After all my years in the shaver business, you would think that I would have a better grasp on how the shaver manufacturers think. Based upon their actions of late, apparently not.
To me, the proper time to release a new shaver for major distribution is about six weeks before Father's Day. Makes sense, no? I mean, aside from the jingle and candle holidays in the winter, Dad day is the biggest holiday for shaver sales. It's a very simple equation. New shaver line + impending holiday that can be hard to buy for = easy sales!
Well, the mass minds at the shaver makers seem to disagree. Instead, they feel that the first two weeks in July is the best time to release new shavers. Braun, Norelco and Shavetronics alike have all launched new shaver lines during the slowest shaver selling season of the year. They are:
Braun's Pulsonic Shaving system (9000 series - still on presale as of this writing, scheduled for shipment after July 13th, 2007). Covered in this blog previously, this shaver promises to "break the current bipolar categorization of rotary and foil (to) give the closest, most comfortable shave ever". Wow. Even if the shaver sucks, you've got to give them points for vernacular. Not that I'm saying it sucks-I have yet to hold one in my hand--but it's making big promises for an awful lot of money.
Norelco's Arcitec Shaving system came completely out of left field and arrived on our doorstep with no fanfare whatsoever. Reminiscent of a daisy, this system promises "a 360 degree swiveling shaving head and a state-of-the art sleek design, arcitec is the most advanced Philips Norelco shaver yet. Compared to other Philips Norelco shavers, arcitec offers new flex & pivot technology, a more aerodynamic design, and an advanced tube trimmer." How aerodynamic does a shaver have to be? If you're moving that machine across your face so fast that wind resistance becomes a factor, I would suggest both a beard and a career in tennis. That "tube trimmer" thing also raises great concerns because of the location of it's blades, but the jury is still out. We'll have to see what is said by the masses.
Shavetronics has created the 60 Second Shaver Corded model ST-50. The underdog in the shaving arena, Shavetronics has snapped back from a previous disaster called the "Duoshave". All preliminary tests have come back ultra-positive, provided you are looking for a really simple, cord use only, single head design. So far, so good, but again, why wait so long?
Maybe I'll never understand how the shaver company men work…maybe I don't really want to. Mountains of statistics and spreadsheets are not my cup of tea, but it seems to me that the time of year when most people BUY SHAVERS should be the deciding factor when determining launch date. Anyway…
To me, the proper time to release a new shaver for major distribution is about six weeks before Father's Day. Makes sense, no? I mean, aside from the jingle and candle holidays in the winter, Dad day is the biggest holiday for shaver sales. It's a very simple equation. New shaver line + impending holiday that can be hard to buy for = easy sales!
Well, the mass minds at the shaver makers seem to disagree. Instead, they feel that the first two weeks in July is the best time to release new shavers. Braun, Norelco and Shavetronics alike have all launched new shaver lines during the slowest shaver selling season of the year. They are:
Braun's Pulsonic Shaving system (9000 series - still on presale as of this writing, scheduled for shipment after July 13th, 2007). Covered in this blog previously, this shaver promises to "break the current bipolar categorization of rotary and foil (to) give the closest, most comfortable shave ever". Wow. Even if the shaver sucks, you've got to give them points for vernacular. Not that I'm saying it sucks-I have yet to hold one in my hand--but it's making big promises for an awful lot of money.
Norelco's Arcitec Shaving system came completely out of left field and arrived on our doorstep with no fanfare whatsoever. Reminiscent of a daisy, this system promises "a 360 degree swiveling shaving head and a state-of-the art sleek design, arcitec is the most advanced Philips Norelco shaver yet. Compared to other Philips Norelco shavers, arcitec offers new flex & pivot technology, a more aerodynamic design, and an advanced tube trimmer." How aerodynamic does a shaver have to be? If you're moving that machine across your face so fast that wind resistance becomes a factor, I would suggest both a beard and a career in tennis. That "tube trimmer" thing also raises great concerns because of the location of it's blades, but the jury is still out. We'll have to see what is said by the masses.
Shavetronics has created the 60 Second Shaver Corded model ST-50. The underdog in the shaving arena, Shavetronics has snapped back from a previous disaster called the "Duoshave". All preliminary tests have come back ultra-positive, provided you are looking for a really simple, cord use only, single head design. So far, so good, but again, why wait so long?
Maybe I'll never understand how the shaver company men work…maybe I don't really want to. Mountains of statistics and spreadsheets are not my cup of tea, but it seems to me that the time of year when most people BUY SHAVERS should be the deciding factor when determining launch date. Anyway…
