Norelco
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Norelco is the American brand name for electric shavers and other personal care products made by the Philips Domestic Appliances and Personal Care (DAP) unit of Philips. Outside the USA, Philips used the Philishave trademark until 2006 when Philips dropped the Philishave name in favour of the Philips brand name. The use of the Norelco name in the USA by Philips goes back to the early 1940s when Philco was able to legally prevent Philips from using their name because the two names sounded similar. So Philips used the name Norelco which is derived from "North American Philips [electrical] Company." Norelco was Philips' brand name in the USA until Philips purchased The Magnavox Company in 1974 at which point Philips shifted their consumer electronics lines in the USA to the Magnavox name. When Philips bought Philco in 1981, Philips phased in the Philips name on most their products with the exception of personal care appliances which still bear the Norelco name and value-priced consumer electronics which still bear the Magnavox name. While Philips began making electric shavers in 1939, World War II delayed their marketing of the shaver in the USA until 1948. Philips was not successful in marketing this shaver until a two-headed model was introduced in 1951. For further information about this shaver's development, read the Philishave article.
The other reason to keep the name Norelco was because some of the American public refuses to buy non-American brands. The market share of Philips, a European company, is very low in the US compared to other countries, while with their Norelco and Magnavox brands they get a larger share. To improve Philips brand recognition in the USA, Philips began branding their shavers "Philips Norelco" in 2005. The Philips Norelco co-branding will allow for an eventual phase out of the Norelco name in favour of the Philips name.
Philips DAP raised eyebrows in 2006 with the introduction of the Philips Norelco Bodygroom shaver for shaving male body hair. An on line web site as well as a demonstration on Howard Stern was an attention getter.
