Recently i have been doing a market research and customer analysis based on “Axe”, a world wide known brand for men`s body spray. But to tell the truth, i have never ever heard this brand before. I think probably that`s because i don`t use the product, neither do i wear any man perfume. After collecting the info about this company for 1-2 days, i just realised how well-known this brand is and how powerful effection the “Axe effect” generates.
As a brief introduction, Axe was founded in France, 1983, as many other luxury brands. And 24 yrs later, this brand has become the best selling brand of Unilever. It`s hard to judge whether 24 yrs is long enough for a brand to grow up. But at least Axe made a very successful model for its competitors to follow and undoubtly today Axe conquered the market in this field. I advocate that there is close relationship between Axe`s success and its marketing strategies.
1. Customers. Axe body spray is mainly aimed on young men, especially age from 15-25. This is very appropriate because it seizes the heart of its consumers. Young men are usually dynamic, fashionable, and really want to be attractive to girls. Therefore there are more possible chances for them to buy and consume men perfume.
2. Ads. Ads is really important for all products, brands, companies cuz it is usually from where people get to know your product and your brand. Axe makes it Ads very special and seductive. It tries to catch young men`s attention by using pretty hot girls in its ads. What`s more, the idea it conveys in the ads is that if you use Axe, the “Axe effect” will go over all of your body, therefore you become so attractive to girls that they will make the first step, instead of you. This idea is very different from traditional because usually it`s guys who first make the move. So through the ads Axe makes a scene that girls seduce guys just because they are affected by the Axe effect. And also there is a poing from one article that i read i find very reasonable is that in Axe`s ads, they don`t use Hunks, instead, they use ordinary guys or even skinny men seduced by girls. I think this detail is very important as well because it makes the ads more realistic and approchable. The meaning of doing this is to link men`s confidence with Axe. So people will feel like pretty confident when they are wearing Axe, making them feeling more comfortable dealing with girls.
3. Price. Price is always the considerance of people when shopping. In terms of Axe, the price is very acceptable, especially thinking that the potential consumers are usually students or people with not very high-paid job. Compared with cologne, it`s so much cheaper. Although it`s a little bit more expensive than anti-sweat.
4. Brand monopoly. This may be the most important point that makes Axe so successful. Axe has the absolute competitve advantage that it makes the idea that when thinking of seductions, girls make the first move. That`s the power of Axe effect and that`s why many people love this brand and even tried many different fragrances just because they prefer Axe. And i think this can lead Axe to go longer and probably stand out of the other competitors in the competiton.
However, Axe`s marketing is meanwhile an adventurous marketing because the theme it uses and the contents in its ads may not be recognized by everyone and even some people may feel unappropriate. Since it`s sexy-aiming orientation, probably parents and school teachers will oppose to it.
But so far, Axe is successful, and so successful. I really like the way it does the promotion and marketing because it completely gets the attention and seize their thoughts of its potential consumers.
I wish Axe could do better in the future.
Reference: MarketingPrctice.”Axe: The Axe Effect”,july19.2007. October03.2010.<http://marketingpractice.blogspot.com/2007/07/axe-axe-effect.html>