Gillette Case Study
Introduction
This case details the success of Gillette over the history of the company, from its inception in 1901 to the present day. The ups and downs that the company went through over the years and the obstacles it had to overcome to stay at the top of the market in not only the U.S. but worldwide. The company as a whole has faced new competition that sparked a battle that many still remember to this day.
Innovative History In 1901, during its year of inception Gillette cornered the market for being the top product for shaving needs. The low prices along with high quality were satisfying attributes that Gillette possessed (Ferrell & Hartline, 2011). This success carried on into the early 1920’s. In the 1920’s Gillette had a large portion of the market and he had the following to say about his product, “There is no other article for individual use so universally known or widely distributed” (Ferrell & Hartline, 2011).
Gillette’s ability to be innovative throughout the years showed their agility and ability to adapt to any situation. Even through the drought where many corporations did not make it out, Gillette was able to stand through the storm not only that but also World War II (Ferrell & Hartline, 2011). It was not until 1962 that Gillette met with a company whose innovations proved to be a threat. Wilkinson Sword an English firm introduced the stainless-steel blade. At the time of the release of the stainless-steel blade Gillette was distracted by other ventures it had taken on lost its innovative lead in the market (Ferrell & Hartline, 2011). Gillette saw a loss in its market share and was faced with a challenge in its hands to keep the majority market share. Even though they still controlled 70 percent of the market share the niche market did shift and left Gillette unaware of how to respond (Ferrell & Hartline, 2011). The introduction of the Trac II razor gave Gillette just the boost it needed. Gillette once again dominated the market (Ferrell &
This case details the success of Gillette over the history of the company, from its inception in 1901 to the present day. The ups and downs that the company went through over the years and the obstacles it had to overcome to stay at the top of the market in not only the U.S. but worldwide. The company as a whole has faced new competition that sparked a battle that many still remember to this day.
Innovative History In 1901, during its year of inception Gillette cornered the market for being the top product for shaving needs. The low prices along with high quality were satisfying attributes that Gillette possessed (Ferrell & Hartline, 2011). This success carried on into the early 1920’s. In the 1920’s Gillette had a large portion of the market and he had the following to say about his product, “There is no other article for individual use so universally known or widely distributed” (Ferrell & Hartline, 2011).
Gillette’s ability to be innovative throughout the years showed their agility and ability to adapt to any situation. Even through the drought where many corporations did not make it out, Gillette was able to stand through the storm not only that but also World War II (Ferrell & Hartline, 2011). It was not until 1962 that Gillette met with a company whose innovations proved to be a threat. Wilkinson Sword an English firm introduced the stainless-steel blade. At the time of the release of the stainless-steel blade Gillette was distracted by other ventures it had taken on lost its innovative lead in the market (Ferrell & Hartline, 2011). Gillette saw a loss in its market share and was faced with a challenge in its hands to keep the majority market share. Even though they still controlled 70 percent of the market share the niche market did shift and left Gillette unaware of how to respond (Ferrell & Hartline, 2011). The introduction of the Trac II razor gave Gillette just the boost it needed. Gillette once again dominated the market (Ferrell &
References: Ferrell, O., & Hartline, M. (2011). Marketing Strategy, Fifth Edition. Mason: South-Western Cengage Learning .