Colgate Hinterland Marketing in India
Colgate
Marketing Oral hygiene in the hinterlands
Colgate
Colgate. The world’s most recognizable oral care brand, it belongs to the Colgate-Palmolive Company. Colgate was the first toothpaste in a collapsible tube, introduced in 1896. It is a worldwide household name and synonymous with the product itself in various regions. Colgate-Palmolive has its presence in about 200 countries.
Colgate in India
Present in India since the 1930s, Colgate is almost synonymous with toothpaste in the Indian market. It is accepted well both in the rural and urban areas. It has been ranked as the 17th most trusted brand in India by The Brand Trust Report.
Brand and Market Share
Colgate is the market leader in oral care business in India, and by some distance. Colgate leads the sector with a whopping 53% market share. HUL, who sell under the brand name ‘Pepsodent’, is a distant second with 22%. The other major player in the market is Dabur.
Going to the hinterlands
The rural market
Having taken the urban market, the rural market was the next logical destination for Colgate. Yet, it was not just logical but a potentially rewarding one too. Over 70% of India lived in villages and oral dental care products were yet to reach there. If there ever was a latent market, this was it.
As with every reward, the rural market posed its challenges too.
* Many people in India still used traditional products like neem twig, salt, ash, tobacco and herbal products. * The red and black toothpowder still accounted for 35% of the tooth powder market. * The rural audience was heavily scattered. India’s diversity resided in its villages: Innumerable cultures, subcultures, languages, dialects, etc. * The awareness on oral health products was very low. * Most of rural India was media-dark. Traditional media did not reach many of India’s villages.
Strategy
Colgate’s rural promotional and advertising program was launched under the name of ‘Sampark’ meaning
Marketing Oral hygiene in the hinterlands
Colgate
Colgate. The world’s most recognizable oral care brand, it belongs to the Colgate-Palmolive Company. Colgate was the first toothpaste in a collapsible tube, introduced in 1896. It is a worldwide household name and synonymous with the product itself in various regions. Colgate-Palmolive has its presence in about 200 countries.
Colgate in India
Present in India since the 1930s, Colgate is almost synonymous with toothpaste in the Indian market. It is accepted well both in the rural and urban areas. It has been ranked as the 17th most trusted brand in India by The Brand Trust Report.
Brand and Market Share
Colgate is the market leader in oral care business in India, and by some distance. Colgate leads the sector with a whopping 53% market share. HUL, who sell under the brand name ‘Pepsodent’, is a distant second with 22%. The other major player in the market is Dabur.
Going to the hinterlands
The rural market
Having taken the urban market, the rural market was the next logical destination for Colgate. Yet, it was not just logical but a potentially rewarding one too. Over 70% of India lived in villages and oral dental care products were yet to reach there. If there ever was a latent market, this was it.
As with every reward, the rural market posed its challenges too.
* Many people in India still used traditional products like neem twig, salt, ash, tobacco and herbal products. * The red and black toothpowder still accounted for 35% of the tooth powder market. * The rural audience was heavily scattered. India’s diversity resided in its villages: Innumerable cultures, subcultures, languages, dialects, etc. * The awareness on oral health products was very low. * Most of rural India was media-dark. Traditional media did not reach many of India’s villages.
Strategy
Colgate’s rural promotional and advertising program was launched under the name of ‘Sampark’ meaning