KOS PRO. Be The First To Say We Can

Most companies launch a high end range, then go mass. Not King of Shaves. Ever since our first shaving oil was sold in Harrods in 1993, we've done things differently, and alongside our Brand Ambassador and Captain of England & Chelsea, John Terry, we're now 'Going Pro'!

King of Shaves Professional - or KOS.PRO as it is known, launches at Salon International, ExCeL, London Docklands in October 2007. This will be the very FIRST British men's wash, shave, skin & styling range to launch for men in the Salon & Professional space in the UK.

We have spent well over a year working on the products, and the retail/selling partnerships - with Oliver Fincher and his team at Aston & Fincher, with Mick of Mix, with Mus of The Cutting Rooms, with Paul Mole barbershop & salon in Upper East Side, NYC and with product & formulation experts world-wide.

KOS.PRO seeks to provide salon owners with a duality of purpose. The KOS.EXP - the King of Shaves Experience - more of which in due course, and a range of products that consumers actually WANT to buy, not have forced on them. A range priced to sell, with product efficacy that is second generation and truly performs. It's all abou the product - this has been a King of Shaves Mantra for over 14 years now, since I first launched the Original Shaving Oil back in 1992.

Aligning John Terry, the consummate Football Players Player with the range is a natural fit for salons who cut and style men's hair - after all, many men who play non-league soccer on Sundays will aspire to 'Be John Terry - Be A King' - and all of them as well as playing soccer to the best of their ability, surely want to shave and style in the same way, Professionally.

To further reinforce our team, we are also bringing on board our World Championship leading Powerboat P1 Offshore Racing Team, helmed by James Sheppard, four times Honda World Champion, and his Fountain/Ilmor Team. We've already got a blog entry at Hairdressers Journal Interactive (www.hji.co.uk) where one Salon owner and partner will get the chance for a sneak preview of the KOS.PRO range, whilst being royally entertained aboard our 50' flybridge cruiser and 75 knot chase RIB.

So, look out for our stand at Salon International - extensively featuring John Terry and impactful hexagonal branding, you won't be able to miss it! Keep up to date with developments during the run up by checking out the KOS.PRO blog, accessible via http://www.kospro.co.uk

KOS.PRO by King of Shaves. Go on. Be a King.

Go on. Back a future King!

Once in a while you read about something you've done, which is recognised as being really worthwhile. Back in 2003, my dad and I were chatting about King of Shaves sponsoring financially challenged young sports boys and girls of the future, and thought it would be a 'Good Thing' to do.

Coincidentally, I received a letter from a young British fencer called Paul Dazelely, asking if King of Shaves would sponsor him.

Thus the King of Shaves Young Blades bursary & sports partnership was born. Launched in 2003 by Colin Jackson, King of Shaves now sponsors up to 12 young athletes, all aiming to compete in the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics. The scheme is now headed up by King of Shaves brand ambassador, Chelsea & England captain, John Terry and Shelley Rudman, Olympic silver medallist in the 2006 Winter Olympics.

And the reason I write this blog now? Well, in this week's Marketing magazine there's a four page article by Ed Kemp, examining the benefits of sponsors of signing them up before they hit the big time. Wade Bennett-Jackson (20) was 16 when King of Shaves signed him, and his other sponsors are McDonalds (Multi-Billion brand), Virgin (Multi-Billion brand) and Nike (obviously).

Will King of Shaves be a multi-billion pound brand? Well, like Wade winning the 2012 100m and 200m sprints in the London 2012 Olympics, I think so.

Go on. Back a (young) King!

Gillette Fusion. Or should it be CONfusion?

I came across this blog by Gord Irish, long time fan of Gillette. Maybe for not much longer. Read on...

Like possibly many fathers I received a shiny new Gillette Fusion shaver for Father’s Day. So far, I am throughly disappointed with it.
Let me begin by saying that am big Gillette fan, all the way back to Trac II days, when I first started shaving. I’ve tried every completing brand over the years and come back to Gillette. I still use a 2 blade Sensor shaver today.

I’ve always used a 2 blade shaver, largely because in my living memory, Gillette stopped selling 1 blade shavers. I’ve also always had a suspicion that the second blade really served no purpose other than clever marketing. The five blade Fusion confirms my suspicion, after a week of testing them back to back, I find it shaves the same as the 2 blade shaver. So the first blade does the work and the rest are along for the ride. largely to increase the price. In fact, I don’t find much difference using the 1 blade trimmer side of the Fusion but it is harder to tell because it is awkward to use that way. What I can tell for sure is that the Fusion is more like shaving with a spoon than a knife, the 5 blade head is so wide and awkward. And I don’t care what Gillette says, 5 blades makes for more drag and irritation than 2 blades.

I will happily keep using my 2 blade Sensor shavers, at least as long as Gillette keeps making them. I would be even happier if there was a 1 blade version but I am not aware that one exists. I doubt I’ll ever see one either, after going down the 5 blade road, I can imagine that Gillette marketing can’t turn around and step back to 1 blade.

David Beckham, Beards, LA Galaxy and the King of Defenders

You have to admit that 'brand Beckham' is a phenomenon. BBC 24 gave nearly half an hour to his press conference at LA Galaxy, announcing his signing and intent to relish the new challenge. I actually quite like DB, like JT, he gets on with it, and its clear that he enjoys what he does.

Their match, a week on Saturday will be against Chelsea, captained by King of Shaves brand Ambassador, John Terry. Quite ironic really - the previous England captain (once brand ambassador for Gillette, now sporting a beard as they failed to agree to his profit share deal) playing against clean shaven John Terry, current England captain - our very own defender of the face.

So, game on! Good luck David, but JT - Go on - be a King (and WIN!)

King of Ads?

BBC'S debut sports news programme Inside Sport gave a huge plug on air to men's grooming product King of Shaves for giving them access to John Terry for their main interview — despite strict rules over advertising on the Beeb and King of Shaves not making any kind of request.

No wonder the company are planning to extend their Terry endorsement when it brings in that kind of free advertising. The Terry revelations to interviewer Gabby Logan gave Inside Sport immediate impact, but the programme format does not lend itself to breaking stories and the slot given to BBC sports newshound Mihir Bose ('I can reveal a secret board meeting took place') just didn't work.

John Terry, Chelsea Manager 2016???

Delighted to see John Terry give such a good interview to Gabby Logan on this evening's 'Inside Sport' on BBC1.

The piece was filmed at the launch of our 2007-8 Young Blades Bursary scheme, and as well as being a great role model for our team of 12 young sporting hopefuls, JT put to rest issues of racialism and the fact that he felt he was wrongly sent off by referee Graham Poll.

John also made the point that he would like to be a future manager of Chelsea FC - well - I've always been a big believer in planning ahead, and working out what you want to be doing in 5 years time - John's doubled this. And who's to say he wouldn't make a great manager.

Good luck tomorrow John, the Quadruple is still there to be won.

Go on. Be a King!

Green And Black And Read All Over...

"Now It's War On Packaging"

You know Green is making money when a National Newspaper runs a lead 'Nose' "Now It's War On Packaging" on its front page, and a double page spread inside.

So, the Daily Mail has a new target. Not war on terrorism, or world famine mind, but over-packaged consumer goods, where the secondary packaging is clogging up a wheelie bin near you. Clearly packaging is often essential where goods are concerned, especially foodstuffs and where products may be tampered with. However, there is 'packaging' and there is 'PACKAGING". I'm pleased that where King of Shaves is concerned, we use the very minimal in functional, protective packaging, the vast majority of which is recyclable, unlike our shaving brand cousins, who largely use metal cans which put the fill into landfill a lot quicker than our small bottles of shaving oil, or tubes of AlphaGel. Indeed, where our shaving oil is concerned, we often hear that the container is reused.

Andy Hill, our Managing Director has led this 'Reduce to the MAX' packaging approach, and as well as King of Shaves being kinder to the environment (as well as kinder to your face), sales of our more recyclable products are growing - and it is the consumer driving this. With tens of millions of concentrated shaving oil bottles and AlphaGels sold since 1993, our products take up less space AND last longer. A good place to start, and we are continuing in this vein - watch this space!

Be sure to follow this headline - supermarkets will start rejecting unnecessary consumer packaging (because it is in their commerical interests to do so, otherwise consumers will vote with their feet and shop at the local Greener Grocer). Green truly is the new Black, but we're doing our bit to 'Shave The World'.

PS - Gillette's new Fusion razor was named as an arch culprit - surrounded with £2 worth of unnecessary packaging to try and get you to buy The Best A Man Can Get - maybe not the best the Environment gets though...you can bet your bottom dollar our King of Blades razor will be packaged with the environment in mind - sensitively (as sensitively as the shave it will deliver!)