GILLETTE FUSION $1/WK

Thoughts and input on anything related to wet shaving or men's grooming.
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gil3591
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GILLETTE FUSION $1/WK

Post by gil3591 »

have you seen the gillette ads for fusion blades for $1/wk? the fine print states the cost based on a shave every other day. kinda poor grooming standards for a razor company, don't you think? considering the shave quality is poorer (at least for me) than with a double edge, it seems we are expected to be walking around stubby all the time :roll:
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Re: GILLETTE FUSION $1/WK

Post by jww »

Yes, well, that's mass-marketing for you.
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Re: GILLETTE FUSION $1/WK

Post by brothers »

I reckon if anybody knows how to play that game, it's good old Gillette/P&G.
Gary

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Re: GILLETTE FUSION $1/WK

Post by Squire »

Mass marketing indeed, it's deception pure and simple.
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Re: GILLETTE FUSION $1/WK

Post by Ouchmychin »

I haven't seen those ads. Don't usually watch commercials. Besides I get all my blades on ebay, heavily discounted. Since I started a Van Dyke and moustache, I have no problem with the Fusion or Hydros. Main problem was maneuverability under my nose.
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Re: GILLETTE FUSION $1/WK

Post by ichabod »

I use a Fusion on my head, every day, 7 days a week, missing a shave very occasionally. A Fusion cartridge can last me weeks, if not months. Usually I find myself switching to a new cartridge out of curiosity more than too much deterioration in the head shave. I suspect I've been using my current cartridge three months plus, or 90+ shaves.

I'm assuming that the dollar a week means a month of bi-daily face shaves. I could see that happening easily, based on my head shaving, but I'd be interested to hear from Fusion face shavers about the longevity of the cartridges. Head hair is of course generally softer than face hair. . .

I don't use it on my face because I can feel my skin tingle after one shave, and know from experience what that means (for me).
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Re: GILLETTE FUSION $1/WK

Post by harper »

Gil: where did you see this ad? It makes no sense to me and I can't see it making any sense for Gillette. I don't doubt your word but it goes against all marketing propositions. I am curious because any blade company wants you to shave more, not less.
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Re: GILLETTE FUSION $1/WK

Post by gil3591 »

harper, i've seen the ad several times now while watching nfl games. the advtise the fusion first, then follow with the $1/wk ad. they will mail them to your home
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Re: GILLETTE FUSION $1/WK

Post by Thalay Sagar »

Best,
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Re: GILLETTE FUSION $1/WK

Post by harper »

Gil, Chris: Thanks. I looked at the ad and I can't believe Gillette would do this or what the marketing rational behind it is. They are certainly not improving their relationship with the retailers who make them successful unless they are offering special inducements to retailers to replace lost retail sales. Based on the website it would seem (although it could be regional) it is a national program and not a local test market where they could see if the idea would fly or not. Apparently the Dollar Club, Harry's and others are hitting Gillette sales sufficiently hard that Gillette feels it has to respond in some way. Time will tell whether this will be the right way or not. My guess is that it will be about as successful as the Techmatic razor was and die a slow death. Still, if sales are off 2% for the year that is a huge drop in a multi-billion dollar business and P&G feels that something has to be done to try and reverse the decline. Still, P&G has not been the success it is through making dumb decisions so it is going to be interesting to see how this plays out. Still, without the inside information of P&G that caused them to do this, it seems at best plain dumb to me.

My reading of marketing history indicates that most companies cannot be a little pregnant. You either sell direct to the public or you sell to the public through retailers. When you combine them you eventually alienate both groups and it seems to me that Gillette is in danger of doing this by selling direct and via retailers.

My time doing any work for Gillette was a couple of decades ago or so and I never knew what it cost Gillette to make a TRAC11 or Sensor cartridge (obviously a closely guarded secret) but my view is that the current various multi-blade Gillette cartridges are too expensive for a good many shavers. My guess is that Gillette's prices have cost them more sales than private blade clubs although if the price of cartridges were not so high then there would be no reason for private blade clubs.

I have been a fan of cartridge razors since I first used a TRAC11 and have used a number of different cartridge razors over the years and think the new Power Fusion is the best one yet from Gillette. Even though I made a lot of money out of Gillette over the years I am reluctant to pay the prices for their blades most retailers charge. I buy them at Costco where there is some price benefit and as of late I have been using one of the Harry's razors for a first pass or two and using my Power Fusion for a final touch up. The Harry's razor is very good but not as good as a Power Fusion for me. There is some modest cost benefit for me in doing this although the difference is probably not significant enough over a year to buy me a bottle of cheap Scotch.

I am now 84 and still have a great DE razor but don't use it very often anymore. I don't have any skin problems with a Fusion or any other cartridge razor (I do with any disposable but it is not ordained anywhere that I have to keep trying and I stopped fiddling with them some years ago) and cartridge razors require no skill in using them. I am an old dog who remembers his old dog tricks and don't have to keep doing them except when I am seized with an overpowering desire to do one to see if I actually do remember it so I merrily go on with my Power Fusion.

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Re: GILLETTE FUSION $1/WK

Post by Brutus »

As people are slowly waking up to the true costs of cartridge razors, manufacturers were bound to respond to it in one way or another - no matter how asinine the logic.

After all, Gillette advertising is not aimed at the smartest and brightest segment of the population, is it?


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Re: GILLETTE FUSION $1/WK

Post by Squire »

Probably not as the smartest and brightest can figure out what to buy on their own.
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Re: GILLETTE FUSION $1/WK

Post by 95% »

ichabod wrote:I use a Fusion on my head, every day, 7 days a week, missing a shave very occasionally. A Fusion cartridge can last me weeks, if not months. Usually I find myself switching to a new cartridge out of curiosity more than too much deterioration in the head shave. I suspect I've been using my current cartridge three months plus, or 90+ shaves.

I'm assuming that the dollar a week means a month of bi-daily face shaves. I could see that happening easily, based on my head shaving, but I'd be interested to hear from Fusion face shavers about the longevity of the cartridges. Head hair is of course generally softer than face hair. . .
I shave (my face) daily with a Fusion ProGlide, replacing the cartridge every 7 - 10 days. I could extend its longevity without much deterioration in the shave; but since we're in the business of pampering ourselves, I choose to reward myself with a fresh cartridge more often than is necessary.

The cost works out to about $5 per week - a far cry from what is claimed in the ad. It's highway robbery every time I buy a pack of cartridges, and I deeply regret that I sold my shares of Gillette years ago. If I hadn't, I'd be sharing in their ill-gotten gains today.
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Re: GILLETTE FUSION $1/WK

Post by brothers »

I've got a few boxes of blades, disposables, and cartridges that are literally costing me $0 per week, month, year, and decade. Can't get any cheaper than that. I'm OK. :)
Gary

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Re: GILLETTE FUSION $1/WK

Post by harper »

Brutus, Squire: in advertising, it is a cliché that the smartest and the brightest are bunched in with the dumbest and dullest so some part of all advertising money is pissed away because it reaches the wrong target markets. The trick is not wasting any more money than necessary to move your product.

And, of course, natch, yup, sure, for certain, etc. speaking only for myself but certainly it would include the two of you, I am special, unique, different, and definitely not among the dumbest and the dullest but, then, however , of course, I did buy a Techmatic ...

cheers

Bob
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Re: GILLETTE FUSION $1/WK

Post by brothers »

Brutus wrote:. . . After all, Gillette advertising is not aimed at the smartest and brightest segment of the population, is it? B
Oh, I wouldn't say that. There are some very smart folks in the advertising business. I think Wendell says it best when he mentions that little thing called hubris. It is when we are experiencing hubris (believing that we are particularly smart or bright) that we are quite vulnerable to ending up hooked, line and sinker by someone who made sure we never saw it coming!
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Re: GILLETTE FUSION $1/WK

Post by harper »

Gary: When people in the ad industry began to think they were exceptionally clever and the public they were creating advertising for was exceptionally dumb, David Ogilvy, for whom I once worked, told them "the consumer is not a moron, she's your wife." It applies to wet shavers, too.

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Re: GILLETTE FUSION $1/WK

Post by Squire »

Good observation Bob, it takes one to know one.
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Re: GILLETTE FUSION $1/WK

Post by brothers »

Bob, your point is illustrated by the idiotic advertising plan when someone thought everyone was so stupid all Coca Cola had to do was pay Bill Cosby to declare that New Coke was so much better tasting than the Original. Well, . . . no Bill, it's not better . . . why would you lie to me, Bill? . . . Do you think I'm a fool? He lost all credibility and the rest is history.
Gary

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Re: GILLETTE FUSION $1/WK

Post by Brutus »

brothers wrote:
Brutus wrote:. . . After all, Gillette advertising is not aimed at the smartest and brightest segment of the population, is it? B
Oh, I wouldn't say that. There are some very smart folks in the advertising business. I think Wendell says it best when he mentions that little thing called hubris. It is when we are experiencing hubris (believing that we are particularly smart or bright) that we are quite vulnerable to ending up hooked, line and sinker by someone who made sure we never saw it coming!

Got a point...

Just imagine if Gillette would have used "The best shave a smart man can get" rather than the much duller "The best shave a man can get"? :twisted:
The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts.

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