| The late 19th century was a time of
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| | analyzed the product, sales potential and
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| massive cultural, commercial and
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| | the virtual absence of competition,
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| lifestyle change in the United States and
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| | Gillette made an inspired decision: he
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| Western Europe. Industrialization was in
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| | would sell the razors at a loss to
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| full swing. Railroads were fully formed
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| | encourage sales, use of the portable
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| and providing speedier movement of
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| | implement and accelerate word of mouth
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| people, goods and foodstuffs to consumers
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| | about his amazing razor. Sales expanded
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| and businesses. Men such as Thomas
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| | exponentially almost immediately and the
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| Edison, John D. Rockefeller, Andrew
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| | Gillette Safety Razor became one of
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| Carnegie and J.P. Morgan were
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| | history's most revered brand names. The
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| transforming commerce and innovation.
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| | term "loss leader" or losing money on the
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| This was a golden age of consumer product
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| | first sale to cement subsequent profits
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| invention.The opportunity to innovate in
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| | was born.Gillette quickly realized that
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| the areas of personal hygiene, comfort
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| | his real business was not selling the
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| and safety were being aggressively
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| | razors, but selling the blades. Almost
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| addressed for the first time in history.
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| | immediately he began to give the razors
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| The evolvement of a mass consumer
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| | away. To this day, purchasing a new
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| marketplace was nascent. The confluence
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| | Gillette shaving system includes a free
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| of this new mass market and a slew of new
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| | or deeply discounted razor, thus insuring
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| products to address perceived needs
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| | years of consistent, highly profitable
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| created a unique confluence of
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| | repeat purchases of the blades. Product
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| opportunities.The daily chore of a man
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| | loyalty was insured.The term "planned
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| shaving facial hair was just such an
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| | obsolescence" classically fits products
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| opportunity. Today, when viewing the
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| | like Gillette blades. In the 1890's
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| pictures and images of this age; we are
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| | people threw virtually nothing away.
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| amused by the highly stylized, gloriously
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| | Everything was used until the useful life
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| cultivated facial hair seen on many male
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| | of a product was thoroughly exhausted.
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| faces. The clean-shaven face is rarely
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| | The concept of a product being used and
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| seen. It would seem as if 1890's men were
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| | discarded in favor of a replacement unit
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| striving to grow works of individualized
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| | was novel. It also was key to the
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| art on their faces.The reason so many men
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| | evolution of a dynamic consumer product
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| cultivated beards, moustaches and goatees
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| | market place. We owe much to King
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| was the difficulty inherent, at the time,
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| | Gillette and the business model he
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| in the process of shaving. Water was not
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| | created. It serves us well to this
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| always readily available to soften facial
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| | day.King Gillette was an unlikely
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| hair and lather soap. Warm water was even
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| | capitalist. Even after he had earned
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| rarer. Most men, of even limited means,
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| | millions from his inventions he
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| used the barber to trim facial hair. When
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| | hypocritically preached a strange
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| shaving ones own beard a sharp, steel
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| | anti-capitalist philosophy. However, he
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| straight razor was essential. Straight
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| | possessed all of the essential
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| razors needed to be regularly sharpened
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| | characteristics so necessary to be a
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| using a strop, and they had to be very
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| | successful entrepreneur. He had vision,
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| sharp. Many men cut and infected
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| | drive and courage. Failure did not deter
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| themselves performing this simple act of
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| | him. He sought and found a need. He
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| personal hygiene. Shaving while
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| | addressed that need, driving down costs
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| travelling on a moving train was down
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| | and prices to make his razors and blades
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| right dangerous. The need to address this
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| | affordable to the masses. He provided a
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| task was ready to be successfully
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| | simple solution to a basic human problem:
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| commercialized.Into this gaping void
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| | shaving.King Gillette's lesson for all
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| stumbled a socialist utopian dreamer
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| | striving entrepreneurs is obvious.
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| named King Gillette. Gillette was
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| | Innovation that addresses everyday
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| considered an under achiever by his
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| | problems through simple product benefits
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| family. His father was a successful
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| | will always be in demand. Look around
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| innovator and his mother wrote a famous
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| | your home, hobby or workplace. This is
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| cookbook, "The White House Cook Book",
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| | where you will find potentially lucrative
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| which remained in print for almost 100
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| | and important commercial
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| years. King Gillette had received several
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| | opportunities.For assistance or
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| patents but failed in his efforts to
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| | consultation on commercializing your
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| commercialize any of them. He earned his
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| | opportunity or invention contact the
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| sustenance from work as a travelling
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| | author, Geoff Ficke, Duquesa Marketing,
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| salesman. His failures embittered him and
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| | Inc. at or email Geoff Ficke has been a
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| he became immersed in socialism and
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| | serial entrepreneur for almost 50 years.
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| preached a type of
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| | As a small boy, earning his spending
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| anti-industrialism.This most unlikely of
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| | money doing odd jobs in the neighborhood,
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| capitalists, however, while working as a
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| | he learned the value of selling himself,
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| salesman for the Crown Cork and Seal
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| | offering service and value for
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| Company was encouraged by his boss to
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| | money.After putting himself through the
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| continue to attempt to invent new
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| | University of Kentucky (B.A. Broadcast
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| products. Specifically, Gillette was
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| | Journalism, 1969) and serving in the
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| encouraged to invent products that
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| | United States Marine Corp, Mr. Ficke
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| required subsequent, regular replacement
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| | commenced a career in the cosmetic
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| purchases. His passion became the
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| | industry. After rising to National Sales
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| development of a shaving system that was
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| | Manager for Vidal Sassoon Hair Care at
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| safe, portable, efficient, cost effective
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| | age 28, he then launched a number of
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| and required the buyer to replace the
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| | ventures, including Rubigo Cosmetics,
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| implement on a regular basis.King
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| | Parfums Pierre Wulff Paris, Le Bain
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| Gillette took his concept for a shaving
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| | Couture and Fashion Fragrance.Geoff Ficke
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| device, which required an amalgam of
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| | and his consulting firm, Duquesa
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| metals and metallurgical technology, to
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| | Marketing, Inc. ( has assisted businesses
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| the Massachusetts Institute of
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| | large and small, domestic and
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| Technology. Working with engineers at
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| | international, entrepreneurs, inventors
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| this honored school enabled Gillette to
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| | and students in new product development,
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| perfect the elements of the safety razor.
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| | capital formation, licensing, marketing,
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| His patents indicate an appliance of
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| | sales and business plans and successful
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| elegant simplicity.Gillette formed the
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| | implementation of his customized
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| American Safety Razor Company to market
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| | strategies. He is a Senior Fellow at the
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| his invention. Initially, owing to
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| | Page Center for Entrepreneurial Studies,
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| limited capital and a high cost of
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| | Business School, Miami University,
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| production, sales were slow. As he
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| | Oxford, Ohio.
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