Early Battles

Early Battles

In their pursuits of disposability, Gillette and Bic have clashed before on other product fronts. First, in the' 1950s, they fought for market share in the writing pen market. Gillette's Paper Mate products, however, were no match for Bic's mass­market advertising and promotion skills. The two firms met again in the 1970s in the disposable eigarette lighter arena, where they again made commodities of what had once been prestigious and sometimes expen­ sive items. Ahhough Gillette did better in disposable lighters than it had in pens, Ric's lighter captured the dominant market share.

In the most recent skirmish, however, Gillette's Good News! brand is winning with a 58 per cent market share in the disposable razor market. For Gillette, the victory is bittersweet. Good News! sells for a lot less than any of Gillette's older products. The key to commodity competition is price. To stay competitive with the Bic razor and with other disposables, Gillette has to sell Good News! for much less than the retail price of an Atra or Trac 11 cartridge. As many Trac II and Atra users have concluded; why pay more for

a twin­blade refill cartridge from Gillette when the same blade mounted on a plastic handle costs half as much? Good News! not only produces less revenue per blade sold, it also costs more because Gillette has to supply the handle as well as the cartridge. Each time Good News! gains a market share point, Gillette loses millions of dollars in sales and profits from its Atra and Trac II products,

The Psychology of Shaving The battle between Bic and Gillette represents more than a simple contest over what kinds of razor people want to use. It symbolizes a clash over one of the most enduring daily rituals. Before King Gillette invented the safety razor, men found shaving a tedious, difficult, time­consuming and often bloody task that they endured at most twice a week. Only the rich could afford to have a barber shave them daily.

Gillette patented the safety razor in 1904, but it was not until World War

1 that the product gained wide consumer acceptance. Gillette had the bril­ liant idea of having the military give a free Gillette razor to every soldier. In this manner, millions of men just entering the shaving age were introduced to the daily, self­shaving habit.

The morning shaving ritual continues to occupy a very special place in most men's lives ­ it affirms their masculinity. The first shave remains a rite of passage into manhood. A survey by New York psychologists reported that, although men complain about the bother of shaving, 97 per ecnt would not

Cast' 6: flic Versus Gillette 271

want to use a cream that would permanently rid them of all facial hair. Gillette once introduced a new razor that eame in versions for heavy, medium and light beards. Almost no one bought the light version because few men wanted to acknowledge publicly their modest beard production. Although shaving may require less skill and involve less danger than tt once did, many men still want the razors they use to reflect their belief that shaving is a serious business. A typical man regards his razor as an impor­

tant personal tool, a kind of extension of self, like an expensive pen, ciga­ rette lighter, attache case or set of golf clubs.