marketing of shaving tools. Why aren't there more tv commercials? Why is the selection so meager at (insert name of big conglomerate retail outlet)? Why hasn't A&E demanded more scenes of Don Draper shaving with a (insert name of a particular vintage razor)? If only the big boys would pick us earlier for a game of road hockey instead of being picked last, after the fat girl who doesn't even know how to hold a stick the right way...
We are here offering our advice, asking questions, and bragging about our latest score for the simple fact we enjoy old fashioned wet shaving. We've either been wet shaving all our lives or have been recent converts, and if we don't get the attention or respect we feel we're entitled to, we could go fifty percent Canadian and get all huffy with indignation, or we could go the Opposite Canadian, and just say I don't give a rat's patootie. Do I need to feel the warm embrace of the marketplace? Do I need the occasional pat on the head before being let out of the room before the adults break out the brandy and cigars? Nope. I'm a Canadian/I'm a dedicated wet shaver and that's who I am. Deal with it...or not.
Halleleujah, holy crap, where's the Tylenol?
Aaaaand, this thread is killed.
On the reverse side of the coin, Canadians get all huffy when we're ignored. Hey, how come you guys didn't get our input when you rolled out "free" socialized healthcare? We know how to do it! Why didn't you constantly call the space shuttle robotic arm, the Canadarm? Jeez, I mean our name's on the damn thing! Oh, and the Iran hostage thing? We totally saved your bacon on that one, but Ben Affleck's the real hero? Please read all of that with your tongues firmly in your cheeks...
Alright, so why are all of us here on B&B Canadians at heart? We sit up and take notice when Pawn Star Rick Harrison starts hawking DE razors (personally I'd sit up and take notice if one of the Duck Dynasty guys started hawking DE's). We sit up and take note of some Norwegian composer/conductor who shaves with a DE in an Apple commercial. We list the scenes James Bond shaves. I re-watched that old Gillette ad that featured Don Zimmer and Roy Campanella on the occasion of Zim's passing, marveling at how Don managed a razor over his cheeks filled with chaw.
Yet we obsesss over why we DE users are being slighted over being ignored in the mass marketing of shaving tools. Why aren't there more tv commercials? Why is the selection so meager at (insert name of big conglomerate retail outlet)? Why hasn't A&E demanded more scenes of Don Draper shaving with a (insert name of a particular vintage razor)? If only the big boys would pick us earlier for a game of road hockey instead of being picked last, after the fat girl who doesn't even know how to hold a stick the right way...
We are here offering our advice, asking questions, and bragging about our latest score for the simple fact we enjoy old fashioned wet shaving. We've either been wet shaving all our lives or have been recent converts, and if we don't get the attention or respect we feel we're entitled to, we could go fifty percent Canadian and get all huffy with indignation, or we could go the Opposite Canadian, and just say I don't give a rat's patootie. Do I need to feel the warm embrace of the marketplace? Do I need the occasional pat on the head before being let out of the room before the adults break out the brandy and cigars? Nope. I'm a Canadian/I'm a dedicated wet shaver and that's who I am. Deal with it...or not.
Halleleujah, holy crap, where's the Tylenol?
Aaaaand, this thread is killed.
+1 unfortunately.
Hey, she's teaching me how.
- Thread starter
- #37
I'm not so sure about this. I was once in the majority of shavers who don't use DEs, however when I tried a DE, I DID stick with it. I'm sure the majority of users of this site could say the same thing. I can understand people's reticence about trying out DE shaving (I myself had serious doubts about laying out good money for something that may end in a bloody disaster) but I can imagine that most people, once they tried DE shaving, would stick with it, even if they continued to sometimes shave with a cart.
I hear the silent roar of those that want the niche left alone. Shhh, don't stir up the nest or we are who we are and be damned with the advertising. Hmmm. Kind of simple ain't it? Kind of simple except for the fact that the ones who make the marketing decisions have already turned their back on this "old fashioned" shaving. You know, the ones that actually OWN the factories making our consumables. The ones that if they had their way would have already converted the rest of the world to carts. Then what? Scamper for your last Feather blades? Maybe a pallet of Personnas found in the Middle East somewhere to be auctioned off to the highest bidder? Pack by pack, maybe, to make you feel better? The fact remains that in order to get quality goods you need money, BIG money, to fund the journey. You didn't see Harry's produce DE blades when they bought their German factory did you? Nope. You saw cheap carts coming out by the box loads.
So as long someone is willing to take a stand and educate others to DE shaving the market will be there. Without it, those on this forum aren't going to fund a plant to produce Feathers. Time to introduce someone to wet shaving.
So as long someone is willing to take a stand and educate others to DE shaving the market will be there. Without it, those on this forum aren't going to fund a plant to produce Feathers. Time to introduce someone to wet shaving.
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