I’m a sucker for quality. A finely polished product surface will get me every time. I love the satisfying sound a car door makes when it closes properly (and the window operators don’t rattle like they did on some older American cars). Not to mention underwear T-shirts that don’t shrink with their first wash (even using cold water and a low dryer setting). And razor blades that glide smoothly over your face while effortlessly removing that morning’s growth.
So I was pretty excited to hear about Harry’s Razors. They’ve been around going on two years and have popped up recently online. Read their well-crafted ad copy and you’d think you’ve found shaving Nirvana:
So I was pretty excited to hear about Harry’s Razors. They’ve been around going on two years and have popped up recently online. Read their well-crafted ad copy and you’d think you’ve found shaving Nirvana:
Like most of you, we’ve long had to choose between over-priced,
over-marketed razors that disrespect your intelligence,
and low quality, cheap razors that disrespect your face.
We knew there had to be a better way,
so we created Harry’s as a return to the essential:
a great shave at a fair price.
I wanted one - right away. Problem is I no longer shave, thanks to a 5-year-old beard I trim once a week – if that. But during my many decades of shaving, I mostly used the cheap blue grocery store blades that lasted about three days before they reared up and tried to bite my face off.
So the Harry’s ad caught my eye. It had a quality look and made quality promises:
So the Harry’s ad caught my eye. It had a quality look and made quality promises:
We spent over a year meticulously crafting our first Harry’s line.
Our blades are made by German engineers with decades of experience honing high-grade steel.
Our handles were designed to blend timeless simplicity and modern ergonomics.
Our shaving cream comes from the same chemists who make creams for high-end brands.
The result: a set of modern shaving products made with respect for the tradition of a good, clean shave.
Since I was not going to try them myself, I consulted razorpedia.com for Harry’s Razor reviews.
Some men liked them and credited Harry’s for eliminating razor burn. Others did not like the product for reasons that ranged from “dull after three days” to rust on the blades, slippery handles and poor value compared to products available at retail – not to mention Harry’s shave cream, which nobody seemed to like.
I, too, was disappointed – that so many of the reviewers were disappointed. Because I like Harry’s sell. It's creative, credible and makes you want to try the product. But as one reviewer opined, the company seems “more concerned with marketing brand association and identification than with how their razor works.”
Harry’s differentiation is threefold: (1) a great shave, (2) a fair price, and (3) direct sales. Unfortunately, razorpedia reviewers suggest that the product needs refinement and isn’t always the best value. That leaves direct selling as the lead dog pulling this sled, which likely will be enough to establish a market beachhead for Harry’s while they improve the product.
I hope so. Because I want to see these entrepreneurs succeed.
As for me, I’m still on the lookout for an underwear T that won’t shrink with that first wash! Don’t you just hate how they ride up on your tummy?
TakeAway: Don’t make a quality claim unless your product absolutely, positively lives up to it.
Content © by Brian E. Faulkner
Some men liked them and credited Harry’s for eliminating razor burn. Others did not like the product for reasons that ranged from “dull after three days” to rust on the blades, slippery handles and poor value compared to products available at retail – not to mention Harry’s shave cream, which nobody seemed to like.
I, too, was disappointed – that so many of the reviewers were disappointed. Because I like Harry’s sell. It's creative, credible and makes you want to try the product. But as one reviewer opined, the company seems “more concerned with marketing brand association and identification than with how their razor works.”
Harry’s differentiation is threefold: (1) a great shave, (2) a fair price, and (3) direct sales. Unfortunately, razorpedia reviewers suggest that the product needs refinement and isn’t always the best value. That leaves direct selling as the lead dog pulling this sled, which likely will be enough to establish a market beachhead for Harry’s while they improve the product.
I hope so. Because I want to see these entrepreneurs succeed.
As for me, I’m still on the lookout for an underwear T that won’t shrink with that first wash! Don’t you just hate how they ride up on your tummy?
TakeAway: Don’t make a quality claim unless your product absolutely, positively lives up to it.
Content © by Brian E. Faulkner
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