Philips shavers: which benefits do you invest in?
Philips has a wide range of electric shavers. These are focused on brand claims - for example, on skin sensitivity or a close shave. In order to maintain and further expand Philips' position, the portfolio must continue to match the consumer experience. Blauw was called in to identify what the user thinks is valuable and what is not.
International market research
The research was carried out in six countries, namely France, Germany, the United States, Korea, Japan and China. Given the research question and the objective, we proposed a conjunct approach. We know that consumers do not always say what they do or do what they say, especially with regard to (reading) prices and claims. With the conjunct method, you implicitly measure which aspects of your product have value for consumers. Respondents must repeatedly choose between shavers with various prices and packaging claims.
In this way, we measured how many dollars extra people were willing to pay for specific product characteristics. This research shows Philips how the portfolio can best be built to increase market share.
Segmentation allows insight into your target group(s) within the market.
The conjunct results showed clear segments. These are homogeneous groups of people with the same preferences. Classifying customers according to their needs:
- Helps you to use marketing more effectively
- Teaches you to know the market better
- Lets you discover what your target group wants to hear and how you can trigger that emotion
It turned out that different claims appeal to different segments. These are hugely valuable insights for Philips, because they then know exactly what they need to focus on in their marketing campaigns in order to appeal to the consumer.
Translating the results into a new marketing strategy
To ensure that the results were immediately implemented on the shop floor, we presented them to the entire Philips marketing team. During the subsequent interactive workshop, we looked together at the different scenarios in the market simulator. With the simulator, Philips can simulate how many people will choose a product. We collected a single batch of data, but with this tool you can calculate endlessly.
Each of the participants reacted extremely enthusiastically to the results of the research. The first steps to adjust the marketing strategy were already taken during the session. All these concrete results will help Philips to determine the right direction for its shaver portfolio. What's more, they now know how they should communicate claims and how best to get this over to the consumer.
