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