Business Studies: A Comprehensive SWOT Analysis for Gillette (Case Study Sample)

Question 1: A comprehensive SWOT analysis for Gillette
Strengths
Brand reputation and recognition
Multinational distribution channels
Leading market share
Efficient manufacturing systems
Well-known branded products
Stelar advertising strategies
Safe to use quality products
Customer loyalty
Innovative technology
Celebrity endorsements
Weaknesses
Products are relatively costly
Enormous costs of maintaining the brand
Military-like activities
High costs of propaganda
Customer scepticism
Lost focus due to unstrategic acquisitions
Quite expensive marketing campaigns
The company has almost reached the stagnation stage
Manual products only
Over emphasis on male products while neglecting other segments of the market
Environmental issues such as safe disposal of the blades
Opportunities
Strategic mergers and acquisitions
Further expansion in the market
Consumer brand preference
Demand for more sophisticated products for both men and women grooming
Make use of advanced technology to manufacture more innovative products
Campaigns that glamorizes clean shaving to achieve fashionable look
Manufacture products for hair removal in other body parts
Threats
Fierce rivalry between the existing players
Threat of new entrants to the market
Threat of lower cost substitute products
Price sensitive market
Price wars with competitors
Increase in manufacturing costs
Saturated market
Fierce competition
Consumer scepticism
Increased use of other hair removal techniques
Cultural impediments to shaving
Question 2, a: Distribution and Supply Chain Success of Gillette
The Gillette company has been a leading force in grooming for more than a century. In essence, the company has continued to deliver on its brand promise of innovating ground-breaking razors with the use of innovative technologies. The success of Gillette can be attributed to the fact that the company ensures that its products are alaways available in various stores all over the world.(Ferrell & Hartline, 2011). In other words, Gillette's supply and distribution departments make conscious efforts of ensuring that the products are readily available at the retailers' stores where they can easily be accessed by the consumers. Similarly, the company's chain is not a linear process that flows from left to right but a value chain that starts and ends on the retailers' shelves (Duffy, 2004).
In the same manner, the organization understands that efficient supply and distribution networks are a an efficient and effective method of beating the competitors (Duffy, 2004). Thus, there is a need for continuous improvement in its supply and distribution channels in order to minimize complexity while improving on demand planning. Thus, the company understands that if a product is not readily available on the shelf, chances are the consumers will move on to buy a competitor's products. Hence, the company ensures that the consumers will always find the exact product that they are looking for, at the time they want it. Besides, Gillette continues to improve its supply chain and ensuring that there is a streamlined flow of products from the manufacturing factories to the distribution centers to the retailer's store and finally to the consumer's homes.
Question 2, b: Components of Gillette's IMC strategy
Integrated Marketing Communication comprises of the strategies used by the marketers of any businesses to plan, develop and execute coordinated and persuasive brand communication programs for the targetted audience (Ang, 2014). The most common types of such programs include radio and television advertisements, use of online media such as Facebook, outdoor promotion events, conversion selling, etc. Gillette's IMC elements have heavily relied on sports-heavy marketing strategy so as to create awareness of the full range of its male grooming products. Moreover, the company employs mass communication elements such as public relations, to stimulate public awareness about its products. The marketing elements are also aimed at strengthening the emotional bond between the company and the customers as well as expanding the brand beyond shaving.
The brand has continued to hold various campaigns in support for sporting activities, and they feature everyday celebrities and sportsmen such as Derek Jeter and Tiger Woods, who are relevant for the specific markets (Ferrell & Hartline, 2011). Moreover, the Gillette Stadium is the company's most visible promotion and is a home to New England's soccer fans. Also, Gillette sponsors athletic activities and through such medium, the company is able to reach a wider audience who are potential customers for their products. In addition, the company understands that worldwide appeal is critical in marketing and that the brand's image and reputation should be positive across the globe. Thus, the company has designed specific marketing strategies which seek to blur the lines of ethnicity, language, and nationality, and this makes the company an attractive one in the global arena. Besides, the company continues to foster its relationship with Major League Baseball, and this partnership has been very beneficial to Gillette. Lastly, Gillette has sponsored various gaming activities, and this has been an effective strategy of reaching and tapping an otherwise unexplored market.
Question 3.
For Gillette to maintain its worldwide dominance in the shaving market in the next five years, the company needs to re-invent itself to be able to tackle the glaring threats in the market. In other words, the comp...