My 18 year-old son got this package in the mail the other day. I almost threw it out, but thought maybe we could use it in the guest bathroom or for emergencies.
Imagine my surprise (and my marketing mom pride) when he seemed as excited about his new manhood kit as he was his new computer. “This is an awesome idea,” he mumbled (even when they are excited, teens mumble). “Look at this stuff!” He began pulling out cute little bottles of shaving cream, deodorant, body wash, cooling gel, coupons, and, the piece de resistance, a Gillette Fusion razor.
And then, my little 6′ 1″ about-to-go-to-college-peanut said the most profound thing I’ve ever heard. “This is chill! I can’t believe they’d send me these things for free! I will buy from this company for life for doing this. Mom, look at this. Isn’t this a good idea for them? All companies should do this, huh?”
Beaming with pride, I agreed. In addition to my astonishment that he said more than 5 words to me in one day, my head was spinning. He has my marketing gene! He actually gets it! All of the time, sweat and tears spent applying for business schools paid off in that one moment.
As he heads off to college next month, Gillette products along for the ride, I now have confidence that he will succeed as an adult in his chosen path. He feels like a man because Gillette confirmed it, and he ate that message up. More importantly, he instinctively understood marketing basics such as brand loyalty, lead generation, and customer retention.
Wonder if Tide has a “College Kids for Clothing Cleanlinesss kit” they could spare?