If I go into King Soopers and buy items labled King Soopers brand I'm pretty sure it's rebranded. I'll still buy it if it's cost effective and equivalent.
The Curse of Branding a.k.a. If You Can't Build it, STOP!
- Thread starter Franz_Biberkopf
- Start date
You’d prefer to buy a $3000 iPhone, or a $9000 PC?
I understand entirely that the Ideas Economy feels inauthentic, but lots of those brands you mention only exist because they are able to outsource manufacturing. I can’t speak for RazoRock, but I have a feeling that if circumstances required them to build their own factory and employ their own workers the owners wouldn’t have risked investment. Then there wouldn’t be any RazoRock products at all to complain about.
I understand entirely that the Ideas Economy feels inauthentic, but lots of those brands you mention only exist because they are able to outsource manufacturing. I can’t speak for RazoRock, but I have a feeling that if circumstances required them to build their own factory and employ their own workers the owners wouldn’t have risked investment. Then there wouldn’t be any RazoRock products at all to complain about.
AimlessWanderer
Remember to forget me!
Great topic to kick around. I thought it might add interest to hear from a vendor.
Several of our products like our lather bowls are not personally made by employees of Captain's Choice. They were developed over the course of several months with many prototypes and multiple volunteers. That feedback was instrumental in helping us refine them into what customers wanted. So the bowls are a truly in-house created product but we do not actually manufacture them personally. Instead, manufacturing is outsourced with them made to our specifications. The same is true for our newly released copper lather bowls. We decided to not learn pottery or how to form copper into a lather bowl. No thanks, I have a business to run!
We personally manufacture our line of aftershaves. Our line of balms, soaps, and creams we own the formulas to and they are made to our specifications. We decided to not invest at this time in the equipment to manufacture those lines. So we outsource the actual blending and filling to a local factory who specializes in the personal care industry.
Our two different razors and the razor/brush stand we do not make nor did we develop. To offer these product lines at a price that experience says our customers will pay we import these. Each is embossed with our company logo and come in an embossed Captain's Choice box. But we did not develop them nor do we in any way play a role in them being actually manufactured. They are off-the-shelf items that fill a need for people shopping our stores and at what is an affordable price. As a convenience, we offer DE blades - not much to be said there. They are popular brands that appeal to customers.
Our brushes are yet another twist of sorts. The handle is a standard imported handle as are the knots. We have them set at a loft that provides what I believe is an ideal combination of firmness and performance. Once the knots are set I take them to another manufacturer who embosses them with our name on them.
All of this has been driven by a back story. Some of you may recall that when we first carried shaving soap it was a RazoRock / Captain's Choice partnership. So the tub and label indicated such. The soap was great and the business relationship with RazoRock (Italian Barber) was nothing but stellar. In fact, they carry our line in Canada. Here was the rub: We kept getting pushback from customers as well as retail accounts. Essentially they kept complaining that when they come to our site they expect to see Captain's Choice products only - not a partnership that made soap. This made sense and is why we rolled out our own line of soap, then cream, then balm. It is also why we sold out the Semogue brushes we had carried for several years and upgraded to our own branded brush. The site now presents a more uniform look to the viewer.
In short, as a manufacturer you have to decide what business you are in. And as you can see, it is often not an easy answer.
I hope that helps with some understanding.
Several of our products like our lather bowls are not personally made by employees of Captain's Choice. They were developed over the course of several months with many prototypes and multiple volunteers. That feedback was instrumental in helping us refine them into what customers wanted. So the bowls are a truly in-house created product but we do not actually manufacture them personally. Instead, manufacturing is outsourced with them made to our specifications. The same is true for our newly released copper lather bowls. We decided to not learn pottery or how to form copper into a lather bowl. No thanks, I have a business to run!
We personally manufacture our line of aftershaves. Our line of balms, soaps, and creams we own the formulas to and they are made to our specifications. We decided to not invest at this time in the equipment to manufacture those lines. So we outsource the actual blending and filling to a local factory who specializes in the personal care industry.
Our two different razors and the razor/brush stand we do not make nor did we develop. To offer these product lines at a price that experience says our customers will pay we import these. Each is embossed with our company logo and come in an embossed Captain's Choice box. But we did not develop them nor do we in any way play a role in them being actually manufactured. They are off-the-shelf items that fill a need for people shopping our stores and at what is an affordable price. As a convenience, we offer DE blades - not much to be said there. They are popular brands that appeal to customers.
Our brushes are yet another twist of sorts. The handle is a standard imported handle as are the knots. We have them set at a loft that provides what I believe is an ideal combination of firmness and performance. Once the knots are set I take them to another manufacturer who embosses them with our name on them.
All of this has been driven by a back story. Some of you may recall that when we first carried shaving soap it was a RazoRock / Captain's Choice partnership. So the tub and label indicated such. The soap was great and the business relationship with RazoRock (Italian Barber) was nothing but stellar. In fact, they carry our line in Canada. Here was the rub: We kept getting pushback from customers as well as retail accounts. Essentially they kept complaining that when they come to our site they expect to see Captain's Choice products only - not a partnership that made soap. This made sense and is why we rolled out our own line of soap, then cream, then balm. It is also why we sold out the Semogue brushes we had carried for several years and upgraded to our own branded brush. The site now presents a more uniform look to the viewer.
In short, as a manufacturer you have to decide what business you are in. And as you can see, it is often not an easy answer.
I hope that helps with some understanding.
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