Innovation
and Marketing – Drive the Oral Care Category
By Mike Sleeper, President/CEO, Imperial Distributors, Inc.
For a so-called 'mature' category, oral care, a $7.5 billion category,
is innovative with new ideas and technology.
There are very few supermarket products found in virtually every household
in the country and which are used at least once a day. Toothpaste and
toothbrushes achieve that enviable position. (Others would include hand
soap and toilet tissue.). From its high household penetration and frequency
of use comes an even more significant figure: consumer average re-purchase
frequency is once every two and a half weeks. A statistic that not many
non-perishable products can claim.
Many leading brands are represented in oral care, but two major-major
companies have been battling for supremacy for at least a half-century.
And that means--plenty of promotions and more innovative and stronger
advertising support.
Dentifrice as a quasi-commodity, has always had a hot line of goods to
promote. Most retailers promote at least twice a month, while some supermarkets
feature toothpaste as an essential customer draw every week.
Today, "all of the above" and a lot more is embedding the category
into this big customer's shopping trip.
Most basic is the increasing consumer understanding that dental health
is an important factor in overall health. Tooth decay and various periodontal
diseases have been linked to cardiovascular disease and respiratory conditions
among the elderly and among diabetics (some 20 million Americans).
As dental health becomes clearer, more products designed to assist in
oral hygiene are making it into the shopping cart. The trend is towards
cavity prevention and plaque control, along with whitening and breath
fresheners. A major dentifrice supplier is putting $100 million in advertising
and promotion behind the launch of a new multiple-benefits brand, while
a smaller company is marketing new toothpaste without fluoride for young
children.
Toothbrushes are joining the battle against gum disease by making use
of technology. Most visible in technology are power brushes, a $200 million
business. Major suppliers continue to grow lower cost-toothbrush power
products, and manual toothbrush sales advanced 4.1% last year, thanks
to products featuring rubberized handles, rounded bristles and built-in
tongue-scrappers.
Children's toothbrushes have enlivened the category with colorful packaging
and "fun factors" through brightly colored licensed characters
and even music emanating from the handle, as parents become more concerned
over sugar in snacks and soda.
Oral rinses are also assisted by shoppers' interest in combating oral
bacteria. This segment is well established, marketed nearly as long as
dentifrice and enjoys a high level of household penetration. Among new
items are higher-priced rinses and special mouthwash products for dry
mouth, a condition brought on by the use of prescribed drugs.
Finally, dental accessories advanced by nearly 11% last year, reaching
a high dollar mark of over $300 million, according to IRI. Dental floss,
the leader in cleaning between teeth, also increased sales by 1.5% in
supermarkets, while last year a new product--a $6.99 flosser powered by
a single AA battery-- provides another sales boost.
But in addition to health trends, oral care is also gaining from a beauty
trend. Whitening continues strong in strips, toothpaste and oral rinses.
Other trends include the entry of natural products, led by Tom's of Maine
(recently acquired by Colgate) with a family of toothpaste items in different
flavors and varieties.
Of course, there is a lot more to advancing a great category than its
products. Merchandising, assortment, space allocation, pricing and promotion
are all critical to achieving Oral Care’s full potential. Innovation
and marketing may be driving the brands, but retailers and distributors
must do their part, too.
Innovation
and Marketing – Drive the Oral Care Category