Johnson & Johnson (J&J) has doubled sales of its mouthwash brand Listerine in the last one year despite competition from Colgate’s Plax and Elder Healthcare’s AMPM Mouthwash, said Prasanna Rai, marketing manager at the company’s consumer products division.
Consumer products – including baby care, female hygiene (Stayfree), beauty (Neutrogena, Clean & Clear) oral care (Listerine) and over-the-counter products (Benadryl, Caladryl) – contributes 40 per cent to J&J India’s overall revenues. Listerine was acquired from pharma major Pfizer globally in December 2006. In India, the transition happend in 2008, said Rai.
From then to now, J&J has been working to push the product, “but the real step-up in effort has happened in the last ten months”.
J&J is looking at a combination of things – both category and brand-building – to push Listerine, which enjoys over 80 per cent market share. The share of Colgate Plax, according to analysts, is about 12 per cent, while AMPM Mouthwash has a share of about 7-8 per cent. The step-up in effort by J&J, said analysts, is not misplaced.
The Rs 100-crore mouthwash category, though small, is growing at close to 35 per cent per annum, accordiing to industry experts. Apart from preventive products, which can be used regularly, there are a number of therapeutic mouthwash products in the market, which are prescribed by doctors.
