In 2009, Procter and Gamble's Gillette brand controlled 20 percent of the shaving market in India—a far cry from its 70 percent market share in the U.S. Furthermore, sales had recently plateaued, raising further concerns about the company's strategy in capturing the Indian market. After considering what factors might be causing the market share disappointment, the Indian brand management team realized there was an opportunity to better customize the marketing of Gillette to the Indian context. The primary need for customized marketing was that Indian consumers had different motivations for shaving. Indian men have a poor image of razors that were historically double-edge blades, which caused cuts, nicks, and rashes. Cultural norms related to the virility of facial hair along with famous bearded Bollywood actors meant that Indian men were less motivated to shave than men in other Gillette markets. To educate men about the benefits of shaving, Gillette launched an innovative campaign, known as “Shave India Movement.” The overall campaign was anchored on the research insight that 77 percent of Indian women prefer clean-shaven men. Gillette used a number of creative tactics to bring that statistic to life: • Women Against Lazy Stubble: Opinion poll results were published and female celebrities were recorded promoting the appeal of clean-shaven men. • To shave or not? An urban campaign asked India's women to vote on whether men should shave or not. Attention to the issue was amplified on Facebook as Indian consumers debated the question. Bringing more attention to this seemingly mundane task helped Gillette bolster energy for the movement. • Shave-a-thons: Grassroots stunts that increased word of mouth and brought the Gillette brand into everyday conversation. These events took place in crowded urban centers with crowds of women cheering the men on as they shaved their facial hair. One location even broke the world shaving record! It was also important simplify the product to its essential features so the price could be dropped. Gillette was able to reduce the price from $7.00 to $2.30. As a result of the campaign, Gillette increased sales 500 percent and grew its market share to 80 percent. Additionally, the campaign influenced a U.S. campaign called “Kiss and Tell,” which reported that U.S. women also prefer clean-shaven men. Similar campaigns have been found to be effective around the world.
Questions:
1. What is the downside to customizing Gillette's products and marketing in India? What other options did Gillette had in terms of manufacturing and marketing?
2. Perform a brief analysis of the Brazilian market. Do you think Gillette's approach will work there?