Gillette Enters eSports With League of Legends IEM Championship Sponsorship

What Happened
Gillette becomes the latest CPG brand to tap into the increasingly popular eSports by announcing a global partnership with ESL, the world’s largest eSports company. As part of the partnership, the leading men’s grooming brand will serve as an official sponsor of the League of Legends IEM World Championship in Katowice, Poland later this month.

To offer eSports fans attending the championship, Gillette will set up an on-site design studio where they will have the opportunity to customize Gillette razor handles using 3D printing technology. Moreover, the brand will offer grooming services to all competitors throughout the opening weekend. The company will also host autograph session featuring xPeke, an eSports star player and Gillette’s newest Global Ambassador, who will also be featured in Gillette’s “Pursuit of Precision” content series.

What Brands Need To Do
By adding an eSports player to its roster of brand ambassadors typically filled by celebrity  athletes, Gillette joins a growing number of brands, including Audi, Snickers, and Coca-Cola, in recognizing the popularity and cultural legitimacy of eSports. As companies race to capture the young, male-skewing eSports audience, brands, especially those seeking global recognition, need to start leveraging the massive reach of eSports events and platforms via sponsorships and ads.

 


Source: Yahoo Finance

Gillette Expands Razor Subscription Service

What Happened
Leading shaving razor brand Gillette is expanding its subscription service to the U.K. as it looks to foster long-term customer loyalty with its subscription business. Gillette first launched the service in June 2014 in the U.S. as a response to the market disruption caused by the likes of Dollar Shave Club and Harry’s. The Gillette Shave Club offers free shipping and includes a loyalty program that rewards consumers for purchases.

What Brands Need To Do
In recent years, selling subscription-based access to content, products, or services has quickly become an even more popular business model adopted by a number of brands in various industries. Gillette is just one of the CPG brands that has embraced this type of direct selling model, cultivating a more direct relationship with their customers. As consumers’ shopping habits evolve, more retail and CPG brands should consider trying out the subscription model to cultivate customer loyalty.

For more on how brands can better build relationships with consumers through multiple touchpoints and channels, check out the Boundless Retail section in our Outlook 2016.

 


Source: Brand Channel