Title of the Project : A STUDY ON BRAND DETTOL AND ITS FUTURE Course : PGCRM - 2 Name of the faculty: Prof. Sanjay Patro Subject :Marketing Management Submitted by : Mr.V.R.Rajesh Roll No. : (104010/RR09003)

Name of center :Vishakhapatnam

DETTOLintroduced in 1933

‘Strong enough to protect the ones we love’

MISSION 2010Reckitt Benckiser India Limited has set a sales target of Rs 1,000 crore for its Dettol brand by

year 2010

The Most Trusted BrandDettol has been always voted as “The Most Trusted Brand” in India. Dettol

celebrated its Platinum jubilee celebrations in 2008 with a improved ranking from 52 to 16 from the previous year among the best 100 brands in India.

This journey starting from 1933 was certainly not easy and it took a great effort from the team at Reckitt to root out the age old customs and methods of first aid. They taught the Indian market about

1.How an antiseptic smells like? 2.How an antiseptic feels like when applied on wound/bruises? 3.Perceiving how it provides hygiene and kills germs? 4.How it makes the water cloudy ?attributing this to its strong antiseptic

properties.In short the Dettol became a “must have" in all Indian households. In last two decades the brand extensions strengthened the depth and width in

different categories like soap, Shaving cream, Band-Aid, hand wash, prickly heat powder,.etc

The Undisputed

This action looks justified in the spate of emerging threats and intense competition in the market against its flagship products dettol antiseptic lotion, dettol soap and liquid hand wash which provides strength to the brand portfolio and have been leaders in their respective categories.

With more than 85% market share (as per AC Nielsen) in the antiseptic liquid market, Dettol is still the undisputed leader today. Though after 1980 it was realized that the market is getting stagnant and it was a situation that required team effort and where it realized that though they don’t have a stiff competition in antiseptic liquid from any of the competitor but the stagnant growth was due to

Lack of penetration Lack of enough occasion for usage Low quantity usage

And even now this is a big question to be resolved though dettol has found some multi usage in our life and for that they had to change their strategy.

The undisputed

They ended up with modification in market, product and marketing programme modifications to improve sales during these years.

Market modification :The customer usage was many minimal and hence research showed that the dettol antiseptic liquid had a re purchase only after 9 months. Hence they had to ensure to create the awareness about alternate usage of the product.

Product Modifications : Pricing was a issue with dettol soaps positioned as a premium category. So they launched smaller pack like 35gm @ 6Rs to counter the competition. Similarly they also launched 135 ml hand wash liquid. This helped them in

attracting non users Enter new market segments and Attract Competitor’s customers. Marketing programme modification : Reckitt improved its distribution,

changed the marketing communication, consumer interactive campaign was successfully launched, partnered with the IMA. .etc

Product launchesLiquid hand wash: Its launch of liquid hand wash was surely far better than

many other launches and it had to compete against FEM initially and grew strong as the lifebuoy hand wash launch failed then. But then it was re launched and now is a force to reckon.

Soap: The dettol soap launch did not enthuse the customers as it was not in line with the core germ protection platform. It had a cosmetic appeal which customers did not relate to dettol. So it was re launched with the core germ protection attribute. This did the work for this category and it went on to challenge the existing players .Now it has gained 50%+ market share in the health soap categories. Its competition comes from lifebuoy,ayush,medimix,savlon etc

Band Aid: It was launched more as a combative strategy to counter J&J’s introduction of savlon and by attacking its core strength i.e. in plasters but stopped promoting the same due to the fact that

It was a small market J&J had a market share of 85% A second big competitor already existed in the market in Bieirsdorf's Handy Plast .

Product launchesShaving cream: Market size approx 80 crores. Though it was launched after a research which showed that 40% people

used some antiseptic lotion after shave and 30% used dettol lotion. This made Reckitt to launch the twin purpose shaving cream. But this did not address the secondary benefit of after shave. It was not supported by enough promotion .did not have any clear differentiation. Had poor positioning .

Prickly heat powder: Dettol also entered the talc market with Dettol prickly heat talc. The size of

the talcum powder market is roughly Rs 750 crore, but the prickly heat segment accounts for less than 15 per cent of that hence was a very small market with good competition.

The failures might be attributed to The brand name, the core properties and its end use. The relevance of the category to which the brand is being extended. Dettol suffered on both counts.

Dettol launches fresh range

Reckitt Benckiser launched its DETTOL FRESH Range in Feb. 2009 with a great fresh fragrance and the promise of long lasting Freshness

Products: Soaps and Liquid Hand wash

The core value “protection from germs” continues to drive this launch.

Pricing:Soaps

pack sizes 70gm 120gm  

Price (Rs) 18 29  

Liquid Hand wash

packs sizes 900ml 250ml 185ml

Price (Rs) 135 55 30

Promotion: discounts As part of an introductory offer, a discount of Rs. 2/- and Rs. 4/- is being offered

on 70gm and 120gm soap bars respectively. This offer is valid during the month of February and March 2009. The new commercial will be introduced in Feb09.

Differentiation: The research findings found that there has been lot of positive feedback

for skin feel, pleasant yellow colour and freshness that

its new pleasant fragrance provides.

STP: A concept targeted especially towards youth and all age groups

in general

Indian summer ,humidity and the people’s need for a freshness.

Adhering to the core value but different packaging ,fragrance and

value addition

SWOTStrength

First mover advantage. Brand strength High mind and heart share Brand extensions Marketing and social welfare activities

Weakness

Barring soap and liquid handwash, the brand's extension into all other categories have failed to make a mark .

Not able to deviate from the core product value of ”germ protection” and hence failure of dettol brand extensions to cosmetics. etc

SWOT

Opportunity Growing derma and dental care market After shave lotions, Strengthen the antiseptic liquid ,soap and hand wash product categories.

Threats Very low usage, low re usage, low hygiene awareness in many segments. Unsuccessful brand extensions. Savlon is still around and some lab tests indicated that Savlon is an

effective germ killer than Dettol.Savlon is effective against both Gram Positive and Gram Negative germs.Another advantage about Savlon was that it does not sting while being applied on wounds.Savlon also had a better scent compared to the more clinical smell of Dettol.

Plan for future uncertainties like if Pharma major looking to compete with dettol through new product launch using their channel (doctor’s prescription) with enough investment to sustain a combative strategy from reckitt.

MARKET SHARE

Market share Dettol is the leader in the antiseptic market with 85 per cent market share.

Liquid hand wash created a new market and lords over 60 per cent of the market in the category, while the various Dettol soaps account for 18 per cent of the health soap division.

Penetration With the launch of its "Dettol Surakshit Parivar" initiative, Reckitt Benckiser

will target new mothers, schools and hospitals in six metros - Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad.

As the usage rate is only once in 10 month on an average, dettol needs to find ways to

Increase buying frequency Increase usage rate And increase quantity used Target non users They did this by promoting more occasions of usage like for

bathing,cleaning,washing.etc But the answer in the long run is also successful brand extensions.

%Market share

0102030405060708090

Dettolantiseptic

liquid

Dettol Soap Dettolhandwash

liquid

%Market share

MARKET SHARE

Dettol anti septic liquid has an market share of about 85%+..Dettol soaps in health soaps category has a market share of 18%.Dettol liquid hand wash has a market share f about 55%+.

Competitive ForcesThreat of intense segment rivalry:The intense rivalry dettol faces is mainly in case soap i.e. between Dettol and

Lifebuoy from HUL.It has turned ugly after dragging each other to court. Medimix and savlon also are very strong at institutional level.

Fem and Lifebuoy are competing with Dettol in hand wash market.

Threat of New Entrants:There have been competition and dettol was able to face it with a better

marketing, combative strategy. A new entrant posing a challenge is a rare happening now but it has to be on guard

There are lot of new entrants like Santoor etc.in hand wash market.

Threat of substitutes:The iodine solutions still exists in many hospitals and remains the first aid to an

extent in urban and to a large extent in rural India and that means the potential is yet to be tapped.

The water is certainly a cheaper substitute.

Buyers growing bargaining powerThe core germ protection itself is the big differentiator for all Dettol products

and that comes as a boon during these market competition where price,availability,packaging,quality etc are matched inch to inch by all the competition. So dettol by matching the above aspects in line with the competitors has a clear differentiator in its core value and hence a buyers who need a germ protection will very rarely defect for small gain.

Suppliers growing bargaining powerThe company always forces a win-win relationship with the suppliers and so

does Reckitt and has avoided any friction. The economic condition and the cost of raw materials also will play a role in coming days.

Strategy

Promotion Communication through advertisement, campaign at school

&colleges, recognition and tie up with IMA, Supply of dettol soaps and antiseptic liquid in large quantities to flood hit areas etc

Availability It shed its tag of premium selling brand to mass market product and

bettered the distribution system and also the basic version of dettol soaps.

Packaging & Price Repackaged its liquid hand wash in smaller 135ml bottle at a lower

price point Dettol soap has been re introduced in smaller units of 35gm @Rs.6. To tune in to the trendier consumer, Dettol also changed and

modernized the packaging of the soap range in mid 2007.

Combative Strategy

When J&J launched its direct attack on Dettol with Savlon, that was first time Reckitt felt the pinch of competition. Savlon had actually attacked and tried to achieve a POP on the main attributes of Dettol like ,the strong smell, stinging sensation when applied, and the cloudy formation when mixed in water.

Dettol strategy was to attack J&J hegemony in “medicated plasters”. This strategy unsettled J&J and turned to ensure the plasters market is

taken care and launched some new variants and savlon failed to get the required attention and investment. Moreover the POP savlon tried to project was not accepted as planned because these were the attributes people connected to a antiseptic or at least that was the way Dettol taught them all these years. Once Reckitt could divert J&J it did not invest in the plasters market later and found takers only in clinics or hospitals.

Apart from introducing a planned change in its entire marketing strategy it also introduced various below the line activities

. Dettol celebrated Mother’s Day, by creating a special TV commercial with

children thanking their mothers for all the love and protection they get all through the year.

On a serious note, Dettol also donated Hygiene Packs to ‘Save the Children’ – a leading global NGO to flood affected states of West Bengal, Assam, Orissa and Bihar.

Apart from this, Dettol also has tie-ups with numerous hospitals and medical care facilities. The emotional marketing could make in roads from rinsing a new born’s nappy to mopping your house every morning; from applying it to a child’s bruises to adding drops in ones shaving water; Dettol has found a usage at every life-stage. Competition or no competition, this one’s become a must-have in an Indian medical kit.

So Dettol kept competition at bay as all its activities was targeted to gain The mind share-By reaching out to people through different media The Heart share- By conveying a true value proposition

The initial concentration was to increase the mind share and heart share and this they could realize to an extent through educating and creating awareness through promotion, advertising, demos, campaigns in public, in schools, colleges, hospitals etc both in urban and rural areas.

Market share and profitability…followed. And hence competition could never face a big threat till now.

One major differentiation was the marketing strategy and promotion which helped them

gain the attention, hold interest, arouse desire and elicit action and build up a very strong brand equity.

Future Plans

A floor cleaner called Dettol Gold is being test marketed in Kolkata and Chennai.

An anti-dandruff shampoo is also reportedly on the launch-pad

To invest and concentrate on their flagship brand “Dettol”.

Some cosmetic products are also in line for a launch in coming days.

Promote the “fresh range” of dettol products in India to capture the untapped markets and ensure market share and profitability.

Suggesting Extensions

After shave lotions: The earlier research showed that most people used a antiseptic lotion after shave. Hence a opportunity. It should be launched in smaller quantity aimed at monthly usage and let the customer come back.

Tooth paste: Though this segment has intense rivalry and many competitors, the positioning should be planned in a way to capture the evening brushing category. Say with tag line like

“Sone se pahle muh meeta keejiye” –dhaaton ki saphayi dettol ke saath…

A special tooth paste for children below 5 yrs can also create a new market. This adv should have some emotional appeal where in mother’s love and care should be taken into account and highlighted.

Derma care: A reason for the derma category picking up is the direct impact of environmental challenges like global warming can be observed through increase in dermatological infections. Other possible reasons for a growth of this segment can be the changing consumer preferences and rise in the disposable incomes.

Drinking Water purifier : Rather than an purifier machine if a different product to clean water free from germs and reduce hardness of water.

SUGGESTIONS

Exclusive outlet: An exclusive branded show room concept with emergency first aid centre across tier 2 and 3 towns .Other Reckitt products can also find place. A kind of cause related marketing. It also can be a channel partner managed outlet.

Tie ups: Tie up with all pay and use facilities (sulabh complexes) and brand them. visibility will increase the mind share further.

Specialty Advertising can be the future…max coverage and low cost

Build up a different extension from dettol to leverage the brand value but at the same time it should be away from the “core germ protection” positioning.

this will enable to launch different products like in cosmetics.. etc

Mission 1000cr—Way Forward The mission 2010 of 1000 crore is quiet far for dettol as a brand…with the

kind of market condition prevailing, cost of raw material .etc

At a growth rate of even 20% consistently which is certainly a very good rate now, would be 2013 for Dettol to touch 1000crores.

Nurture and grow existing brands :Strengthening its existing brands and increase its penetratrion,usage rate, quantity and bring non users to its fold. It needs to launch a national mass campaign to reach un tapped market. This should be well planned implemented to double the sales to 800crores in coming 2 years

Other opportunities: Tie up with the government and see if the same dettol liquid (or a new product dettol disinfectant) can be used as a disinfectant across municipalities in India for arresting the germs due to unhygienic conditions. This would be a substantial volume and this would realize the dream of 1000 crores.

New product launches: The other part of the target should be through a series of successful product launches that can connect to the people and to their present needs or dormant needs. Hopefully Dettol fresh range will be a successful beginning .

DETTOL

going strong in 2008-09

‘Dettol, Be 100% Sure’