Get them into a focus group and men are a pretty pragmatic bunch, who think all marketing should be like the Ronseal ad’s now famous strapline: “Does what it says on the tin”.
Well it’s a bit different in razorland, with few brands bold enough to break away from the arms race and just offer to ‘shave your face’. Gillette Fusion alone is available in at least 5 levels of trim, including Power Gamer and something called ‘Phenom’. Five blades is the new minimum for real men, so refilling is not for the faint-hearted, nor the short of cash. The product looks like it has more computing power than Apollo 13, and occasionally stands out from its 4-layered brand name and shiny foiled blister enough to become a differentiator.
Men often say that they hate shopping, buying things quickly and getting out. Good luck with that if you need some new blades.
Takeout: Male categories have a performance driven language all of their own, but ‘quietly assured’ could stand out from the pack.