Harry’s is now a world-famous shaving brand. But it wasn’t always that way.
The e-commerce enterprise had a tough start and had to fend off some of the biggest brands in the world. Both Gillette and Wilkinson Sword dominated the men’s shaving market in the 1990s and 2000s. And, at the start of the 2010s, they looked virtually unstoppable.
However, several entrepreneurs saw that there was something wrong with the market. The actual price of making quality blades was low. And yet these big, greedy players were charging their customers massive premiums. Some men were spending more than $50 per month on shaving equipment that actually cost less than $5 to manufacture and distribute.
Harry’s is based in a small hamlet just a few miles from the German metropolis of Frankfurt. The founders, Jeff Raider and Andy Katz-Mayfield saw that the market was broken and decided to take a gamble in 2012. They spent $100 million of venture capital money buying an old German razor plant that had been operating since 1920, then spent a fortune upgrading it. After that, they began a relentless marketing campaign to share the good news of their brand: men could get quality shaving products delivered to their door for less.
We all know now how the story ended. Harry’s is now a global brand, and it’s changed the entire industry. Established players simply can’t get away with charging the high prices they used to.
But what’s the brand’s marketing secret? How did it actually make its success happen?
It Took Cues From Warby Parker
The success of spectacles brand, Warby Parker, didn’t escape the notice of Harry’s founders at the start of their business journey. They saw how it had totally dominated the internet and was gaining customers online to an extent no other brand managed to achieve.
Harry’s therefore, copied Warby Parker’s penchant for high-quality photography and interesting content marketing. They realized that if they could spread their story via blogs and videos, Harry’s could do something similar. It began creating a story around razors and how men were being ripped off. It then inserted itself as the solution to the problem, immediately gaining the respect and trust of its audience,
It Used Mail Coupons
Harry’s also used direct mail fulfillment services to send out promotional leaflets to men most likely to buy from the brand. The unsolicited mail was effective because it was something novel. People are used to getting adverts for pizza. But razors? Not so much!
The coupons that came with the mail also provided further discount codes, making the brand even more irresistible. Once it got customers hooked, they remained with it for life.
It Leveraged Influencers
Harry’s knew that the best way to win over new customers was to leverage the power of influencers. They saw that if they could get people to represent their brand on social media, their marketing would pretty much “do itself.” And that’s precisely what happened. Men saw that they could get a better deal with Harry’s and decided to share their love of the brand with their friends.
Thanks for the insight into how Harry’s leveraged a new style of advertising to become so successful. It gives me a few ideas about campaigns to try. Keep up the great articles.