• by Amy Corr , December 2, 2002

Razor USA, the company that brought us the self-named scooter, has forged a solid brand for itself since its inception in 2000. More than 5 million Razor scooters have been sold so far, and Razor has never spent a dime on advertising. They have relied on grass roots marketing, publicity driven promotional efforts, and word of mouth. As the holiday season hits full swing, what’s brand with no ads to do for an encore?

Razor launched a new toy in June called the Scream Machine and the hype surrounding this product is tremendous. With the holiday season quickly approaching, Razor is relying solely on grass roots tactics to compete with the likes of Chicken Dance Elmo this holiday season.

The Scream Machine made its debut June 18th at FAO Schwartz in New York. The Scream Machine is an updated version of the Big Wheel - except this bad boy is made of steel, not plastic. Its target audience is 4-12 year olds and Katherine Mahoney, vp of marketing at Razor, gives two main reasons as to why Razor doesn’t advertise.

“The younger demographic is a more sophisticated consumer - they embrace brands that they feel they discovered on their own. Razor feels that advertising comes into play only when you are looking to maintain a new brand.” Maintaining a new brand is the key phrase here. Razor is in the final stages of choosing an ad agency, and Mahoney says that it is “more than likely” that Razor will advertise next year, with a focus on broadcast spots, since their core audience is so young, magazine ads wouldn’t fit in the mix.

For the FAO Schwartz launch, Razor teamed up with Radio Disney and Zours candy and the daylong event featured retail demos, music provided by a Radio Disney DJ, and a Scream Machine racetrack the length of the store for kids to race each another. The Scream Machine has been voted a Toy of the Year by Parenting.com, and a hot holiday toy by InStyle and Nick Jr. magazines.

In an effort to keep the Razor brand in the forefront of young people’s wish lists, Razor put together a group of 10-21 year olds called Team Razor. These highly skilled riders perform tricks on Razor scooters and travel all across the country performing at skate parks, arenas, and various events.

To date, the Scream Machine has sold 5 times more than their original projection, and according to Cheryl Stumbo, CEO of Parker LePla, a brand strategy agency and public relations firm, Razor’s decision not to advertise around the holidays may work in their favor. “The Scream Machine is a summer toy, and buying something in December that a child can’t use until springtime won’t sit well with a kid.” Stumbo also adds that Razor has gained a cult following, which becomes Razor’s marketing force, and kids simply don’t like to be advertised to.