Made under the guidance of Prof, Sameer Mathur, IIM Lucknow during summer internship.

1. HARVARD BUSINES REVIEW
ON
COLGATE-PALMOLIVE

2. CONTENTS
• Company Background
• Toothbrush market in USA
• The Five Year Plan
• Product Segments
• Consumer Behaviour
• Competition
• Promotion
• Distribution
• The Precision Marketing Mix
• Conclusion

3. BACKGROUND
Colgate Palmolive is an American diversified
multinational corporation focused on the
1)- Production
2)- Distribution &
3)- Provision
of household, health care and personal care such
as soaps, detergents and oral hygiene products.

4. Colgate Palmolive is a global leader in
Household and Personal Care products.

5. The
U.S.
Toothbrush Market

6. The U.S. Toothbrush market has seen many
changes. Dr West’s Miracle Tuft was a major
advancement in toothbrush. More recently,
new product launches had increased and
performance benefits had become
increasingly important purchase criteria

8. THE FIVE YEAR PLAN
(1991-1995)

9. • Emphasized on new product launches
• To enter into new geographic
markets
• To improve efficiency in
manufacturing and distribution
• To continue focus on core consumer
products

10. PRODUCT SEGMENTS

11. Products are divided into
Three Segments-
1)- Value
2)- Professional
3)- Super Premium

13. CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR

14. Colgate Palmolive’s consumer
research indicated that consumers of
the baby boom generation (adults
born in the 1940’s, 1950’s and early
1960’s) were becoming more concerned
about the health of their gums as
opposed to cavity prevention and
were willing to pay a premium for
new products addressing this issue.

15. Most consumers agreed that
toothbrushes were as important as
toothpaste to effective oral hygiene and
that the primary role of a toothbrush
was to remove food particles; plaque
removal and gum stimulation were
considered secondary. Proper brushing
was seen as key to the prevention of
most dental problems.

18. COMPETITION

23. In the case of Toothbrushes, increased
advertising and promotion enhanced
the category’s visibility which in turn
seemed to fuel consumer demand.

25. DISTRIBUTION

28. PRODUCT
DESIGN AND
TESTING

29. In 1989, CP had established a task force
comprising executives from R&D and
Marketing, dental professionals, and outside
consultants. Its mission was to “develop a
superior, technical, plaque removing device.”
The entire research and development process
was managed from start to finish by
Steinberg.

31. PRODUCT COSTS
AND PRICING

32. Production Costs
Warehouse Costs Transport Costs

35. TWO TESTS WERE CARRIED OUT
- CONSUMER CONCEPT TEST
- NAME TEST
It was estimated, both under the mainstream
and niche positioning scenarios, that
cannibalization figures for Colgate Plus would
increase by 20% if the Colgate brand name
was stressed but remain unchanged if the
Precision brand name was stressed.

37. COMMUNICATION
AND PROMOTION

38. Consumer research revealed that the more test
consumers were told about Precision and how it
worked, the greater their enthusiasm for the
product. Precision created such a unique feel in
the mouth when used that consumers often said,
“You can really feel it working.” Once tried,
consumer intent to purchase rose dramatically.

39. Another important tactic was to use dentists to
sample consumers since professional
endorsements were believed important to
establishing the credibility of a new toothbrush.
Steinberg believed that, under the niche
scenario, 3 million Precision brushes could be
channeled through dental professionals in the
first year after the launch, versus 8 million under
the mainstream scenario.

41. - Precision was more than a niche product or
simple line extension.
- The proven benefits to consumers represented
a technological breakthrough.
- To develop a marketing mix and profit-and-loss
pro forma that would enable Precision to reach
its full potential.
- It should be acceptable to Burton and her
colleagues, particularly the Colgate Plus
product manager.

42. DISCLAIMER
Created by Akshat Singh, SRM University
Kattankulathur, during marketing internship
under the guidance of Professor Sameer
Mathur, IIM Lucknow