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In a bid to take on Procter & Gamble's Oral-B on every frontier, rival Colgate has just launched a new product called SlimSoft in the Rs 1,000-crore brushing category. The move comes after Colgate's recent attempt to block retail space for Oral-B toothpaste in modern trade.
Billed as a game changer, the new toothbrush, Colgate claims has slimmer and softer bristles than regular toothbrushes. Most brushes in India have nylon bristles that come down heavily on gums when brushing since they are slightly tough in nature. Indians have traditionally preferred this kind of brushing in contrast to the trend prevalent abroad.
Local dentists, however, in recent years, have been advocating the need for a product with softer bristles on account of the growing episodes of gum damage and bleeding.
Colgate, say industry experts, is tapping into this felt need with the new launch. Priced at Rs 50 for a single brush, the company is pushing a value pack at the moment consisting of two brushes for Rs 80.
While Oral-B also has products with softer bristles in its portfolio, this is the first time that a toothbrush will have ultra-fine bristles (almost 17 times slimmer tip bristles, according to Colgate), putting pressure on the former to come out with something similar. Ajith Babu, vice-president, marketing, Colgate, said, "Responding to changing consumer preferences along with a deep understanding of their usage habits, helps Colgate to introduce relevant product offerings across price-tiers. With the launch of Colgate SlimSoft, we introduce yet another innovation."
Colgate remains the leader both in toothpastes and toothbrushes in India with a share of 55.9% and 41.4% respectively. It has in the last few quarters grown at a faster clip in brushes than toothpastes, partly due to the under-penetration of the category in India.
Analysts say that volume growth in brushes for Colgate has been almost 14 to 15% in the last few quarters as opposed to the nearly 9 to 10% growth it has seen in toothpastes in the same time. Share growth in brushes too has been more than toothpastes. For instance, between Jan-June last year and Jan-June this year, the company added 270 basis points to its market share in the brushing category as opposed to 120 basis points it added to its share in toothpastes.
Competition in both brushes and toothpastes has been heating up in the last few years on account of the double-digit growth the category has seen in recent years. Colgate currently is fighting Hindustan Unilever, P&G and GlaxoSmithKline Consumer in toothpastes, at the mass and niche ends.
In brushes, it remains a two-way battle between Colgate and Oral-B, the latter ranked as the number two player with an estimated market share of about 27 to 28%. Worldwide, Oral-B is the leader in the brushing space having acquired the brand in 2005 as part of the Gillette portfolio. It has been aggressive in Asia, Africa and Latin America since acquisition in view of the potential for growth that exists in these markets.
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