Yassin Al Attas* The campaign also included the creation of the Women Against Lazy Stubble (WALS) association, which capitalized on women's role as influencers of men. These campaigns proved successful, but there was the realization that low-income Indian customers were unable to afford Gillette's premium-priced razors. Research showed that there were approximately 400 million customers who were unhappy with existing shaving devices. Hours of further research brought Gillette to the conclusion that a new shaving system was needed to meet the needs of India's customers, who lacked running water, had to manage longer facial hair, and who often sat on the floor while shaving. Safety was a main consideration too. To satisfy these needs, Gillette created the first product exclusively for the Indian market – Gillette Guard. It cost Rs15 at launch, with refill cartridges at just Rs5, and featured a single, easy to clean blade in a much simpler designed razor with a lightweight, ribbed handle. A safety comb helped to reduce the issue of cuts, especially for men who deal with longer hair, and a hang hole was incorporated into the design to allow for easy drying and storage. A marketing campaign featured traditional advertisements with Bollywood actors, and, when combined with the earlier attitude shift Gillette inspired, Gillette Guard took off in the market to become one of the most significant launches in the brand's history. This is where smart innovation, and the intelligent evolution of products, should take us. Every manufacturer must proactively take the time to delve more deeply into their consumers' lives. In the Middle East, where the cultural and ethnic diversity is so widely ranged, there is the need to not only understand the immediate needs of consumers, but the needs of consumers in their home countries, too, as ingrained cultural habits will certainly impact the ways in which they interact with a brand. While it is possible to influence the wants of consumers, there is no way to change the factors that make them who they are – their social status, economic status, cultural norms and so on. Diversity, and all of the variables that come with it, must therefore be accepted as a challenge to overcome through knowledge, understanding, which will lead to intelligent innovation. Conquering this challenge is by no means impossible, but a manufacturer must be committed to understanding his consumer if he is to succeed. Concluded. * The writer is Communications Director, Middle East, North Africa & Pakistan at Procter and Gamble.
