Barbershops in the country have diversified into areas beyond haircut and shave. For the average Indian, the friendly neighbourhood barbershop also doubles as a hub where one can catch up on the latest happenings, the latest Crime Patrol episode, the score of the cricket match and what not. We don’t think we will be wrong in saying that a visit to the barbershop once every two weeks, or once a week is a ritual, and that too an almost sacrosanct one.
While it’s great to take a walk down memory lane and remember those happy moments or miss your barbershop rituals, it’s increasingly important to think of what their condition might be given this pandemic.
Surely, you’ve wondered about what happened to them; their shutters have been down, and business has been low.
But the bright side is that as India enters Unlock 1.0, barbershops are all hoping to start business once again. After being shut for over 2 months and with growing restrictions on social distancing, fear continues to loom, as customers are sceptical to visit their shops. Barbers will have to pay special attention to hygiene and sanitation at their shops. Maintaining cleanliness, frequently sanitising their gears and procuring protective equipment will become the norm. Getting back on their feet after opening their shutters is going to be tough.
With so much happening in the lives of barbers across the country, Gillette Barber Suraksha Programme aims at providing relief and education to the community.
What is Gillette’s Barber Suraksha Programme?
The programme is best explained through a video made by Gillette, a poignant lyrical saga narrated by Zeeshan Ayyub, featuring Sachin Tendulkar. The video will take you down memory lane, reminding you of your last barbershop visit. You will realise how it was a significant part of your routine, how you miss it and how Gillette is helping the barber community by way of this programme.
Any of us who have regularly walked into those barbershops would’ve noticed our barbers effortlessly using Gillette products. Gillette values and recognises this long-term relationship with the barbers through its Barber Suraksha Programme and attempts to give back to this community that has always trusted in the brand.
Gillette Barber Suraksha Programme aims to educate, empower and protect barbers.
It will include Suraksha insurance and a specially curated video module under Suraksha education that has a host of videos featuring Aalim Hakim. The educational videos will show them how to maintain hygiene and sanitation at their shops and give them tips using sanitised equipment.
Under the programme, barbers will also be provided with Gillette Suraksha Kits that will include face Shields, aprons and Gillette products to ensure that they ease back into business.
It’s true that our barbers have suffered a huge financial setback due to the pandemic and are dealing with a great amount of uncertainty right now. But an initiative such as Gillette Barber Suraksha will go a long way in inspiring confidence among the community and preparing them in taking small steps for the future. More importantly, the next time we meet them, they will just have the same old warm smile and comfort which will give us nothing but a much-needed sense of normalcy!
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