IMC 613, Week 9: Harry’s Brand Audit

Colin Haas

October 19, 2014

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Harry’s has been a brand built on design and experience, much like Apple. While

Harry’s and Apple both have strong brand elements, Apple has excelled in their

marketing and advertising of the products they design. This has been the key area

where Harry’s has fallen short in their efforts. The brands that grow their influence and

ultimately their bottom line are the brands that remember it’s about human-to-human,

not business to consumer. While brands like Gillette, Schick, and Bic all advertise to

the consumer, our goal is to create relationships with the consumer. Building out

brand associations with other retailers, like Gap and Banana Republic, while continuing

to deepen current relationships with J.Crew and Birchbox Man. On top of these brand

associations, a visual marketing plan would also be put into place, as today’s

consumers are more visual than ever. Going hand in hand with a video marketing plan

would be a content marketing strategy. Through the creation of a content hub, Harry’s

would share “how-to” videos that teach men how to shave properly and other “how-to”

videos. Last, Harry’s has a beautifully designed responsive website, it would also be a

great idea to create a smartphone app that sends push notifications to current

customers. Sending reminders to purchase new blades or even promotional push

notifications, for those special handles that get promoted at different points of the year.

While Harry’s has crafted beautifully designed products to create an experience in the

“original man-cave,” it’s important they create avenues to share the Harry’s experience

and something Dollar Shave Club has done exceptionally well through video. Today is

the day to grow Harry’s market share. Let’s seize it!

BACKGROUND

In 2012, the shaving segment, which included razors, blades and shaving cream,

generated retail sales of approximately $3.6 billion U.S. dollars (Statista, 2014). While

the shave category came in fifth, it held a 3.6% of the retail sales in the beauty and

personal care market for 2012 (Statista, 2014). In 2013, razor blades took a 7.6%

share of online purchases for consumer packaged goods (Statista, 2014). Part of that

percentage can be credited to recent startup, Harry’s and their products. Challenging

the market will be an up hill battle, as they not only go up against Dollar Shave Club,

but P&G’s Gillette and Schick brands, as well as Bic. The good news, is that less than

a year after its launch, Harry’s had gained more than 100,000 customers and climbing

(Gross, 2014).

Born in 2013, Harry’s – which dispenses high-end shaving goods at low prices via its

website – it aims to steal market share from the Gillettes of the world by appealing to

time-crunched Millennials and Boomers who appreciate the company’s no-nonsense

online approach to men’s grooming products (Cava, 2014).

Harry’s Brand Position & Inventory

Harry’s is still in the startup phase, raising $122.5 million last summer and then

spending $100 million to buy a 93-year-old German manufacturer of premium blades

(Cava, 2014).

Points-of-Parity

Two POP’s that stand out for Harry’s, can also be said for their direct competitor,

Dollar Shave Club. Harry’s offers quality razors, at a discounted price, compared to

their in-store competitors. The second point-of-parity for Harry’s is their subscription

service for their razor blades.

Depending on the frequency of how much you shave, Harry’s will charge you $31 per

shipment of 2, 3, or even 5-months (Harry’s, n.d.). Dollar Shave Club (n.d.) does

something similar with their Humble Twin, 4X, and Executive blade offerings.

Points-of-Difference

A key POD that really resonates with Millennials, is the Harry’s brand gives to charities.

Harry’s (n.d.) gives 1% of their sales and at least 1% of their time to organizations that

prepare people for personal and professional success.

Target Market

According to co-founder, Katz-Mayfield, “Our customer tends to be a 25-to 45-year-

old guy who is kind of grown up and considered and thought about purchase decisions

and wants a brand that speaks to him as a mature adult.” (Gross, 2014).

Allocation of Branding Resources

The shaving market is an established market, with challengers, Dollar Shave Club

launching in 2012 and Harry’s launching in 2013. Harry’s was built on the idea of

building a brand predicated on a really high-quality product, thoughtful design, and

doing it at a really affordable prices as a way to build trust, respect, and loyalty (Gross,

2014). Proctor & Gamble has focused on the technology of their shavers and razor

blades, to help justify the price of their products. Harry’s has focused more on the

design and aesthetics of their razors, where as they need to be emphasizing the low

prices of their blade refills. Customers are tired of walking the aisles of the

supermarket and staring at an endless selection of blades. What if we didn’t have too?

This is where Harry’s should focus their attention too, and is the foundation of what

Dollar Shave Club is built on.

Benefits Gained

By focusing on this POV and letting the other pieces fall into place, it will help build

Harry’s customer-based brand equity. Using all forms of non-traditional advertising to

affectively focus on price-value, Harry’s could break into double-digit market share,

while continuing to raise brand awareness. The expectation is to see Harry’s have a

10% market share through these branding and marketing activities.

Harry’s and the Competition

Harry’s wasn’t just chosen as a challenger brand due to the market dominance of

Gillette, but because of the potential of this startup and the success of its big brother,

Warby Parker. Harry’s has continued adding customers, thanks in part to word-of-

mouth and organizational partnerships.

P&G’s Gillette and Schick Brands

Gillette was a brand founded in 1904, but the Gillette product line of razors and

personal care products became part of Procter & Gamble when P&G bought the

company in 2005 (Forbes, 2013). There is no denying that Gillette is king of the

mountain when it comes to the blades and razors market, as you can see from the

graphic, Gillette had a 66% hold on the market in 2011. Razors are one of the most

profitable businesses for P&G, with operating margins of 31% and 70% control of the

global blades and razors market, led by Gillette (Forbes, 2013). Presently, P&G holds

over 20% of the male shaver market (P&G, 2014).

Bic

The shaver category makes up a large portion of Bic’s net sales, coming in the 3rd spot,

for 2013 (Bic, 2014).

However, in the U.S. markets, Bic is down compared to last year at this time, with an

overall category decline of -3.7% (Bic, 2014).

Dollar Shave Club

A third competitor and also from the startup scene, is Dollar Shave Club. The Venice,

California startup has a much more different vibe and business model that is more

direct and democratic (Gross, 2014). According to Gross (2014), they are less

concerned with design and German engineering and more concerned with fun,

convenience, and saving money. To prove that, Dollar Shave Club’s tagline reads, “our

blades are f***** great” (Gross, 2013). Where Harry’s is at the low-end of the 100K

subscribers, Dollar Shave Club is closing in on 750K. Although no official numbers

have been released by either brand.

If Harry’s can focus on value first and engineering second, they could overtake Dollar

Shave Club and Bic, in a rather short period of time. All while continuing to solidify

deeper ties with specific companies like Birchbox Man.

II. BRAND INVENTORY

Most men’s grooming products are ornate, futuristic and generally chintzy – the few

classic options, on the other hand, are priced out of most men’s reach. So what’s a

guy to do? Harry’s is a freshly launched men’s grooming line that’s bringing an

enjoyable shave experience to the common man (Thorne, 2013). The co-founders

expressed the idea of building a brand predicated on a really high-quality product,

thoughtful design, and doing it at a really affordable price as a way to build trust,

respect, and loyalty (Gross, 2014). Like Warby Parker, Harry’s has its own aesthetic

and gives a chunk of its sales to charities. Buy a razor and they give a single five-blade

razor. The shavers have preppy names – there’s the $10 Truman and the $20 Winston

(naturally, the one named after the British statesman costs more.) But the cartridges

cost a mere $1.88 each – including free shipping (Gross, 2014).

When it comes to the quality of these blades, Harry’s uses a “gothic arch” blade. The

gothic arch lasts longer, compared to the disposable blades of Bic and Gillette, which

shows the value and durability of the Harry’s blades. The style and design of Harry’s

“Truman” and “Winston” handles have just that in mind, classic look with a modern

feel. Harry’s tagline speaks directly to price, it’s a great shave at a fair price. Dollar

Shave Club, Harry’s direct competitor comes from the angle of lowest price. As

Harry’s is about an experience, as you will see from their package design and layout.

BRAND ELEMENTS

Name

Keller (2013) tells us that brand names come in many different forms. So just how did

Jeff Raider, co-founder of Harry’s, come up with the name for the new shaving

venture? Raider ascribes their success to a three-part naming exercise, which first

starts with coming up with a list of names and run them by friends, family, and

colleagues (Brodsky, 2014). Which names resonate? Second, they ask them why one

name resonates more than another. What did they associate with the names? Lastly,

they see which one sticks. Days later, which names can’t they get out of their heads?

(Brodsky, 2014). As Raider explains, even the name “Harry’s” is meant to instill a

sense of tradition (Thorne, 2013).

Logo

That same sense of tradition is also encapsulated in the woolly mammoth logo, as it

represents both an untamed mane and the evolution of grooming (Thorne, 2013). The

hairy, tusked logo whimsically adorns each Harry’s cartridge box. However, there is

another logo too – an uppercase H with an apostrophe (but no “s”) stamped into each

razor handle and emblazoned in the 3.4 oz. tubes of shaving cream (Tschorn, 2013).

Package Design

Harry’s package design sports a simple and clean looking design that only

communicates the brand elements. The aesthetically pleasing design is carried out in

the desaturated blue-and-red packaging to the clean lines of the handle (Thorne,

2013).

Brand Associations

Harry’s teamed up with Uncrate, the leading buyer’s guide for men, to offer a limited

edition Harry’s/ Uncrate starter kit. Tying Harry’s to Uncrate instantly put the brand in

front of 1.5 million monthly readers (Uncrate, n.d.).

Harry’s also teamed up with Birchbox/ Birchbox Man, the leading discovery commerce

platform. Birchbox (n.d.) is redefining the retail process by offering consumers a

unique and personalized way to discover, learn about, and shop the best beauty,

grooming, and lifestyle products on the market. Harry’s was offered one of the

monthly Birchbox Man subscription boxes, along with free Harry’s product to the

bloggers of Birchbox “Man Influencer” program.

Sales Pitch/ Tagline

“Great Shave. Fair Price.”

Harry’s Product Offerings

Any great shave starts with the blade, so Raider relied on German engineers to create

a reliable sequence of blades arranged in a “gothic arch” for closeness (Thorne, 2013).

The blade cartridges are flexible, allowing for a “paintbrush effect” while shaving that

adjusts to contours as it moves.

The handle for Harry’s “Winston” razor is likewise thought out, made from precision-

grade aluminum and weighted for easy handling (Thorne, 2013). The “Truman” handle

was designed for comfort, significance, and control. A curved rod of zinc alloy forms

the solid base of the Truman, while a blend of high-quality polymers and waterproof

lacquer yields a smooth exterior (Harrys, n.d.). According to Harry’s (n.d.) the handle

should feel like an extension of your hand.

Harry’s (n.d.) took on the task of sculpting a design that blends timeless simplicity and

modern ergonomics.

There are currently two options of handles, the “Truman,” which comes with the handle

and one razor, and choice of color for $10. The other upscale option is the “Winston,”

which also comes with a razor cartridge for $20.

For those wanting to beyond the handles, the starter kits will come with your choice of

the “Winston” or the “Truman” handle, 3 blades, and a foaming shave gel or a tube of

shave cream (Harry’s, n.d.).

Just like their handles, Harry’s also sells all their products as individual items.

However, if you don’t want to think about it for awhile, you can also order refill sets that

come with 8 blades and your choice of foaming shave gel or shave cream.

Harry’s also ties all the products sold separately, into three different shave plans. Each

plan ships with 8 blades and 2 shave gels or creams, with the only difference being the

frequency in shipping. According to Harry’s (n.d.) the “Everyday Shaver” ships every 2

months, the “Occasional Shaver” ships every 3 months, and the “Infrequent Shaver”

ships every 5 months.

Marketing Support Programs

As of now, Harry’s is using social media and their brand associations to leverage brand

awareness. Harry’s has also tapped into the tech podcast community, like the

MacWorld podcast. Offering $5 off codes to any new customer who places an order

over $25. However, they didn’t stop at podcast, leveraging other brands like J. Crew

to offer discounts and grow their presence through J. Crew’s existing community.

Existing customers get emailed reminders when it’s time to order new blades. Harry’s

has also gained a lot of earned media and PR from news sources like Fast Company,

Entrepreneur, and other business news outlets. Both founders said there wouldn’t be

celebrity endorsers or other high-profile figures as part of Harry’s marketing plan.

Rather, they want credible sources – such as grooming editors at major magazines and

satisfied customers – to spread the word (Caminiti, 2014). According to Raider, “If we

can take people one by one and give them an incredible shaving experience, then over

time we think we can capture a really big audience.” (Caminiti, 2014).

Competitive Environment

Harry’s believes its razors – indeed, its whole take on the male ritual of shaving – will

appeal to young, tech-savvy men who appreciate design and performance but

understand value. “These are guys who are forward thinking, reasonably well

educated, and they care about what they wear and how they look,” said Raider

(Caminiti, 2014). As of May, there were more than 100,000 Harry’s customers in the

U.S. and Canada, 90% of whom reorder, the company claimed (Caminiti, 2014).

Points-of-Parity

Two POP’s that stand out for Harry’s, can also be said for their direct competitor,

Dollar Shave Club. Harry’s offers quality razors, at a discounted price, compared to

their in-store competitors. The second point-of-parity for Harry’s is their subscription

service for their razor blades. Depending on the frequency of how much you shave,

Harry’s will charge you $31 per shipment of 2, 3, or even 5-months (Harry’s, n.d.).

Dollar Shave Club (n.d.) does something similar with their Humble Twin, 4X, and

Executive blade offerings.

Points-of-Difference

A key POD that really resonates with Millennials, is Harry’s giving to charities. Harry’s

(n.d.) gives 1% of their sales and at least 1% of their time to organizations that prepare

people for personal and professional success.

Harry’s (n.d.) started H’University, as another way to connect, by allowing college

students to apply to the program and be taught by some of the best startup

entrepreneurs through webinars.

By the end of the program, not only will you have extra lines on your resume, but have

the chance to be hired by one of Harry’s hiring partners (Harry’s, n.d.). It’s important to

note, that none of the other competitors have any type of program like this. Dollar

Shave Club only offers a subscription-model service, and it comes in brown mailer

envelope.

P&G’s Gillette and Schick Brands

Gillette was a brand founded in 1904, but the Gillette product line of razors and

personal care products became part of Procter & Gamble when P&G bought the

company in 2005 (Forbes, 2013). There is no denying that Gillette is king of the

mountain when it comes to the blades and razors market, as you can see from the

graphic, Gillette had a 66% hold on the market in 2011. Razors are one of the most

profitable businesses for P&G, with operating margins of 31% and 70% control of the

global blades and razors market, led by Gillette (Forbes, 2013). Presently, P&G holds

over 20% of the male shaver market (P&G, 2014).

Dollar Shave Club

A third competitor and also from the startup scene, is Dollar Shave Club. The Venice,

California startup has a much more different vibe and business model that is more

direct and democratic (Gross, 2014). According to Gross (2014), they are less

concerned with design and German engineering and more concerned with fun,

convenience, and saving money. To prove that, Dollar Shave Club’s tagline reads, “our

blades are f***** great” (Gross, 2013). Where Harry’s is at the low-end of the 100K

subscribers, Dollar Shave Club is closing in on 750K. Although no official numbers

have been released by either brand.

According to Marketwatch in 2013, Gillette led the market with 59.7% share of the

business. Meanwhile, runner-up, Schick took 18.1%, followed by Bic at 5.9%.

Leaving 16.3% to other manufacturers, and currently Dollar Shave Club, nor Harry’s

states their share.

Harry’s Brand Hierarchy

Harry’s offers two options to website visitors: Products and shave plans. Under shave

plans, there are three options and you choose a plan and you’re done. This is the

same for Dollar Shave Club also, and the only option for DSC. Harry’s also offers their

products sold individually too. This is broken down into three categories: Starter sets,

refills, and shave supplies. Shave supplies are all of their offerings sold separately,

which is great for the curious skeptic.

Source: CB Insights

The above image is the investments raised by angel investors and capital firms for both

Harry’s Razor Company and Dollar Shave Club. Harry’s has raised $136.6 million

compared to Dollar Shave Club’s $24 million.

III. Brand Exploratory

Previously, we discussed the brand audit, from the brand-side of the business. Now

we will discuss the brand exploratory, which provides detailed information about what

consumers actually think of the brand (Keller, 2013). Let’s take a look at how Harry’s

product offerings and services fit together from the consumer’s perspective.

Harry’s Products (Consumer Perspective)

Harry’s took a giant leap by raising $122 million from investors, including hedge fund

giant, Tiger Global and used $100 million of the cash pile to buy Feintechnik (Gross,

2014). The key motivation behind the acquisition is the move towards vertical

integration. With the purchase of Feintechnik, Harry’s now has the ability to control the

design and manufacturing of its products, and sell directly to consumers (Empson,

2014). So what do the consumers think?

Amazon (2014) had 15 reviews of the 4-pack replacements blades, coming from a

reseller. Of those 15 reviews, nine of them were five out of five stars, with a few four

out of five stars. About Style’s Men’s hair expert, Dave Alexander (n.d.), said the

blades were where the Harry’s razor really shines! The blade cartridge looks familiar –

like the competition, the large head has five blades fairly close together. There is a

lubrication strip on the top and the little fins at the bottom to help lift the hairs

(Alexander, n.d.). Mr. Alexander (n.d.) also found the blades to be very sharp and

performed just as well as either the Gillette Fusion ProGlide or the Schick Hydro.

The “Truman” handle was designed for comfort, significance, and control. A curved

rod of zinc alloy forms the solid base of the Truman, while a blend of high-quality

polymers and waterproof lacquer yields a smooth exterior (Harrys, n.d.). According to

Harry’s (n.d.) the handle should feel like an extension of your hand. Alexander (n.d.)

points out, that for $10, it’s a real deal and it’s a fairly handsome razor (certainly more

upscale looking than the mass market razors out there). “The understated look of the

handle makes it the iPhone of razors,” according to Dave Alexander (n.d.). Birchbox

Man had over 1,100 reviews of the Truman razor, with an average of 4.4 out of 5 stars

(Birchbox, n.d.). In the consumers’ reviews, one comment was the most consist of all

them, “While the Truman handle felt good in your hand, it would tend to slip out from

time-to-time, if wet.”

For those wanting to go beyond the handles, the starter kits will come with your choice

of the “Winston” or the “Truman” handle, 3 blades, and a foaming shave gel or a tube

of shave cream (Harry’s, n.d.). Consumers who want a great shave, but also want out

of the corporate monopoly, are enjoying the Harry’s starter sets. Scott Gruby was all

about saving money on his recurring expenses and was hoping for a shave that was as

good as the Gillette Fusion. Scott (2014) found that the shave seemed much closer

than his Fusion. He even returned his unopened package of blades he bought from

Costco ($52 for 14 blades) and ordered 16 blades for $25 (free shipping on ordered

over $10).

The one problem with this method of buying shave products, is the planning and

ordering. Using a product like Gillette, Bic or Schick, you can just run down to the

grocery store and be shaving within a few minutes or hour. Harry’s does allow you buy

products separately, but also offers the shave plans with auto-pay. Cutting out the so-

called, “thought process,” allowing you take out the worry of placing an order.

Brand Imagery, Perf., Personality, Feelings & Judgments (Consumer Perspective)

While brands like Gillette tend to play on these futuristic features of their razors, Harry’s

has done quite the opposite and consumers are taking notice. The imagery of Harry’s

and perception by consumers is, Harry’s is trendy and hip brand. While most mass-

market razors have a very cheesy overly decorated look, the Harry’s razor looks

elegant and understated (Alexander, 2014). Compared to other brands (Gillette,

Schick, Bic, and Dollar Shave Club), Harry’s is perceived as beautifully designed and

as previously noted, the iPhone of razors. One reviewer noted that the design of the

Truman handle was remarkable. It’s intuitive and comfortable to hold, and feels

classier than the spaceship-inspired Gillette and Schick handles (Razorpedia, 2013).

Harry’s direct-competitor, in the online-order space, Dollar Shave Club is perceived as

less expensive and for the average Joe (Hoekenga, 2014). Consumers perceive

Harry’s as a way to enjoy the actual process of shaving, without overpaying, whereas

consumers view the Dollar Shave Club as a way to avoid unnecessarily inconvenient

and expensive trips to Target (Hoekenga, 2014). Of those who have tried Harry’s,

many found the blades lasted longer than major brands, Gillette and Schick, which tied

back to the reliability of the brand performance of Harry’s.

Brand Elements and Brand Associations

One consumer after seeing the brand logo and emblem felt that Harry’s portrayed a

fresh boutique and high-end shave experience (Martin, 2013). While consumers have

like the clean-minimalistic look from Harry’s, not many knew the meaning behind the

“Wooly Mammoth” logo. The idea behind the Wooly mammoth is quite creative and

something Harry’s should promote a little better on their site.

The clean paperboard packaging, designed by Prime Studio, has consumer liking the

very simple, minimal, and clean-looking design (Martin, 2013). There is no doubt that

consumers who have seen Harry’s products and packaging, found it aesthetically

pleasing, matching the look and feel of their website. Harry’s was recently awarded an

extension for the trademark of “Harry’s Razor Company,” in the U.S. and

internationally, on August 18, 2014 (Justia, n.d.). Being that Harry’s is still considered a

startup, not too many people would recognize the Wooly Mammoth logo or the H with

apostrophe logo. Harry’s sticking with that “trendy/startup theme,” adapts or even

stays ahead of other brands, in terms of adaptability. Currently, the clean-aesthetics is

part of that innovative and trendy crowd and speaks to those who Harry’s is trying to

reach. This all ties back to the look of their website, which was classified as, “The

page I would want to stare at all day” contest (Hoekenga, 2014). Compared to Gillette,

Schick, and Dollar Shave Club, Harry’s wins over all their competitors, in terms of

likeability.

With the subscription-model as at a fever pitch, there is no better brand for Harry’s to

align itself with, than Birchbox. Birchbox (n.d.) is the leading discovery commerce

platform and is redefining the retail process by offering consumers a unique and

personalized way to discover, learn about, and shop the best beauty, grooming, and

lifestyle products on the market. As the go-to site for learning about new products in

these categories, Harry’s has tied itself to this brand association, as a way to introduce

the “Winston” and “Truman” razors. Being that Harry’s is still in the startup phase,

many general consumers wouldn’t know the Harry’s name on other products. Harry’s

recently launched a new product, an after-shave, but in the not-so-distant future, we

might be seeing the Harry’s name on a deodorant also (Empson, 2014).

Marketing support Program

Harry’s has focused sales to their website only, but is looking to expand into

barbershops in NYC and San Francisco, in the coming months. Consumers that have

learned about Harry’s have done so in two ways, social media (word-of-mouth) or

internet click ads. Harry’s strengths come from their brand associations (Birchbox

Man, MacWorld) and that word-of-mouth advertisement of their fans. Another

strength, Harry’s owns the razor blade factory in Germany, which allows them to have

complete control of the process. Harry’s is already priced low, with the exception of

Dollar Shave, who starts at a $1. The biggest threat for Harry’s comes down to P&G

boosting their marketing budget for the Gillette and the Schick brands. Harry’s has

money to throw at marketing, but rather allocate the resources to product design,

innovation, and other comparable new-product categories. This could be one of

Harry’s biggest opportunities, if they would add more marketing channels and tactics

into the mix. Dollar Shave Club uses witty viral videos to catch the attention of men

and women on the net and while this isn’t Harry’s “cup of tea,” they need to come up

with a strategy to fight off the threat of losing a share to DSC.

COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT

Gillette Fusion

Sitting on the cartridge throne, is the Gillette Fusion Proglide. For better or worse, this

five-blade razor dominates the market (Sharpologist, 2013). But the price in

replacements cartridges has given rise to Dollar Shave Club and Harry’s, who think

they can provide the same shave at a cheaper price. Gillette Fusion is a five-blade

razor, released in 2006, which features five blades on the front and a sixth blade on the

rear for trimming. The latest version, Fusion Proglide, features a lower-resistance

coating on thinner blades (Sharpologist, 2013). Most consumers would agree that the

Proglide does provide a very good shave and by most accounts, has a respectable

cartridge life (Sharpologist, 2013). One of the big reasons for the rise in startup shave-

brands is the price of Fusion cartridges, easily the highest in the industry. $5 per

cartridge (in a four cartridge pack) down to a slightly more manageable $3 range for a

bulk pack (14-16 cartridges) from a warehouse likes Sam’s or Costco (Sharpologist,

2013).

Schick Hydro

Accorinding to Sharpologist (2013), Schick, the number 2 of the razor wars in the U.S.,

released their Hydro line in 2010. Carrying both a three-blade and a five-blade

cartridge, while distinguishing themselves by having a “lubrication reservoir” on the

cartridge and “skin guards” between the blades to reduce friction (Sharpologist, 2013).

For those who have tried both the Schick Hyrdo, they would agree that it is better than

the Quattro four-blade razor, though not as good as the Fusion. While having a better

cartridge life, compared to the Proglide, which is around two weeks of shelf life

(Sharpologist, 2013). Cartridges for the Hydro ranged from $3.37 per cartridge in small

quantities at retail outlets, to $1.87 per cartridge in bulk (Sharpologist, 2013).

Dollar Shave Club

The cheapest of them all, Dollar Shave Club offers you a razor at $1 per month

(introductory price). You can decide on a $6/month and a $9/month, depending on the

quality of blades you are looking for.

The Dollar Shave Club’s 4X was used by a reviewer and handled well, but had the

same cheesy overdone look as the Gillette Fusion and most other mass market razors

are guilty of (Alexander, n.d.). Alexander (n.d.) who also reviewed the Harry’s razor,

said he would prefer something that was a little more elegant and mature handling in

the shower (like the Harry’s razor).

Harry’s

Harry’s blades compared to the competition, is where they really shine. A 16-count of

Harry’s razor will run you $1.56 per cartridge, which is much cheaper than the similar

Gillette Fusion Proglide blades (Alexander, n.d.). Of those who have switched from

Gillette and even a few from Dollar Shave Club, they have become Harry’s loyalists,

today.

Charts & Exhibits

In the reviews of Harry’s, these were some of the words that were associated with the

startup. Due to their forward-thinking design, they were seen by innovative to many

consumers and reviewers, which also tied into high-quality. As a startup, Harry’s is

focused on creating beautiful products that look trendy, but at a fair price, both words

that were tied to them by many.

During this session, three questions were asked, with a total of 7 respondents, all being

female. The first question, have you ever considered a monthly subscription-service

for shaving products? Please note the blue-color should have represented the “No”

category and green representing “Yes”. Of the 7 respondents, four answered “No,” to

have ever considered a monthly shave subscription. The “other” category represented

a respondent who didn’t answer the question, but only acted intrigued about the idea.

Overall, this would seem to not bode well for Dollar Shave Club, who has built their

model on subscription only. Harry’s offers a monthly subscription, like Dollar Shave,

but focuses more on the experience and the ability to buy their products on an

individual basis.

Question 2, was a bit more scattered and therefore no chart or graph was made for the

random responses. Question 2 asked, “What are the one or two things that keeps you

from considering the Harry’s subscription model?” The main responses came down to

not knowing of Harry’s and not the target audience. While Harry’s is targeted to men,

it focuses on the design and handling of the product and therefore has also been used

by the female demographic. If nothing else, this shows the need to focus on gender

neutral or a female-specific product.

The third and final question asked, “How important is it for you to buy from a brand

that gives back?” 57% responded that it was somewhat important, more as a bonus,

but wouldn’t really affect their buying decision. Only 14% stated it was important for

them, but with the way Harry’s has their pricing-model, it is a great option for the price

and the added benefit of give a razor for a razor sold. Something that speaks well of

the brand and giving back, something that isn’t shown by the big brands.

IV. RECOMMENDATIONS

Overall, Harry’s brand elements are near perfect and aesthetically pleasing. Those

clean looking brand elements are also relevant to their target audience. However,

Harry’s has fallen short in their overall marketing and advertising, and this is where our

recommendations will come into play, if they are to gain an overall 10% share of the

market. Harry’s has made a focus on experience and less about the value, even

though the value is there.

Recommendation 1

Strategy – create a video marketing strategy to gain more awareness and reach across

social channels and website.

Tactic – create an “about video” on the Harry’s homepage. Video would be activated

in the mirror of the bathroom, with the current look and feel. The idea here is

connecting with the audience and telling the story of the Harry’s shave experience and

the value also. Video would also be added to their YouTube channel and pay for

sponsored spot on YouTube’s homepage also.

Recommendation 2

Strategy – currently Harry’s has built relationships with Birchbox Man and J.Crew.

The strategy would be growing reaching out to other retail groups, like Gap and

Banana Republic. In the past, Banana Republic has been seen as an older

demographic, but this is changing. Gap Inc. hired Marissa Webb as the creative

director and executive vice president of design and it is drawing in younger

demographics to shop Banana Republic. A partnership between the three would target

the same target audience and bring value to each.

Tactic – Harry’s would offer a free Truman handle to any Banana Republic or Gap

customer that spends over $150. On top of the coupon, there would be a hashtag,

#dapperlikeharrys. If a customer shares a photo of their purchase with the hashtag,

they can get an additional $5 off $25 spent at Harrys.com.

Recommendation 3

Strategy – develop and promote a smartphone app for iOS and Android. Features of

the app will tell about some of the brand elements: the meaning behind the name and

wooly mammoth logo. Other possible features of the app could be a reminder service

for those who are current customers, shave “how-to” videos, and possible even price

check. Customer could scan blades at the local store and see the price difference

between store brand’s and Harry’s.

Tactic – app links would be featured on the Harry’s homepage, pointing them to the

Google Play Store and to iTunes. Just like Birchbox, Harry’s could offer a discount to

first-time downloads of the app, with a clear call-to-action.

Recommendation 4

Strategy – develop a content marketing plan through blogging, email, and social media

that helps build on the brand equity of Harry’s.

Tactic – on the Harry’s website would be a content hub that features some of the

same “how-to” videos on shaving and other body-care. Tying into Harry’s University

would be more blog content about things to put on and take off of your resume, how to

get an internship, how to land your first job, etc. Harry’s in effort to do list building,

could offer a weekly newsletter that features articles from the hub. The key is

delivering value that adds value and creates relationships with the key buyer personas.

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