Oral care market strategic brand management

In terms of range width, the toothpaste brands can be divided into three main categories. A first one regroups brands that propose a very diversified offer including products with various thematics such as whiteness, freshness, care, profesionnal, children...The trade marks concerned, Colgate, Signal and Aquafresh, aim to cover all segments. This strategy requires major inputs to ensure the brand credibility toward the different targeted groups and an equivalent quality of each product. Doing this, these actors of the market are sometimes faced to a cannibalisation phenomenon. This is for instance the case of Signal with its products « Freshness care » and « Pure breath ».

Most brands favour a mixed startegy, that is to say they do not diversify as much as the precedent ones. In order to control their investments, they focus on the market most developed segments and they count an average number of three ranges in their portfolio. We can quote in this case brands like Fluocaril, Oral B, Vademecum, Elmex, Sensodyne or Teraxyl.

A last group of brands including Email Diamant, Sanogyl or Denivit is focusing on a single developed range. These brands are only involved on one segment and they aim to meet a specific need for teir customers.

The toothpaste market is characterized by a certain uniformity in its packaging. Indeed, there exists in this industry a « colour code » applied by all its actors, each colour representing a product characteristic. The light blue symbolizes the freshness whereas the dark blue concerns whiteness products. The white/silver is linked to cleanliness and professionalism. The pink is dedicated to the treatment of gums, the green means natural and is often flavoured with mint or chlorophyll. Finally, the bright contrasting colors are destined to children.

Apart from the colours, the packaging material is largely standardized too, the vast majority of the brands using carton. However, some exceptions should be noted. Signal also uses plastic but Teraxyl really differentiates itself from its competitors by mainly using flask.

Source : http://api.ning.com/files/scRZfpzTiMyFvO8l0w9VXJ1sx4viGNeh5hhJbvDRY*t81Ab*3hM*2JeMcO*YVb026rwGHnqLit-BA3R7gSDpcTymDrbXS-jK/MarchdentifriceV4.pdf

While connected objects are flooding more and more our everyday life, the start-up Kolibree takes part in this trend by proposing an intelligent toothbrush. In doing so, the brand aims to reinvent dental care.

The device incorporates a sensor that detects the quantity of tartar eliminated after each use, the brushing frequency, time and efficiency. These datas are recorded then transmitted by Bluetooth to an application on the user smartphone.

"The idea is not to brush harder but smarter", explains Loic Cessot, Co-founder of the French start-up. Thanks to this application, the user is awared if he missed some areas that are difficult to clean or if he did not brush conscientiously enough. "We designed this application with the aspiration to educate users, he continues. We think that the informations can generate an evolution in their behaviour." Learning and ongoing monitoring are therefore at the center of the tooth care process, whereas previously visiting the dentist was the only way to get informations about the brushing efficiency.

The size of the handle and the product design have been conceived for individual fit. Moreover, the analysis of the brushing takes a different shape according to its recipient, graphs for adults and drawings for children.

« We do not want to be restricted to the gadget, the Co-founder specifies. We want to develop an ecosystem that would relate dentists, hygienists, manufacturers ans users, and why not the social security in the longer term. » To resume, a system that would give dentists the access to their patients' brushing datas.

http://www.leparisien.fr/high-tech/une-brosse-a-dents-connectee-pour-un-brossage-intelligent-06-01-2014-3466737.php

http://lentreprise.lexpress.fr/creation-entreprise/idees-business/kolibree-la-start-up-qui-veut-vous-brosser-les-dents_1545954.html

Some figures:

-On average, a french buy 4.4 toothpaste tubes a year, but according to dentists, we should use around 22 toothpaste tubes a year.

-80% of the oral care market revenue come from hypermarkets and supermarkets, the remaining 20% from pharmacy .

-In 2013, the toothpaste market total revenue was 409,64 million euros. It's 5% higher than in 2012.

-The two leaders are Colgate (the worldwide oral care market leader) and signal, with respectively 14.3% marketshare and 31.1%.

The toothpaste market can be divided in two categories. First, the "specific" toothpaste, which is developed to treat a specific problem, such as inflammation of the gums or sensitive teeth. These toothpastes tend to be marketed in a pharmaceutical way (Tonigencyl, Vademecum, Sensodyne). Then, the general toothpaste, which is just regular toothpaste such as Signal or Colgate.

The toothpaste market is extremely competitive, but there is potential for the brands. Toothpaste is becoming a health product instead of a beauty product. That's why big companies such as Colgate are trying to launch new products on the pharmaceutical market (Colgate Palmolive).

To understand the french market, here is a map of the most known brands:

Positioning map of toothpaste brands in France

http://www.planetoscope.com/Commerce/1163-consommation-de-tubes-de-dentifrice-en-france.html

Signal is launching White Now toothpaste Men who target, as its name suggests, the male.

Toothpaste designed for men: it is this surprising argument that the new advertising product of Signal brand is based.

A first in the market in good shape in France (+5.2% in value). "This launch is related to the fact that men, especially younger ones, are interested more in beauty care products, says Alice Jactel, head of the Signal brand. Our target will be about 25 to 49 years. "

Depending on the brand, men would lifestyle quite different from those of the female gender to justify the arrival of a setup exact toothpaste. "They smoke more, drink more alcohol in general, including the wine in France. They also have a higher consumption of coffee, which causes spots, "says Delphine Leroyer, a line manager at Unilever.

As anyone in the White Now range since 2008, the toothpaste uses the Blue Light technology - patented by Unilever - which can "drop a blue pigment on the enamel of the teeth" to act "by the optical effect to neutralize the component yellow teeth. "But the effect is temporary. But the fact does not go beyond two hours. And disappears when the person drinks coffee.

Now the smile is now a key element for the success of men. According to the manufacturer who conducted a survey (GMI), it would be the first test of seduction for a woman to "for humor, style or bank account."

The packaging is based on rather dark colors. A navy blue and black together with a green or blue depending on your version of the product ("Deep Cool" and "Superpure"). A packaging that clearly adventure field of products "for men" and contrasts with the usual codes of the toothpaste market fairly light colors.