With thousands of customers and a unique perspective of branding, that is progressive and projects masculinity in a peculiar way, the Bombay Shaving Company by Deepu Panicker, Rohit Jaiswal, Shantanu Deshpande and Raunak Munot is here to stay away from the brotherhood, macho and men will be men codes. In a quick conversation with TMM, the new-age entrepreneurs talk about everything that makes the brand a millennial thing.
How did the name Bombay Shaving Company happen? What’s the story behind it?
We wanted a name that can be recognised globally. ‘Bombay’ evokes a sense of Modern India and has a certain spirit and coolness factor attached to it, which all the co-founders had experienced and grown to like in the years we spent in the city. Secondly, the word has a retro yet modern vibe to it, which is in line our ‘Precision Safety Razor’ which is an older technology but made precise and sleek for the modern tastes. The words ‘Shaving Company’ demonstrate our commitment and sincerity towards making the shaving experience more joyful and give the feeling that there is a big force behind this operation, helping build the trust in the mind of the consumers.
In 2015, when you guys started, what was the key branding strategy that was followed to register the brand in target audiences mind?
From the very beginning, we wanted it to be very clear how we are different from Gillette and Dollar Shave Club, which we were often compared to, due to the high profile buyout by Unilever and similarity in the name. Our signature 6-Part Shaving System provided a complete, uncompromising shaving experience, the polar opposite to the ‘sat-a-sat’ and convenient norm set by the category. But we did not have the big budgets to spend on marketing, so we did a few interesting things:
- For the first 6 months, we only sold the complete 6-part kit on our website, so as to enforce the shaving philosophy into the minds of the consumer.
- We packaged the complete kit in a really premium way to evoke a sense of luxury. We got great mileage from customers posting unboxing videos on their social feeds.
- We offered users to get their names engraved on the metal razor at no additional cost. This gave users a sense of pride to hold the heavy razor, and also served as a great trigger for personalised gifting.
We all know how Bombay Shaving Company came into existence. Tell us about the hardships that went into making it a brand?
Selling a shaving kit for Rs.3000 was not easy in a value-driven market. Changing shaving habits that have been ingrained for decades, at scale, have been a challenging task, but we’re happy that those who have given at a shot have converted.
From 2015 to 2019, a lot of competitors have jumped in the business of men’s grooming market. What makes Bombay Shaving Company a unique brand?
We believe in mentoring the right way to groom. We do not cut corners and spend an ample amount of time in thoughtfully designing every part of the grooming experience to provide complete and uncompromising care. As a brand, we’re also more progressive in how we think about and project masculinity. We stay away from the brotherhood, macho and ‘men will be men’ codes often used by men’s brands.
Bombay Shaving Company is functional online and offline both. What is the market ratio of both routes and where the future lies?
At present, we’re available on our website and all prominent e-commerce platforms, as well as 1000+ retail shelves across 5 cities. 80% of our sales are driven by online channels as of now. However, the majority of India still shops offline, so we will see the ratios grow in favour of offline as we rapidly expand to more shelves. The future will bring several synergies in offline-online channels, as we’re already starting to see, and we’re preparing for an omnichannel strategy. Ultimately, what’s important is that we are at the top of mind of customers wherever they choose to shop.
The biggest learning over the years as a company.
You cannot do it without a great team, and you need to be comfortable with giving up control. It usually works out for the better.
What are your future plans for the brand and where do you see it 5 years from now?
We currently offer 40+ products across 4 categories- shave care, beard care, bath care and skin care. We will continue to expand our offering and become a complete head-to-toe grooming solutions provider.
Any tips for aspiring entrepreneurs?
You cannot be a master of all. Learn to build the right team, the right culture and invest in their success.
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