Research Proposal on "Marketing Plan About Tooth Paste"

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The intent of this section is to provide an environmental scan of the dental hygiene market globally including a market analysis of those segments of the population that would be the primary target audience for the toothpaste. The use of demographic profile data to complete the market analysis is provided in this section as well.

Environment Scan

Dental Hygiene products including toothpaste are aggregated in global toiletries and cosmetic manufacturing industry forecasts, with the latest DataMonitor forecast being $185.7B in size with a compound annual growth rate of 4% per year (Barbalova, 2009). Figure 1, Distribution of Global Toiletries and Cosmetic Manufacturing by Category illustrates the relative size of the market globally.

Figure 1:

Distribution of Global Toiletries and Cosmetic Manufacturing by Category, 2008

Product/Services

Share

Skin Care

30.0%

Hair Care

25.0%

Cosmetics

15.0%

Fragrances

10.0%

Deodorants

5.0%

Male grooming

5.0%

Bath & Shower

3.0%

Oral Hygiene

2.0%

Other

2.0%

Sun Care

1.0%

Nail Care

1.0%

Baby Care

1.0%

Source: (Barbalova, 2009)

The global toiletries and cosmetic manufacturing industry sales by distribution channel illustrate how critically important it is as part of this market plan to define strategies for gaining shelf space on grocery shelves and end-caps, or the end-of-aisle displays in this class of larger store. Note also that for the toothpaste to achieve its broader market potential there must be specific distribution strategies for each of the channels listed below. When the global implications of channel strategies are taken into account, significantly different information needs emerge for each of these channels. For example in Japan the quantification of the toothpastes' performance will be critically important if the toothpaste is to be accepted by that nation, which is strongly nationalistic in the area of personal hygiene products, often requiring Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) to evaluate performance (Toll, 1994). Where in westernized nations who rely on these channels of distribution the value propositions based on claims of the toothpaste solving snoring problems may rely on a balance of adjectives and quantified performance, globally given the wide divergence in cultures the quantification and auditability of claims is going to be critical.

Figure 2: Sales by Distribution Channel, 2008

Market Segment

Share

Grocery/Supermarkets

30.0%

Pharmacies

20.0%

Specialty Cosmetic and Personal Care Stores

18.0%

Department Stores

15.0%

Direct Sellers

10.0%

Hair & Beauty Salons

7.0%

Clearly Europe dominates the sales of global toiletries and cosmetic manufacturing industry sales, followed by North America and Asia. Each of these three global centers has radically different requirements as it relates to cultural dimensions and the development of strategies. The five dimensions in the Cultural Dimensions Model (Hofstede, 1998) need to be used in devising the global launch of the toothpaste across these various geographies. The following figure provides an analysis of the distribution of sales by region in 2008. Figure 4 shows Global Competitive Market Shares for 2008.

Figure 3: 2008 Sales by Geographic Region

Region

Percentage

Europe

40.0

North America

28.0

North Asia

17.0

India & Central Asia

5.0

South America

5.0

Oceania

2.0

South East Asia

2.0

Africa & Middle East

1.0

Figure 4: Global Competitive Market Share, 2008

Major Player

Market Shares

Procter & Gamble Company, The

10.0%

Unilever PLC

7.0%

Colgate-Palmolive Company

5.0%

Shiseido Company, Limited

3.5%

Other

74.5%

Market Analysis

In addition to the broader environmental scan, specific market demographics need to be completed as part of the market analysis. These demographics form the foundation of a market profile that will guide the development of the marketing strategy, media planning recommendations and marketing mix. This demographic profile is also critical for developing the strategies and programs for attaining a high level of internal coordination and consistency.

According to DataMonitor (Barbalova, 2009) the most brand-loyal toothpaste purchasers are women (62%), often middle aged between 35 and 49 (37%), overwhelming Caucasian (85%) with children up to 17 years old in the household (47%). They are often from the middle income £30K - £60K ands 42% are college graduates. These demographics are consistent across all major brands of toothpaste globally (Barbalova, 2009). Women clearly dominate the selection of toothpaste brands and the selection of brushes, whiteners, and hygiene products. Given the highly differentiated aspects of snore-free toothpaste, clearly the demographic of 35 to 49-year-old women with husbands or significant others who snore are the primary target market for this product. The marketing strategies defined for the toothpaste must take into account the preferential role that women have in the purchased of toothpaste. The advertising strategies must therefore appeal to their role in relationships as defining brand purchasing behavior (Wood, 2004) and as a pivotal force in the defining of which hygiene products deserve a premium price (Chu, Chintagunta, Cebollada, 2008). Clearly there cannot be reliance just on demographics in the defining of this market either. The use of psychographics which had initially been developed as a result of the use of conjoint and discriminant analysis is now commonplace in the development and promotion of all brands (Barry, Weinstein, 2009). Perceptual mapping has long been used for the defining of personal hygiene products, with empirical studies providing reliable bases for the development of positioning of products specifically in the tooth paste marketplace (Lin, Yeh, 2000). These perceptual studies have over time (Barry, Weinstein, 2009) (Lin, Yeh, 2000) confirmed the fact that the top attributes consumers judge tooth paste using include whitening teeth and cleanliness, and fighting cavities. Figure 5, Perceptual Map of the Toothpaste Industry, derived from the accumulated research of (Lin, Yeh, 2000) and (Barry, Weinstein, 2009) are shown in Figure 5.

Figure 5: Perceptual Map of the Toothpaste Industry

What is critically important about perceptual analysis as the foundation of any marketing plan is the alignment of the differentiation features and characteristics of the product relative to the industry. One of the foundational aspects of discriminant analysis is the ability to measure a products' perceived position relative to the ideal position in the market. The outcomes of this type of analysis in terms of setting the foundation for a marketing strategy for tooth paste, based on the best study of perceptual analysis in the industry, is shown in Figure 6, Perceptual Analysis and Assignment of Segment Percentages. Looking across the Percentage of Respondents, Quality and Reassurance are predicated on Habitual usage (47.9%) followed by Fluoridation (35.5%) and the appropriate price (29.8%).

Figure 6: Perceptual Analysis and Assignment of Segment Percentages

Source: (Lin, Yeh, 2000)

Based on the environmental scanning and market analysis, it is clear that the marketing strategy will need to be focused on developing a referential selling and positioning strategy. Snoring is a sensitive subject between couples, often with one partner denying or refusing to believe they are as loud or as noticeable as the other. Yet for this snore-reduction toothpaste to gain market approval and sell it will need to provide women with the necessary knowledge and marketing materials to make their case, as they are primary decision makers on which hygiene products to buy.

Marketing Strategy

Beginning with the media planning considerations, the framework of an Integrated Marketing Communications strategy needs to be used. Presuming the initial product introduction is in Europe with subsequent product introductions in the U.S. And throughout other regions of the world, the Integrated Marketing Communications strategy needs to accomplish the product positioning objective of making the snore-reducing tooth paste aligned with a new brand that can significantly reduce the threat of bacteria. From the hierarchy shown in Figure 6: Perceptual Analysis and Assignment of… READ MORE