Do you suppose that every year or so someone at Gillette thinks “Actually, the best a man can get now includes one more blade – we never thought of that before”? Probably not. But I wonder how long they can keep adding blades – OK, I admit to having a Power Fusion razor with the 5+1 blades.
So yesterday I heard the recently released Rogers (Canada) commercial again saying that their Home Phone service (which they say is not VOIP but I’m sure it technically is – they try to differentiate it because it’s locked down so home-brewers need not apply for the most part), now has free calls between anywhere in Canada if both ends are on the service. Wow – image that, free in-network VOIP calls – how generous… after how long now? OK, so they maybe wanted a certain critical mass of adopters for their service. I’ve been having free VOIP calls for years and I don’t have to pay any fixed rental for it. Rogers is getting my money for a cable connection, so why should I pay to just send data over it? Cue the marketing script response…
This is what I call slow release product marketing. All the potential is practically/probably already in there, but for economic and/or investment-recouping and/or profit milking purposes, you just don’t get the benefit of it, and most people are oblivious enough to think it’s the best thing since sliced bread.
Colinizer 
To everything you said – YES, ABSOLUTELY.
The Gillette Fusion is no longer the Gillette Fusion. Say what? The razor is now the Proctor & Gamble Fusion since P&G forked over in excess of 50 BILLION $ for Gillette. Even Bill Gates would feel THAT. And we think that everything “Gillette” is going to stay the same? HA!
First thing you do is destroy the connection between the product and the community where it began – so P&G has already closed several of Gillette’s plants in Boston. And real estate people expect to list ALL the Boston properties by the end of 2007.
Next you’ve got to increase profits to pay the $50+ Billion tab. How? Simple, reduce blade hardness to “encourage” sales, and simultaneously raise the price. OKAAAY! Let’s do it! And they are – P&G is expert at this sort of thing.
I know, absolutely, that the Fusion blades aren’t lasting as long as they did under Gillette’s control. Gillette actually had a committment to quality AND profits. P&G has only ONE committment. Mark my words – the quality that Gillette worked so hard to maintain is going down the tubes. The ride has already begun. Nobody can market lies like P&G.
RD
There’s also now the Fusion Power Phantom which I believe is just another theme or skin to the Fusion Power. It’s like bringing out the Plus pack for Windows.
Let’s face it – those little indicator strips on the razor head must have increased sales; whereas before you had to decide for yourself when to change the blade, you now have a reminder. I wouldn’t be surprised if the things starts flashing (like the low battery indicator does) to change the blade, some time in the future. My Braun Oral B toothbrush now has a feature that tells you when it’s time to replace the brush yet.
I wonder whether they’ll be a 20/20 or other news show that investigates whether you can get 20% more use out of your brush head or razor blade than the manufacturer would have you believe.
I laughted very hard when I saw that mocking commercial with the 15-blade razor but I don’t remember what product it was actually for.