I've not been that well these past couple of days, knocked out by a cold/cough/flu virus immediately after my talk to the Bristol Entrepreneur Society on Tuesday (which was great fun, and I really enjoyed it - despite feeling awful).
As I was tucked up in bed, I missed a bigger knock-out, delivered by the hand of Thierry Henry to Ireland's hopes of competing in the 2010 World Cup. Normally I check my twitter & facebook feeds pretty regularly, but until yesterday, hadn't.
So, I was somewhat overwhelmed to see the number of emails & tweets sent to me on the subject, because - of course - Thierry Henry is signed to Gillette.
Tweets received included:
- "Time for everyone to boycott gillette and go @kingofshaves #henrylecheat"
- "Cannot bloody believe Gillette is standing by Henry. There goes my Mach3 in the bin"
- "Wonder if #Gillette will drop #ThierryHenry now? Reputation management issue for brand, they are getting targeted for their association"
Having (naturally!) re-tweeted tweet #1, I was then intrigued to read the following tweet from @charliedm:
"A lot more people would switch to Azor if it wasn't a cheap plastic piece of rubbish that leaves you looking all Sweeney Todd".
Now, as A) I've shaved with our Azor for over 2 years now (and get the close, comfortable and cost efficient King of Shaves each morning), B) know that a lot of people are switching to our Azor - it was the #1 selling system razor handle last month, and C) know it isn't a bit of 'cheap plastic rubbish' - rather, it embodies all that is great in consumer products, not all that is unnecessary - I was interested to see who @charliedm was...
Turns out he's Creative Strategist for Porter Novelli London...
...Gillette's PR agency.
Ooh er. Someone's rattled out there.
The following tweet exchange then ensues:
@kingofshaves Gillette stick with Henry. Many others not sticking with Gillette, but going to King of Shaves, Azor. Good!
@charliedm Well done for turning the misfortune and misery of as entire nation into a publicity drive. That's not at all cheap".
@kingofshaves "Don't Porter Novelli look after Gillette's PR...?"
@charliedm "It's great for the kind of razor you might get in a Christmas cracker...
@kingofshaves "Um, you would say that given you handle Gillette's PR. The King of Shaves Azor is a GREAT razor
@kingofshaves "Surprised that as chief strategist you make such a negative, public comment. wait until you see our october sales - bit worried?.
@charliedm "Does a lion find a dormouse worrying? Anyway, this isn't work - this is jousting"
@kingofshaves "BA used to think that way. And learned the hard way. Joust away, my friend".
@charliedm "Interesting. That's just the kind of thing XL Airways used to say..."
Then, another enters the fray:
@shedmenshealth Playground bitching on twitter? :o/ Charlie,consumers can read! You should know better in PR. Will, stay strong fella!
Then another..
@peterdean1 "*enjoying* @kingofshaves tweet jousting with Gillette PR's > @charliedm.
Then another...
@atterolognis "Interesting joust :-) Funny that he refers to the Azor as a bit of plastic when his is exactly that. Oh wait, it vibrates.
Then another..
Adam: Is @KingofShaves tweet jousting with Gillette PR's > @charliedm going to turn into another great Tweet war? Hmm....
Watch this space...
The King of Shaves Azor was the best selling branded system razor handle by volume in the UK in October, beating Wilkinette by a decent margin! Here are the key numbers:-
Total branded system razor sales 4 weeks to 31/10/09: 430,506 units
- King of Shaves Azor: 85,938 units.
- Gillette Fusion Manual: 60,235 units
- Gillette Mach3 Manual: 46,706 units
- Wilkinson Sword Quattro Precision Trimmer: 43,711 units
- Wilkinson Sword Quattro Manual: 24,628 units
- Wilkinson Sword Quattro Titanium Manual: 20,377 units
- Gillette Fusion Power Stealth: 17,377 units
This performance was despite continuing product discounting by both competitors, and substantial TV spend by Gillette.
Our handle market share for the month more than doubled to nigh on 20%, a 120% growth on the previous month's handle sales of 39,000 handles. Replacement cartridge sales also increased from 141,000 replacement cartridges sold to 227,000 cartridges sold, a 61.4% increase.
With our second burst of TV advertising now underway (across Sky Sports channels, ESPN, Dave & Dave Ja Vu) and a second round of trade promotion planned to end the year, we are delighted with the performance of the Azor, as we continue to consistently build brand awareness and market share in the face of what I'd call 'fierce' competition into 2010.
We have 'new' coming to the market, and those of you who are Shaving Bond holders will be some of the first to receive these new products as we continue to improve our product offering.
Do remember you can follow my regular blogs here & here, and if you wish, become a facebook fan here or follow me on twitter here.
Here at King of Shaves, a consumer centric brand, we hail the power of Twitter (original blog posting)
Many people in marketing feel that twitter is only good for posting notice of 'deals' and from a 'brand engagement' perspective, it's not that worthwhile.
Wrong! And, here's the proof - from Paul Lancaster, a web
development executive working in London. Thanks Paul for your email! If
you're interested with engaging with our fast growing men's &
women's shaving & skincare brand, you can follow me on twitter here
----------------
I'm one of Will's followers and can testify first hand just how useful and valuable Twitter can be in providing a direct (or more direct) link between customer and business.
I like what King of Shaves is doing and after many years as a Gillette user have decided to ditch them and get behind Will and his company as I feel they are more in tune with their customers and also the fact that they are a UK brand.
I sent Will a direct message via twitter asking if I could have his email to send him some feedback on his Azor razor. He gave this straight away, and to cut a long story short, after suggesting a way that they could improve their blades even further, I was sent a new one to trial.
Not only do I feel that it's fantastic that people like Will are listening to their customers by allowing them to send direct feedback in this way, but this positive experience has also cemented my loyalty to the King of Shaves brand and meant that I have already started spreading the word about the company and will continue to do so from here on in.
All hail the power of Twitter to send customer feedback, and long live the King (of Shaves)! ;o)
Paul Lancaster
Tonight was the presentation of the National Business Awards. One of them was for 'Marketing Strategy of the Year'. Finalists included King of Shaves, Aviva and...the Inland Revenue.
Hector the Tax Inspector won.
Simon Vingoe, our Marketing Manager couldn't believe it. Nor could his table. Nor could some people at the top table. In fact, most couldn't. At least Simon said Kay, a lady from Newsnight gave King of Shaves a plug at the opening of the awards
The irony was that I'd spent the evening at an HSBC bank event at Brockett Hall, hearing Lord Digby Jones exhort us British manufacturing and marketing companies to 'lead the UK out of recession' by making and selling products on a global basis, so the HMRC can tax our profits.
Gobsmacked. And, as I write this, the NBA website is 'down for servicing'. As is their twitterfeed.
Maybe the last person in the UK will turn out the lights when they leave.
As well as airing in the UK from this Saturday, our 'Shaveolution' TV ad is also debuting in South Africa, where King of Shaves & our Azor system razor is now on sale at Clicks, South Africa's leading Health & Beauty Retailer.
The critically acclaimed ad featuring 'Elvis Stubbles' shaving Charles Darwin with our 'Bendology Technology' Azor can be seen between 23rd November & 6th December on Supersport Channels 1 through 6, ESPN, as well as the Discovery Channel & National Geographic with a total of 160 spots planned. Details of our South African press launch can be seen here.
Our TV ad is back on air again in the UK from Saturday 14th November for 3 weeks, across Sky Sports 1, 2, 3, Extra and ESPN, as well as Dave and Dave Ja Vu. With over 625,000 Azor handles & 3,500,000 Endurium cartridges sold since launch, it will continue to build on the increasing momentum King of Shaves has in the market.
We've carried out some research into what people have thought of our ad too - the good, and the bad - after all - you can't please everyone ;-)!
- "The ad is
very original, I liked the basic idea - to show that using this razor is fun and
easy".
- "The part
about a 'Lady on the Arm', is terribly cheesy, cliched, manipulative,
transparent towards the viewer, and heavily over used in marketing. Of course
this is my own personal opinion, but then I am a near 40 year old guy with a gut
sack the size of a small village, and have nowhere near the pulling attraction
of your average twenty-something toned and tanned boyband contender. So forgive
my envy of those whom this marketing is aimed at. On the plus side, loved the
dance tune, and the monochrome South Park styling of the humorous animation.
Could have been more informative and convincing of the products genuine
scientifically proven merits, that said I love a good monkey dancing around the
screen. so, more monkeys please!"
- "Animation was
disorientating. Music was gaudy and distracting. I found the whole advert to be
extremely hetero-presumptive; not all men who buy razors are straight and
clean-shaven - some of us are gay and/or have beards! Sorry, I absolutely hated it."
- "I liked it
because it is different from other shaving product adverts on the market. It
makes the product seem cool and a must have. The use of the animation makes it
stand out from other similar product adverts and has a a certain quirkiness and
coolness. The use of Darwin is clever (especially as its his 200th anniversary
of his birth and 150 yrs since Origin of Species was published which ties in
with the evolution of shaving. Very clever. Music was good".
- "It's TOP! I
really like it! It perhaps appeals to a younger person like myself, to the under
35's and mid twenties I reckon as its fun, its not technical like the Gillette
adverts (which are always so droney and similar), its really good! Love it! How
refreshing!"
- "Positive: It's very original & fresh - I can see it often without problem. I think it carries a neat idea (modern, advanced). Negative: It's in black & white, and many people do not have interest in watching or thinking what its about."
- "The advert
was outstanding. Visually creative and innovative. Very original, stylish and
fun. This advert I feel is far more memorable and effective than say for
instance the cheesy, wooden and boring Gillette counterpart starring Tiger Woods
and Co."
- "I didn't
like the men in pants. This advert is aimed at men and most men don't want to see
that (although pleasing for women)"
- "Darwin is
used as it is the 150th anniversary of publication of The Origin of Species and
you are attempting to say that your razor is an evolutionary jump. Yet the
music and style is aimed at those who are almost living proof that they are not
the next evolutionary jump but rather a step back towards the great apes"!
- "The music was
terrible, and annoyed me considerably. The whole tone was irritating and
desperately trying to be 'youth' in appeal. Whoever
thought of shaving Darwin like that should be fired immediately. By a firing
squad".
- "I enjoyed the
animation the most, it looked original and interesting. The concept and the feel
of the ad was high quality but also had a certain British feel to it, this made
me feel like this was a British company that might need my support over major
international corporations like Gillette. Shaving Darwin's beard was amusing".
- "I liked the
style of it, the animation was simple but effective and conveyed the key
points. The screen wasn't too over-saturated with activity and the use of black
and white aided this, so the viewer knows what to focus on. It flowed well
overall and the music seemed to harmonize with the theme and concept of the
product".
- "I like the animation style (though the tongue out on the monkey turns my stomach a little). It's clever and interesting to watch, amusing".
Courtesy Geoff Riley, head of economics at Eton College, I was delighted to speak to approximately 200 young shavers as part of a series of talks to their Entrepreneur Society, headed by co-secretary, Thomas Aedy. Having gone to school at Kirkley High, a comprehensive school in Lowestoft, Eton is probably as far removed from that place of learning as it's possible to be. It was great!
I was met by Thomas, a very assured young man (in his suit & tie - the tie came off shortly afterwards) at Eton landmark, 'the burning bush', and then ushered into one the 25 houses, for fireworks and dinner, kindly hosted by housemaster, Mark Fielker, along with Geoff and a dozen or so of the members of the Entrepreneur Society.
I had about an hour in which to try and impart my enthusiasm for what I do - how King of Shaves has grown, why I founded the business, the challenges, the rewards and the importance of being a 'momentum creator'. We touched on my 'life at the centre of a hurricane brand', the importance of calm (whilst storms are raging around you), why I think companies of the future should be constructed like a wheel, explained Brannovation, Smarketing, Props & Purdo's, took the audience through my '20 second MBA' course and afterwards, answered a series of intelligently framed questions from audience members (attendees were also from local schools, as well as students from Eton).
It was my first 'after dinner' presentation - normally, I try to carry them out in the morning, or at least during the day, but I got two huge rounds of applause, and at the end, Thomas kindly mentioned "I'd been the best speaker they'd had, so far" (I'm sure they say that to all the speakers).
Attendees departed with King of Shaves product, and assorted cans of Red Bull & Relentless - those who were there, will know why these were handed out.
These guys (and girls) are our future - and I hoped my brief discourse on 'Being the best you can be' enthused them to 'embrace change as a constant' - 'knuckle down and build momentum' and most important of all, to 'enthuse, exceed, enjoy'.
Thanks Geoff, and for your blog post too.
Consumer Communities, Digital Dialogues and Shaving. The King of Shaves View. (original blog posting)
I was pleased to be interviewed by Clark Turner, founding editor of top online marketing site, uTalkMarketing.com a week or so ago, and was delighted to
read the article today, courtesy a tweet from one of our followers. If you're in marketing, and want to start to get ahead of the curve in this space, I believe it's worth a read.
You may also have read that King of Shaves is a founding member of the Consumer Forum, i blogged on the site today about the importance of embracing Twitter to connect with your customers, 25/8. Link to that blog here.
Hope you enjoy!
Back in 1993, a young guy called Brett Wells worked at SIPCO (Shell International Petroleum Company) in IT. He was a friend of mine (still is!) and was one of the very first (like, the second!) to shave with the original King of Shaves shaving oil, contributing to its stellar first year sales of £300...
Sixteen years on, we've come on a little way, as has he - now Business Development Manager at a company called Ingenico, and along with five colleagues, is heartily embracing the spirit of Movember, growing 'tache's to raise funds for this worthy cause, and in memory of Tim, a work colleague who sadly passed away due to prostrate cancer.
The six guys (Brett is the one in the purple tie) are pictured, and if you wish to donate to this worthy cause (King of Shaves supports it down-under, in the UK, Wilkinson Sword are doing their bit), please go to their donation page here. They've already raised £880. Well done bro's.
And, when it comes to removing their no doubt beautifully crafted moustache's, we'll provide the necessary hardware and software, and make a donation ourselves.
King of Shaves Azor continues to grow in the face of huge competition from 'Wilkinette'. According to sales numbers we received yesterday (and this is before our integrated TV advertising & trade promotions kicked off early October) here are the highlights:
- King of Shaves Azor handle sales up 309% year on year (to w/e Oct 3rd 2009)
- King of Shaves Azor Endurium replacement cartridges up 1,339% year on year (to w/e Oct 3rd 2009)
- King of Shaves Azor the #5 selling system razor handle by volume (outselling all individual Wilkinson Sword variants, as well as Gillette Mach3 Turbo, Gillette Fusion Power Stealth, Gillettte Fusion Power Phenom & Gillette Fusion Power Gamer).
- Aggressive price promotions by Gillette drove handle sales at the expense of handle cost, the average Gillette system handle (including all power variants) at just £4 (versus RRP's of up to £9.99)
- All Wilkinson Sword products in month-on-month sales decline.
Looking forward to reporting our October sales figures - where our handle market share could easily hit 17% by volume.
