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Monday 22 September 2014

Competition - Is no competition marketing the best man can get patently and fashionably true ? Direct , Indirect and Replacement competition

Gillette Fusion promotion here teaming up with MacLaren Mercedes
Back in the day

King Camp Gillette was an American salesman and inventor who introduced the world to the disposable safety razor in the early part of the 20th century. 

Raised in the Chicago area, he spent his early career as a travelling salesman.     ( Hooray - one of us!)


In the late 1890s he was inspired to create a disposable shaving razor, partly out of personal interest and partly out of a desire to create a product consumers could dispose of before buying another one. 

He teamed up with  machinist-inventor William Nickerson, and in 1901 Gillette formed American Safety Razor, which was soon changed to Gillette Safety Razor. Awarded a patent in 1904.

King C. Gillette sought protection of his new business for safety razors when he applied for trademarks for razors and razor blades, soap, and shaving brushes on Wednesday, May 27, 1908.

The patent system is designed to encourage innovation. This is because patents confer rights on the owner to exclude competitors from the market, offer the incentive for people to study new technology
 Patents are a form of intellectual property


A trademark  is a recognisable sign, design or expression which identifies products or services of a particular source from those of others. 


Competition within the Marketing model
Competition is a vital element in the Marketing Model


First some definitions
Direct
Indirect
Replacement










#Lidl Surprises 
For example the direct competition to Procter and Gamble’s Gillette Razor Blades would be  other wet shaving razors like Wilkinson Sword, ,Bic,King of Shaves  Azor/ Hyperglide system or own label  razors like Lidl’s Cien razors.














King of Shaves Hyperglide System launched  earlier this year
featured here in a Boots store
Niche marketers use a targeted marketing plan that focuses on one particular section of the market that has high potential to connect with a product or service. Instead of casting a wide net in mass-media and large-event marketing, niche marketing zeroes in on strategically selected venues and media platforms that have high concentrations of these targeted consumers. Will King of King of Shaves is a such an niche entrepreneur. Having had considrable success with Azor the company this year have Hyperglide.


Range of Electric Shaving / grooming
products at a Boots store
The indirect completion to Gillette would be the electric razors like Braun , Philips, Remington, BaBylis Wahl













Yet another form of indirect competition might be the hair removal  /depilatory products such Reckitt and Benckiser's Veet, Church and Dwight’s Nair and  Deciem's Inhibitif.



Indirect completion could also arise from fashion.

 For example :
The emergence of the 'hipster beard' as sported by actor Jonny Depp, or footballer and model David Beckham.


This current fashion has affected the grooming industry with sales dropping by some £72 million last year according to analysts IRI. Not only did it affect sales of razors but other products such as shaving foams, gels, balms, after shave  etc.


Still the retailers still sold some £2.2 billion shaving products across Europe.

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