Gillette Marketing Strategy Case Study - 2025

Gillette, a global leader in grooming products, is renowned for its innovative marketing strategies. By leveraging digital channels and connecting with consumers on an emotional level, it has solidified its brand position. Its most notable campaigns, such as "The Best Men Can Be," highlight its dedication to brand values while engaging with a diverse audience.

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Aditya Shastri - Trainer at IIDE

Aditya Shastri

Lead Trainer & Business Development Head at IIDE

Updated on: Jul 16, 2025

About Gillette

Gillette logo

It has been 100 years since Gillette has been manufacturing the top grooming products for men globally. Interestingly, Gillette’s marketing strategies, in-depth market environment analysis, and innovation have proven to be a way ahead of competitors’ products. The main focus of the brand has been to provide the best health and skincare-related solutions for men.

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Karan Shah - Founder & CEO at IIDE

Marketing Objective or Business Challenge

Gillette's challenge in recent years has been to retain market dominance amid increasing competition, particularly from niche and sustainable grooming brands. The company needed to reinforce its identity in the face of growing trends like eco-friendly products, as well as societal movements surrounding masculinity and gender roles. Their main objective was to increase brand awareness, foster customer loyalty, and tap into younger demographics without alienating their traditional customer base.

Buyers Persona:

Armaan Gansena

Mumbai

Occupation: Web-Developer

Age: 25 years

Motivation

  • High-quality grooming products
  • Innovative technology
  • Brand reputation

Interest & Hobbies

  • Sports and Fitness
  • Personal grooming
  • Technology

Pain Points

  • Sensitive skin issues
  • Price sensitivity
  • Availability of advanced grooming products

Social Media Presence

  • Active on Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube, with engaging content about grooming tips, product launches, and campaigns.

Marketing Channels Used by Gillette

Digital Marketing

1. SEO & SEM: Gillette optimises its presence on search engines to target users searching for shaving solutions. The data we found is impressive. 

Data taken from Semrush

Gillette semrush data

2. Social Media: Gillette uses Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube to engage with younger audiences through video content and memes.

3. Influencer Marketing: The brand partners with influencers in the grooming and fitness space, showcasing their products' quality.

4. Content Marketing: Gillette offers tutorials, tips, and how-to videos on shaving and skincare routines.

Traditional Marketing

1. TV Ads: Gillette continues to run impactful TV commercials like "The Best Men Can Be," reinforcing their brand values.

2. Print Media: Magazine ads focusing on product features, quality, and innovation.

3. Sponsorships: Gillette engages in sporting events and athlete endorsements to reinforce the brand.

Gillette Marketing Strategy Breakdown

Digital Marketing

1. Social Media Marketing: Through platforms like Instagram, Gillette highlights personal stories and testimonials from real customers.

2. Video Content: Engaging video content on YouTube, featuring shaving routines and skincare tips for different types of skin.

Brand Messaging & Tone of Voice

1. Emotional Appeal: Gillette's "The Best Men Can Be" campaign tackled social issues, including toxic masculinity, which resonated with consumers profoundly. This made the campaign widely successful.

2. Inclusive Branding: Recently, Gillette has also shifted towards a more inclusive message, aligning itself with modern social values. This aims to create a more profound relationship with its consumers.

Influencer Marketing & Partnerships

Athlete Endorsements: Collaborations with athletes like Tiger Woods and Roger Federer help strengthen Gillette's association with performance and excellence. This has instilled a sense of toughness in men who use Gillette products. 

gillette's influencer marketing

Sustainability Initiatives

Eco-Friendly Packaging: To meet the demand for sustainable products, Gillette is working on reducing plastic waste and using recyclable materials.

Results & Impact

1. Brand Awareness: The "Best Men Can Be" campaign generated millions of impressions worldwide, with a significant rise in social media engagement.

2. Sales Growth: By targeting younger consumers through influencer collaborations, Gillette reported an increase in sales in the millennial demographic.

3. Consumer Sentiment: Many consumers praised the brand for addressing critical social issues, though some backlash occurred due to perceived political messaging.

What Worked & Why

Emotional Branding: The "Best Men Can Be" campaign was a success because it aligned with societal conversations around masculinity and responsibility.

Digital Strategy: Gillette's strong digital presence, particularly on social media, helped them stay relevant with younger audiences.

Sustainability: Their commitment to sustainable packaging resonated with eco-conscious consumers.

What Didn’t Work & Why

Backlash from Conservative Consumers: The 2019 "Best Men Can Be" campaign faced backlash from some male consumers who felt the campaign was overly political. This polarised their traditional audience.

Over-Emphasis on Digital: While digital marketing helped target younger consumers, the brand's traditional customer base in older demographics felt neglected in favour of new trends.

IIDE Student Recommendations: Key Areas for Brand Improvement

1. Targeting More Diverse Demographics: While Gillette’s focus on millennials and Gen Z is commendable, it should also engage older demographics through targeted messaging that resonates with their preferences.

2. Balancing Digital with Traditional Marketing: The brand should maintain its focus on digital marketing but also strengthen its traditional advertising strategies to engage long-time customers.

3. Enhanced Sustainability Measures: While they’ve made strides, Gillette could do more to reduce its environmental footprint by offering refillable razor handles or a more extensive recycling program for used products.

It looks like you enjoyed reading Gillette's marketing strategy. Read the marketing strategy of Gymshark to explore more such fabulous advertising strategies that the brand uses.    

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Conclusion

Gillette has successfully managed to stay relevant in the competitive grooming industry by adopting a strategic mix of traditional and digital marketing approaches. The brand's ability to evolve and address key social issues, such as masculinity, has helped maintain its leadership intact in the market. Moving forward, Gillette could further capitalise on the sustainability trend while ensuring its messaging continues to resonate across all age groups.

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Author's Note:

I’m Aditya Shastri, and this case study has been created with the support of my students from IIDE's digital marketing courses.

The practical assignments, case studies, and simulations completed by the students in these courses have been crucial in shaping the insights presented here.

If you found this case study helpful, feel free to leave a comment below.

Aditya Shastri - Trainer at IIDE

Aditya Shastri

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Lead Trainer & Business Development Head at IIDE

Aditya Shastri leads the Business Development segment at IIDE and is a seasoned Content Marketing expert. With over a decade of experience, Aditya has trained more than 20,000 students and professionals in digital marketing, collaborating with prestigious institutions and corporations such as Jet Airways, Godrej Professionals, Pfizer, Mahindra Group, Publicis Worldwide, and many others. His ability to simplify complex marketing concepts, combined with his engaging teaching style, has earned him widespread admiration from students and professionals alike.

Aditya has spearheaded IIDE’s B2B growth, forging partnerships with over 40 higher education institutions across India to upskill students in digital marketing and business skills. As a visiting faculty member at top institutions like IIT Bhilai, Mithibai College, Amity University, and SRCC, he continues to influence the next generation of marketers.

Apart from his marketing expertise, Aditya is also a spiritual speaker, often traveling internationally to share insights on spirituality. His unique blend of digital marketing proficiency and spiritual wisdom makes him a highly respected figure in both fields.