Electronic innovator
A fresh range of Series shavers, new epilators and another state-of-the-art travel toothbrush confirm that Braun is continuing to bolster its position as one of the travel-retail electronics category’s leading lights. David Davies finds out more
The travel-retail electronics category is a sprawling, diverse entity – increasingly so, in fact. Suppliers often face a stark choice: specialise in one (sometimes very narrow) sub-category or attempt to cover as as many bases as possible.
Braun has long been regarded as one of the category’s star players and, as marketing coordinator duty free and special markets Alysia Jones makes clear, the company’s underlying strategy towards further growth can be encapsulated fairly easily. “Braun’s growth lies in the traditional travel-retail products – travel-specific items designed for use on the go as well as in the home,” she explains.
The supplier is certainly following through on that notion with the products that it is launching into duty- free/travel-retail in the first half of 2008. These include the new Silk épil Xpressive epilators – the first in the series to feature auto worldwide voltage adjustment; the ProfessionalCare 8900 travel toothbrush with three brushing modes (clean, sensitive and polish), multivoltage travel charger and travel case; and the latest additions to the Series shaver range.
First publicised in Cannes last autumn, the Series range marks the adoption of a more straightforward brand architecture where Series 7 constitutes the top of the line, going down through Series 5, Series 3 and Series 1 (the last-named of which has been swelled by two new models featuring a “sleek ergonomic design”).
Has Braun’s decision to undertake such a significant shift in the way it brands its shaver products helped in communicating a clearer message to this retail channel, Brands enquires? “Well, we now have a clear product hierarchy with price points which reflect this,” answers Jones. “Before making these changes our shaver line-up was unclear and lacking structure.
Now due to the family look of the packaging and the overall product presentation it is easier for the consumer to compare products and make a judgement based on product features and price.”
The last few months have also brought a cluster of new listings. KLM and LAN Chile have introduced the Blood Pressure monitor 1700, while South African Airways has confirmed a listing for the aforementioned ProfessionalCare 8900 travel toothbrush. MyTravel Denmark, meanwhile, is set to take on a considerable batch of Braun products – namely, the new Triumph toothbrush with Smart Guide, the Xpressive epilators, the PocketGo P70 battery shaver, and the top-of-the-line Series 7 shaver 790 with the Clean&Charge System.
The new product development is set to continue throughout the year, with more multi-voltage products set to join the range. “We hope that by being able to supply these models to travel-retailers worldwide rather than just the 220V markets [that we can] make Braun products more accessible and available to people who may otherwise not have the opportunity.”
In short, says Jones, the focus will continue to be on providing travellers with “good quality everyday and travel-specific products. Our business is all about making people’s lives easier – a faster shave, smoother skin, efficient grooming, improved oral care – and making everyday tasks easier to complete well, and more convenient.”
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