Marketing Strategy-Colgate

Objectives

There are three fundamentals that Colgate-Palmolive stated; which are:

•  Caring The Company cares enough about the people, among Colgate people, customers, shareholders or even business partners. Colgate is committed to act with compassion, integrity, honesty and high ethics in all situations, to listen with respect to others and to value differences. The Company is also committed to protect the global environment, to enhance the communities where Colgate people live and work, and to be compliant with government laws and regulations.
•  Global Teamwork All Colgate people are part of a global team, committed to working together across countries and throughout the world. Only by sharing ideas, technologies and talents can the company achieve and sustain profitable growth. Continuous Improvement Colgate is committed to getting better every day in all it does, as individuals and as teams. By better understanding consumers’ and customers’ expectations and continuously working to innovate and improve products, services and processes, Colgate will “become the best. “
•  In 1986, Colgate-Palmolive had very ambitious objectives for its launch of the Cleopatra Soap line. They wanted a 4. 5% market share for year of 1986 as well as getting 100% distribution of Cleopatra with retail accounts. They did not want to compete on price, as they wanted to position Cleopatra soap as premium quality soap and to generate interest in their brand through strong media and consumer promotions. In 2005, Colgate had succeeded $15. 9 billion in sales.

Customer target

Colgate-Palmolive have various health care products which focus in niche market; means that each of their specific products have focused in fulfilling specific market’s needs. Colgate Palmolive serves their customers by differentiating the products for each target market. They create different flavors of toothpaste and make some alterations to be focused on people with different age groups and with different preferences. The following must be some examples of their products with its target market:

•  Precision Toothbrush. Precision toothbrush is made for people who are really concern about oral health issues such as fighting plaque and gum disease. This kind of people usually does not really care about the price as they more care about the effectiveness of the toothbrush.
•  Colgate Junior (Softsoap Kids, toothpaste, etc) This product is specifically manufactured for 4 to 9 years-old-kids. Colgate-Palmolive targets mothers or parents which concern about the oral health of their children. There’re various flavors of toothpaste that can attract children, such as orange flavor and strawberry flavor. Colgate Optic White Toothpaste This toothpaste is produced for people who are concern about oral hygiene and really concern about personal appearance. Many customers for Optic White Toothpaste might be female, because women usually worry about their look.
•  Colgate Wisp The innovative toothbrush from Colgate, which can be easily carried everywhere since its size is quite small, and users don’t even need a water when they use it. There is also freshening bead between the brushes that can release a burst of freshness in a mouth. This product is suitable for people who give attention to the mouth freshness at anytime or anywhere they do their activities. Executives and teenagers are the perfect target market.
• Lady Speed Stick Antiperspirant contains active ingredients that can control odor and wetness for 24-hour. Colgate targets active women who have underarm problem.

Competitor target

Colgate is moving on an industry where there are many competitors produce similar products with competitive price. Some of Colgate’s biggest competitors are stated below:

•  Unilever Close-Up whitening from Unilever can be a threat for Colgate’s Optic White toothpaste, since close-up’s price is cheaper. However, the quality of both products is quite different, as Optic White toothpaste is more effective in whitening teeth. Thus, Colgate can steal some of Unilever’s customers who really care to the effectiveness of whitening formula.
•  Procter & Gamble ( P & G )
•  Johnson & Johnson Johnson & Johnson is well-known as a producer of kid’s health care products. It can be a competitor for Colgate Junior.
• However, again, Colgate can still compete with them by offering a different and unique touch.
• Avon products, Inc.
•  Henkel KGaA For oral product P&G is one top of Colgate competitor. For personal care, Unilever still hold market with its affordable price especially in Asia. Based on hoover. com, Avon products, Inc. Henkel KGaA, and Johnson & Johnson are three top Colgate’s competitor in America area for home care products like beauty soap, and body care.

Core strategy marketing mix

•  Communications and Promotions For promotion the company has sales promotion which is concern of all promotion apart, such as: advertising, public relation, direct selling and personal selling. Some communication & promotion strategies are stated as follows:
• • The important thing is to provide market awareness to their target market. For example, by placing counters that offers free samples to the targeted consumers • Advertisements through media (Print & Tele). For example is promotion through magazines, newspapers, billboards, T. V channels
• • Use of cartoon characters which are favorite in ids like Tom & Jerry, Snoopy etc (It will be decided on the basis of market research). This promotion strategy is suitable to be used by Colgate Junior to attract kids. Promotional mix like personal selling also can be used to promote Colgate’s products. The company provides special offers for customers that can attract them to purchase the products. In special offers, the customers can find the toothpaste, toothbrush, and mouthwash with the cheapest price.
•  Product Policy Colgate’s product is a product that adds value and benefit to a customer. It also has a proper function that meets the wants and needs of targeted consumers. Each product is created by paying attention to its hygienic process. The product has uniqueness, innovation and differs from all similar products available on the market.
• Core Product: Colgate’s core product is the health care products such as toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, etc. One of their products is Colgate Junior toothpaste with orange flavor that is produced for kids. The benefits of this product are stated as follows:
• • Prevent Tooth Cavities and remove Stains Freshening mouth and avoid bad breath
• • Reduce Plaque
• • Strengthen tooth
•  Design and style: The design and style for Colgate junior are set to be attractive and eye-catchy for kids by putting cartoon characters such as Tom & Jerry. So the product is designed not only to solve mouth problems, but also to be pleasing for kids through unique design.
•  Features: orange gel with cooling crystals.
•  Packaging: Colgate puts a cartoon characters like Tom & Jerry and Spongebob Squarepants in its tube & package to attract kids.
•  Channels of Distribution

Conventional marketing channel: We will have a conventional marketing channel since we have a distribution channel structure in which Colgate Palmolive places its products in the shops of retailers or sales them to the wholesalers and they do not work like a single team. Manufacturer Wholesaler Retailer Colgate uses indirect selling because its marketing manager thinks consumers are spread throughout many areas and offer prefer to shop for certain product at specific place. Colgate has more 500 locations including South and Central America, Europe, and Asia.

For its products Colgate use Retails such as Wal-Mart, Publix, Kmart, and Wholesaler such as BG, Costeo &Sam’s Club, and ReGo Trading, Inc. However, for Colgate toothpaste distribution also through dentist, plastic surgeon, and drug store.  Customer Relationship Management Colgate is trying to build and keep relationship with customer through a few ways. As Colgate offers customers’ need by create toothpaste products beside on age categories. In the official website, Colgate offers some services such as games for Colgate kids.

That purpose is to have fun while learning the basics of brushing and flossing. Beside that Colgate build community group SmileTalk® for exclusive savings. Customer can become a member by sign up and can get information about health. In that website, customers also can share a photo of their best (Colgate smile) when using Colgate toothpaste, or can create free e-card by using own customers photo. Colgate also create media page for innovation and product ideas. So customers can submit their ideas about what products they want. References Colgate-Palmolive Company. (n. d. ).