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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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