The Best Defensive Strategy is the Courage to Attack Yourself

Because of its leadership position, the defenderproduct was better than the Trac II, the
owns a strong point in the mind of the prospect.nonadjustable two-bladed razor.Nor did Gillette
The best way to improve your position is byhesitate to introduce Good News, an inexpensive
constantly attacking it. In other words, youdisposable razor (with two blades, no less). This
strengthen your position by introducing newwas an obvious attack against Bic, who was
products or services that obsolete your existingpreparing to introduce its own disposable
ones.IBM is a master of the game. Every sorazor.Good News was not good news for Gillette
often, IBM introduces a new line of mainframestockholders. The disposable cost more to make
computers with significant price/performanceand sold for less than Gillette's refillable cost more
advantages over existing products.Competitionto make and sold for less than an Atra or Trac II
continually struggles trying to catch up. A movingwas costing Gillette money.But Good News was
target is harder to hit than a stationarygood marketing strategy. It blocked Bic from
one.Gillette is another example. Gillette owned therunning away with the disposable portion of the
wet-shaving market with a product called the Bluemarket. Furthermore, Bic paid dearly for its
Blade and subsequently the Super Blue Blade.Themodest share. Trade sources say Bic lost $25
company was stunned when rival Wilkinson Swordmillion in its first 3 years in the disposable razor
beat it to the market in the early sixties with thebusiness.Gillette continues its relentless strategy of
stainless blade. Then in 1970 Wilkinson Swordattacking itself. Recently it introduced Pivot, the
followed with the bonded blade, a metal bladefirst adjustable disposable. This time, its own Good
fused to plastic at the "optimum shaving angle."News product is the target.Gillette has gradually
At that point Gillette got its act together andincreased its share of the wet-shaving market.
started to play a brilliant game of defensiveToday it has some 65 percent of the
warfare.Shortly thereafter Gillettebusiness.Attacking yourself may sacrifice
counterattacked with Trac II, the world's firstshort-term profits, but it has one fundamental
double-bladed razor. The success of Trac II setbenefit. It protects market share, the ultimate
the pattern for future Gillette strategy. "Twoweapon in any marketing battle.The reverse is
blades are better than one," said Gillette'salso true. Any company that hesitates to attack
advertising."Better than one Super Blue Blade,"itself usually loses market share and ultimately
said the company's customer who promptlymarket leadership.This article may be re-printed as
bought the new product instead of the old. (It'slong as following resource box is included as it is
better to take business away from yourself thanwith out any alteration.This Marketing Idea is
have someone else do it for you.)Six years later,published by Visit us to find more of cheeky gorilla
the company introduced Atra, the first adjustableIdeas.
double-bladed razor. Again, by implication the new