Colgate revitalized its existing brand Cibaca as Colgate-Cibaca to act as a price flanker brand. Cibaca is currently the 4th largest brand in the category. This report analyzes Cibaca's target audience as consumers from rural and semi-urban areas, proposes a value-for-money positioning emphasizing oral hygiene and fresh breath, and recommends communication strategies like awareness campaigns and associating Cibaca with customers' lifestyles to increase brand recall. The media plan suggests appealing to masses through local events, school promotions, and shopkeepers' influence.

1. Praxis Business School
Integrated Marketing Communication on Colgate Cibaca
A report
Submitted to
Prof. D.P. Ghosh
In partial fulfilment of the requirements of the course
Integrated Marketing Communication
On 4th January, 2012
By
DeepikaAgrawal B10007
Nishant Khattwani B10013
PrateekChoudhuri B10015
SushmitaAgrawal B10035
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2. Contents
Overview 3
SWOT Analysis 4
Target Audience 5
Consumer Understanding 6
Positioning 7
Communication and creative strategy 8
Media Planning 9
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3. Overview
Market leaders, Colgate& HLL, found new aggressive competition coming their
way from regional low priced competitors such as Anchor Healthcare & Ajanta
India who priced their offerings at over 40% discount, giving market leaders a
run for their money which accounted for more than 80% of the growing
domestic segment.
Colgate revitalized one of its existing brands, Cibaca as Colgate-cibaca .It was
to act as the price flanker brand in the portfolio.
Colgate cibaca top is currently the fourth largest brand with 5.7% market share
in value terms and 3rd largest in the terms of volume after Colgate dental
cream and pepsodent.
Colgate cibaca became big without any intensive communication support .It
relied more on trade level activities and the below the line strategies for its
success.
Only Colgate dental cream has launched print ads.
In this assignment we were to find out the designated target audience,
positioning, consumer understanding of the brand along with suggestive
communication and creative strategy and media planning. The target audience,
as found out involves the consumer base from the rural and semi urban areas
that are either not introduced to toothpastes or are switchers from local
brands. In the pretext of positioning, it was suggested that cibaca should be
maintaining its “value for money “proposition aiming at oral hygiene and
freshness of breath and the communication activity should be directed in this
regard with the creative side dealing with introduction of free dental health
check-up camps and awareness campaigns to promulgate the idea along with
associating Cibaca toothpaste with their way of life and thereby enhancing the
brand recall and awareness. Lastly whilst looking at the media planning, it
should be done in such as way so as to appeal to the targeted mass in their
way with the use of campaigns through local street shows, caps in schools and
through the influence of shopkeepers as well.
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4. SWOT Analysis
Strengths
 Existing in India for over 70 years.
 Big product portfolio.
 Prescribed by the dentist and IDA.
 Colgate has strong brand equity as it has been voted “The most trusted
brand in the country” for 3 consecutive years in the Ac Nielsen brand
equity survey.
 Colgate acquired already established brand “cibaca” (Binaca), which was
also popular as cibaca Geetmala radio program.
Weaknesses
 Per capita toothpaste consumption is the lowest in India.
 Does not cater the premium customer segment.
 Too many products in the brands which lead to less focus on the
individual product.
Opportunities
 Economy toothpaste for an Indian family.
 Leveraging by using Colgate’s campaign in the rural India.
 Increased growth year on year.
 Better awareness and distribution network can increase rural
penetration.
 With increasing lifestyle, People are becoming more conscious about
hygiene.
Threats
 Stiff competition from Ajanta, Anchor and other private label brands
with similar quality assurance.
 Non users of the toothpaste are still reluctant to shift from usage of
Neem stick, Ash, Charcoal etc.
 Cannibalising the flagship brand.
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5. Target Audience
The key to target audience selection lies in the positioning of the brand itself
wherein it is targeted for a large chunk of population residing in the semi urban
and rural areas, for which price plays the pertinent role in selection. It is to be
also borne in mind whilst defining the target audience that the sense of oral
hygiene is low by itself( India stands at the lowest).Hence foraying more into
the rural markets to acquire the non-users(conversion from other traditional
mode of oral care ) under its umbrella is something that needs to be dealt
with. Since it caters to the economic segment (the lower price point segment
itself holding some 25% of the category volume), hence it can as well focus on
the lower income segments of semi urban and urban India with specific focus
on tier 2 cities since it already has a strong distribution channel at its disposal
thereby easing the penetration which will also be aided by its tie ups with E-
Choupal and Disha.. As hygiene sense is what develops right from the
childhood itself, hence families in the low to mid income segment with kids will
form the prime base. Also the tooth powder market has been declining
constantly and hence the switchers from the tooth powder segment can be
added to its consumer base.
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6. Consumer Understanding
 The Consumers perceive it as a paste which protects teeth from getting
decayed & it’s refreshing flavour makes them breathe super fresh
 Colgate has been present in the domestic oral market for the last 70
years and its oral care brands enjoy strong brand equity in the market
 As cibaca being the first economical toothpaste from the umbrella of
Colgate, it captured the market well with its primary audience being the
rural & semi-urban section of the society, enjoys the position of being
the third largest brand of Colgate with a share of 10.3% (in terms of
volumes sold).
 The product has been positioned in such a manner that it creates an
emotional attachment with its consumers.
 As this is targeted to introduce the non-user to its consumer base, hence
it also holds the promise of providing the consumers family with better
oral hygiene.
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7. Positioning
Whilst determining positioning, a lot of factors will come into play in this
context, as per the case study in which we need to consider the targeted
segment, it is meant for catering along with factors like its selling proposition,
functional and emotional benefits and finally leveraging the strong brand
image of “Colgate” in pitching it against the competition. Cibaca is an
economical offering with the inherent message that it provides the consumer
with freshness of breath and stronger teeth at a low price which assures the
consumer a full value for money proposition and with toothpaste penetration
in rural India standing at 39% as per 2006 NRS survey report. It can thereby
position itself as a value for money, complete oral care solution, for the entire
family by highlighting on its beneficial aspects in both cosmetic and medical
grounds as compared to the traditionally used substances like neem, coal, ash
etc. Hence an economic toothpaste for the Indian families with cheaper price
and quality assurance and promoting cleaner oral hygiene habits among rural
households using non dentifrice products (as a superior alternative to
them)seems to be the apt home ground for Cibaca. It already comes with a
refreshing mint flavour and might try out other flavours (with a subtle hint to
their medical benefits) as well based on the popular Indian palate to make it a
name to reckon with.
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8. Communication and creative strategy
Owing to the huge untapped rural and semi urban market for dental care
products, Cibaca should continue with their current communication strategy
wherein they pitch it in as a low priced economical offering with assurance of
freshness of breath and a strong teeth, delivering perfect oral hygiene for the
family with good ROI. Since the target segment is less knowledgeable as well as
price sensitive, hence it should emphasize on the aspects of price and the
product benefits (attributes like strengthening of gums, removes bad breath,
prevents decay, happy hygienic family etc.).The profile of the individuals
buying this brand also needs to be kept in mind, since they will be from the
rural and semi urban areas, hence shop keeper push is going to be a prime
contributing factor in this regime and thus this is something that deserves
emphasis and as well as word of mouth publicity which works best in rural
areas. Cibaca is targeted towards the price sensitive customers and they do not
mind getting something extra for the buck spent and hence freebies like
toothbrush and tongue cleaners can also be provided to gel well with the
overall message of a healthy and hygienic family for the rural mass and
promulgating this idea extensively by pointing towards the ill effects of using
coal and ash etc. “For the benefit of family” is also another aspect that needs
to be highlighted since family value, ties and belongingness still holds supreme
when it comes to the mass Indian societal structure. Lastly, as it is mentioned
that the local brands hold good ground, hence the comparative benefits of
using Cibaca as compared to them needs to be addressed by leveraging the
equity of the mother brand Colgate.
Creative ideas can be well implied in communicating the value of the brand
through free dental check-up camps in the rural areas with free samples
wherein the residents will get the privilege of consulting with dentists for their
oral hygiene and thus serving two fold purpose of educating and thereby
increasing its brand awareness and recall as the “watsonian first” will also play
its part here. It has been seen that the rural crowd relates well with some
mascot or ambassador who has a “down to earth” “no-nonsense” attitude and
hence this option can also be leveraged along with the above mentioned one.
Also the concept of dental hygiene and reinforcing Cibaca thereupon can be
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9. done through theme based acts or “yatras”, as they are popularly known. Since
the mother brand Colgate speaks of it as being Dentists first choice, this can
also be shown through theme based plays as mentioned above.
Media Planning
Cibaca has already curved out its prominent position owing to its strong
distribution channel and significant below the line activities and coupled with
its low price point, it aims at the rural and the semi urban non users to jump
into its bandwagon. Hence whilst deciding on their media planning strategy,
these issues needs to be kept in mind with the inherent objective of creating
awareness and recall and familiarity for the brand. In case of the rural scenario
a variety of relevant media can be used from posters and wall paintings in
regional languages ( due lack of electricity and thereby nonexistence of glow
signboards and also to make the consume wary of the options).Radio
advertisements can also prove to be a good vehicle due to its access, a large
number of upcoming FM stations and lastly, its reach in perhaps every
household in the targeted segment. As mentioned earlier, free dental camps in
schools, local mandis and other prominent places and do the trick as well along
with transitory mobile vans and check-up camps .Awareness campaigns in
schools will also ensure that both the child and the parent gets to know about
it and the roots of the brand loyalty are well sown to be reaped.
Thank You
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