Axe Analysis

Marketing Project : AXE I/ The situation analysis {draw:frame} The environment Axe was inspired by another Unilever’s brand, Impulse. Like Axe, Impulse was a fragranced deodorant body spray for women that promised wearers male attention. Thanks to Axe’ success in France, Unilever decided to launch the brand in other European countries from 1985. However, in United Kingdom, the brand was renamed Lynx. Then, Axe encountered the same success in Latin America but it was less important in Asia and Africa. In 2000, the brand has been launched in the USA and Canada and encounters an important success. Since 1983, Axe is offering new fragrances every year. Therefore, from 1983 to 1989, the variant name was a description of fragrance inside. From 1990 to 1996, the names were geographic names like Africa, Alaska and Inca. Then it uses abstract names like Apollo and Gravity. Since 2003, Axe’s deodorants give the possibility for the men to attract many women. Its last launching was in 2008: Dark Temptation. It is a smelling chocolate smelling fragrance; thanks to chocolate, the women will find Axe users irresistible. Axe also launches limited edition variants like Recover and Shock in 2008. However, Axe encountered many controversies like its sexist and depraving advertisement and its deodorants include ingredients tested on animals. The industry Axe is a one of the European leader of the male grooming products thanks especially to the marketing of it lead product: the deodorant body spray. However, several competitors with the same product exist in the market. On one hand, direct competitors who have or will have an important place in the market (TAG Fragrance Company, Old Spice and RGX) and on the other hand, competitors like Adidas and Power Stick, who are “weaker” and less known than others on the market. I will focus here on the serious competitors of Axe and especially on their marketing and their packaging.