Colgate Palmolive
...ctors for consumers they were presented with many different facts (See table C). With the presence of these surveys Colgate Palmolive research and development was able to come up with a “technologically superior toothbrush,” that will take to the shelves in the super-premium product category. Knowing that we have a good understanding of the product and the consumer who will buy our toothbrushes, lets take a look at the strengths and weaknesses of Colgate Palmolive, and the opportunities for the new toothbrush design. Some strengths of CP’s are the strong brand recognition, the new $243 million spent on upgrading 25 of CP’s 91 manufacturing plants space, and the 275 new products introduced world wide and the acquisition of Europe. However some of the weaknesses of CP are the risk of initial investment costs; increase of primary demand, high promotional and marketing cost. The opportunity for CP to expand is currently there because they currently do not have a Super Premium category; many older generations are getting more involved to prevent bad teeth, gums. People are becoming more health conscious with the way their teeth and gums look in public. Some threats that CP has to recognize are the introduction of new toothbrushes (electric) the cannibalization of CP’s existing products, and pressure from competitors. When we take a look at CP’s major competitors we find that the two biggest threats are Oral-B who is positioned in the super premium line and Johnson & Johnson who is positioned in the professional section (See Table D). With many different products on the market and, companies such as Proctor& Gamble and SmithKline Beecham who have both recently moved there products to the super premium market, have put a sense of concern with executives at CP. As the pace of new product introduction quickens there is a direct relation between media and consumer demand therefore limiting the time and space to enter into the super premium market. I believe that the marketing strategy should be to grow into larger geographical areas and concentrating on new product lines. With all the features and benefits of CP precision toothbrush I believe this will allow CP an opportunity for growth by expanding its product line into the existing market and, at the same time gain market share in the new Super Premium niche market; in order to target the right consumer we have to look at the consumer market. Some of the most important factors to look at are: age of the user, gender, marital status, therapeutic users, how many times a day people brush and, the function of the brush; with this information on what the consumer wants we can come to the conclusion as to who CP should target. The main users of Colgate precision toothbrush are members of the Baby Boomer generations who are using are toothbrush for therapeutic reasons. The consumer has concerns about the health of the teeth and gums, brush at least twice a day, and will look for a toothbrush that best suits their needs. Colgate Palmolive’s objective is to develop a toothbrush that is capable of being the best brush possible. With this statement, CP should defiantly market their new toothbrush in the super premium niche market. If the information gathered from CP R&D is correct then the consumer who recognizes comfort, fit, size, and function of a toothbrush will seek out there Precision toothbrush. I believe that Colgate Palmolive should peruse the super premium market because: Niche position will not cannibalize our other brushes; the design of the Precision toothbrush is specific for the super premium market (See Table E). I also believe that CP should be sensitive to their popular brand name; I believe in order for this toothbrush to be successful in the super premium market Colgate Palmolive has to promote its name and benefits on the package. I also believe that in order for this brush to be a success at its first try in the super premium market, the company has to make sure it has plenty of media coverage to promote healthier gums and teeth, and the prevention of plaque. I believe this is essential because it will help separate us from the rest of the competition because of specific design and cleaning technique. Over all I believe that Colgate Palmolive should follow a detailed approach to become a success in the super premium market. They should promote their Precision toothbrush into the super premium niche market, promote the toothbrush and get consumers to try the brush for free; price the toothbrush as a top end product to compete with competitors; and rely heavily on media coverage to promote their new brush and the advantages of the new brush to help fight gum disease and plaque. All of these details must be covered in order for Colgate Palmolive’s precision toothbrush to thrive in the super premium niche market. Table A: Involved Oral Health Consumers-Therapeutic Brushers (46% of adults) Involved Oral Health consumers-cosmetic Brushers (21% of adults) Uninvolved Oral Health Consumers (33% of adults) Differentiate among products. Search out fu...