A Study On Consumer Attitude

Towards Colgate With Effect To Its

Competitors
 Executive Summary

The Colgate-Palmolive company is acknowledged as the world’s leader in

personal care. This report analyse the Colgate’s current situation in order to give
recommendations on their actual toothpaste product line.

The report is divided into two parts. The first parts will analysis the current
situation of Colgate. On the basis of a Swot analyse the strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities, and threats of the company as well as of Colgate’s toothpaste
product line will be analysed. Furthermore additional information on the
company’s current market share, profitability, sales and the external
environment of Colgate within the scope of the PEST analysis will be
presented. At the end of the first part the competitive advantage of Colgate will
be mentioned.

The second part includes a suggested marketing strategy of the author using
marketing tools such as segmentation targeting & positioning, SMART
objectives as well as the marketing mix. To better recommend improvements,
the actual state of Colgate referring to their products, objectives, etc. is in some
parts shortly mentioned. At the end a conclusion is drawn concerning the
current situation of Colgate and suggested improvements for the future.
 INTRODUCTION

Colgate company was founded by William Colgate. He initially started his

business in the 19th century by selling soaps and candles in New York City. He
was born in England and 25th January 1783. William has always been very
passionate about his work and business. This great industrialist died on March
25, 1857.
Colgate is one of the top companies in the FMCG sector. The company got
founded by William Colgate in 1806. Colgate has risen to a fund of $15.2 M to
date and it has recorded an income of $17.42 Billion.
Colgate is an American brand principally used for oral hygiene products such as
tooth brush, mouthwashes and dental floss. Manufactured by Colgate-
Palmolive, Colgate's oral hygiene products were first sold by the company in
1873, sixteen years after the death of the founder, William Colgate. The
company originally sold soap In the initially stage.
Colgate toothpaste was sold in glass jars since 1873. Tubes, as pioneered
by Kalodont, Johnson & Johnson (Zonweiss) and Sheffield, were introduced in
1896.

Colgate became popular in the 1950s, with the slogan "It Cleans Your Breath
While It Cleans Your Teeth", written by copywriter Alicia Tobin.
In 2007, the Advertising Standards Authority in the UK told Colgate that it
could no longer make the claim that four out of five dentists recommended
Colgate. The investigation showed that the study had telephone surveyed
dentists to list the toothpaste they recommended, and their competitors were
recommended at similar rates. The claim was deemed deceptive.
As of 2015, oral care products (principally produced under the Colgate brand)
were the Colgate-Palmolive company's largest source of income, making up
around US$7.5 billion, or 47% of net sales globally (with personal care products
such as shampoos making up 20%, home care products such as laundry
detergents 19% and pet nutrition making up the remaining 14%). It also
commanded approximately 70% of the oral care market in Brazil.
In 2018, Colgate licensed Kolibree technology from Paris-based Baracoda Daily
Healthtech, launching the Colgate Smart Electric toothbrush. They currently
offer connected toothbrushes for children and adults under the Hum brand
umbrella.
In January 2020, Colgate registered the label for toothpaste containing zwith the
U.S. government.
In February 2020, Colgate's parent company announced an agreement to
purchase Hello Products, a New Jersey company that had earlier in the month
introduced toothpaste, mouthwashes, and lip balms
containing cannabidiol (CBD).
As of June 2022, Colgate Tooth Powder was still being manufactured and
marketed, and could still be purchased.
Colgate-Palmolive Company products including Toothpaste fall under
consumer products market. Consumer products are products bought by the
consumers for consumption. The Colgate-Palmolive Company offers different
consumers products that are categories as households, health care, and personal
items. The Colgate products include Colgate soaps, detergents, and toothpaste
and toothbrushes. The Colgate Company line of product is of wide large of
consumer products which include oral care, personal care, household care and
health care services (Colgate Website, 2018). The consumer precuts for the oral
care includes toothpaste, toothbrushes, toothpowder, teeth whitening product
and mouthwash. The household products include dishwashing detergents.
Personal care products produced by the Colgate Company body include soaps,
and liquid hand washes detergents, and skin and hair care products. Also,
Colgate Company provides health services which specialize in dental problems.
The health care items and services include fluoride therapy, specialty in teeth
cleaning, dental sensitivity treatment, mouth ulcer treatment services, and
Gingivitis treatment (Colgate Website, 2018). Therefore, the Colgate
Toothpaste is a consumer product of convenience.

Colgate-Palmolive Company (Colgate) is a consumer products company whose

products are marketed in over 200 countries and territories throughout the
world. It operates in two segments: Oral, Personal and Home Care and Pet
Nutrition. Oral Care business products include Colgate Total, Colgate Sensitive
Pro-Relief, Colgate Max Fresh, Colgate Optic White, and Colgate Luminous
White toothpastes, Colgate 360° manual toothbrushes and Colgate and Colgate
Plax mouth rinses. Colgate's Oral Care business also includes dental floss and
pharmaceutical products for dentists and oral health professionals. Its Personal
Care products also include Palmolive, Soft soap and Speed stick brand shower
gels, Palmolive, Irish Spring, and Protex bar soaps and Speed Stick, Lady Speed
Stick and Sanex deodorants and antiperspirants. It sells liquid hand soap under
the Palmolive, Protex and Soft soap brands. Colgate, through its Hill's Pet
Nutrition segment (Hill's), manufactures pet nutrition products for dogs and
cats. The staff at Colgate-Palmolive come from unusually diverse demographic
backgrounds. The company is 44.1% female and 47.5% ethnic minorities.
Despite its diversity in other areas, Colgate-Palmolive employees are noticeably
lacking in political diversity. It has an unusually high proportion of employees
who are members of the Democratic Party, at 79.0%. Employees seem to enjoy
working in an otherwise diverse workplace that is dominated by members of the
Democratic Party. Colgate-Palmolive has great employee retention with staff
members usually staying with the company for 5.5 years. The average employee
at Colgate-Palmolive makes $70,651 per year, which is competitive for its
industry and location. Some of its highest paying
competitors, Celanese, Gillette, and Pfizer, pay $74,951, $71,618, and $70,868,
respectively Based in New York, NY, Colgate-Palmolive is an industry leader
with 34,500 employees and an annual revenue of $18.0B.
Colgate is one such brand that has been used by almost every household. It is
one of our favourite kinds of toothpaste and we can’t deny that fact. But did you
know that this company is more than 200 years old Colgate is still one of the
highest-selling kinds of toothpaste brands. So let us get into this article to read
the success story of this company that became a household name and
everyone’s first choice.
History / Timeline
1817
First Colgate advertisement appears in a New York newspaper.

1820
Colgate establishes a starch factory in Jersey City, New Jersey.

1857
Upon the death of founder William Colgate, the company is reorganized as
Colgate& Company under the management of Samuel Colgate, our founder’s
son.

1864
B.J. Johnson opens a soap factory in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, which later
becomes the Palmolive Company

1866
Colgate introduces perfumed soap and perfumes/essence

1872
Peet brothers establish a soap company in Kansas City, Kansas where they
make Crystal White soap. Cashmere Bouquet, the first milled perfumed toilet
soap, is registered as a Colgate trademark.

1873
Colgate starts selling aromatic toothpaste in jars.

1879
Gerhard Mennen establishes a pharmacy in Newark, New Jersey, which later
becomes the Mennen Company.

1896
Colgate introduces toothpaste in a collapsible tube.

1898
B.J. Johnson Soap Co. introduces Palmolive Soap. Today, the Palmolive equity
is sold in over 88 countries in 54 variants.

1900
Colgate wins top honors for its fine soaps and perfumes at the World’s Fair in
Paris

1902
Stylish Palmolive advertising begins, emphasizing ingredient purity and product
benefits.
1906
Colgate & Company celebrates its 100th anniversary. Our product line includes
over 800 different products.

1908
Colgate is incorporated by the five sons of Samuel Colgate. Ribbon opening is
added to the Colgate tube: “We couldn’t improve the product, so we improved
the tube.”

1911
Colgate distributes two million tubes of toothpaste and toothbrushes to schools
and hygienists to demonstrate tooth brushing.

1912
William Mennen introduces the first American shaving cream tube.

1914
Colgate establishes its first international subsidiary in Canada.

1920
Colgate begins establishing operations in Europe, Asia, Latin America and
Africa

1926
Soap manufacturers Palmolive and Peet merge to become Palmolive-Peet
Company.

1928
Colgate merges with Palmolive-Peet to become Colgate-Palmolive-Peet
Company

1930
On March 13th, Colgate is first listed on the New York Stock Exchange

1939
Dr. Mark L. Morris develops a pet food to help save a guide dog named Buddy
from kidney disease. This breakthrough leads to the first Hill’s Prescription Diet
product.

1947
Ajax cleanser is launched, establishing a powerful now-global brand equity for
cleaning products.
1953
Colgate-Palmolive Company becomes the company’s official name.
↕ Vertical Spacer ↕

1956
Colgate opens corporate headquarters at 300 Park Avenue in New York City

Colgate – Growth
Colgate is one of the top FMCG companies and it has seen tremendous growth
in the past few decades.
The company holds the largest percentage of oral hygiene category globally (as
per 2020 reports).
Colgate sells its products in more than 200 countries globally.
It is also one of the top players in the household products sector.
The company generated a sale worth $17 billion worldwide. In the fourth
quarter of 2020, it reported a net increase in sales by 7.5% ( as per Statista
reports, 2021).
In the FY 2020 – 2021, the company reported sales of INR 4,810.5 Cr. It was
7.2% more as compared to FY 2019 – 2020.
It has launched various new products such as Colgate Vedshakti Spray, Colgate
toothpaste for Diabetes patients, Oil pulling, etc. to target more customers.
It has also launched fun products for kids such as the first AR toothbrush.
Colgate has been the most trusted Oral care brand from 2011 to 2019 ( as per
the reports by the Economic Times).
 1.2 Research Methodology

1.2.1 Source of Data

The Study is based on Primary Data and Secondary Data which was collected by
circulating a questionnaire and through referring the books. A well-structured
questionnaire was prepared to collect the perception of the respondents.

Data Collection:

Primary data

Primary Data are collected through well designed questionnaire and detailed
discussion with the respondents though Google Forms to Limited Respondent of
Different Age and Gender About Their Perspective About the Change in Fintech
Industry After Demonetization

Secondary Data

The secondary data were taken from Newspaper and Library Books, Google and
Wikipedia which were published till date from Different Website and Links Related to
the Topic

(A) Sampling Design The researcher is a scientific way toward the achievement of
the objectives of the study. The researcher has undertaken this study based on the
Descriptive Design. Descriptive design had helped the researcher to describe the
existing phenomenon of preferences given to the impact of the demonstration on
consumer buying behavior.

(B) Sample Size The total sample size decided by researcher was 116 respondents
in Mumbai City. All clusters namely housewife, students, service class, self -
employed, business class and professional were considered for the same.
Researcher had made an attempt that the sample adequate representative and
estimate elements or consumers of online shopping were identified as follows; the
convenient sample was divided into the following clusters namely housewife,
students, services class, and business class, self- employed and professional

(C) Questioner Method The primary data was collected through a self-administered
questionnaire that contained questions related to the objectives. Sample size There
are Approx 116 respondents to the questionnaire circulated among people.
Responses are fair and includes variation of age, gender, occupation etc. Efforts
were made to collect maximum response

Sample size
There are 116 respondents to the questionnaire circulated among people.
Responses are fair and includes variation of age, gender, occupation etc. Efforts
were made to collect maximum response.
 OBJECTIVES OF STUDY

Primary Objectives:

 To study about the customer behaviour towards Colgate oral care.

 To study the Comparison between other Oral Care Product to Colgate
 To study the consumers increasing demand for natural and herbal oral
care products.
 To understand companies counter strategies by launching the herbal
products in addition to existing product line.
 To Study the Marketing Strategies of Colgate And its Competitors

Secondary Objectives:

 To study the effects on Consumer Attitude of Sales Promotions, viz.,

Price Promotion and Premium Promotion between Colgate,
Pepsodent ,Dabar & close up
 To explore the differential effects of on these dimension of Consumer
Based Brand Equity, viz., Brand Awareness and Associations, Perceived
Quality and Brand Loyalty and Overall Brand Equity among
Convenience, Shopping and Specialty product categories.
 To examine the effects of Sales Promotions, Price and Premium
Promotions, on different categories of products, viz., Convenience,
Shopping and Specialty Products on Consumer Based Brand Equity.
 To study the increase in Popularity of Oral Health care
 To find the preference and satisfaction of Colgate herbal tooth paste by
consumers.
 To analyze on impact of market share of Colgate on before and after
introduction of herbal tooth- paste in the oral care market of India.
 SCOPE OF STUDY

1) To understand the awareness of consumers on personal care products in

market.
2) To understand the usage of different Oral Care products by consumers
3) To study problems faced by consumers on usage of Colgate products
4) To find out awareness and preference for Colgate tooth paste
5) To find out knowledge of consumers on different variants of Colgate
tooth paste in oral care market.
6) To Find out Consumer preference and satisfaction on usage of Colgate
Swarna herbal toothpaste
 2.2 Review of Literature

Brucks (1985) Product Class knowledge Product class knowledge is a measure

of consumers perceptions of how much they know about a specific class of
products (e g; cars) This type of measure is consistent with what called
subjective knowledge, that is, consumers self-perceptions of knowledge levels.
This is often contrasted with objective knowledge, which is what consumers
actually know. Park and Lessing (1981) proposed that subjective knowledge
provides a better understanding of consumers decision making processes
because consumers level of confidence in their search and decision making
behaviour, independent of their objective knowledge.

Gilliland (1992) Consumer Personality Factors: There are two factors mainly
influencing the consumers for decision making: Risk aversion and
innovativeness. Risk aversion is a measure of how much consumers need to be
certain and sure of what risk adverse consumers need to be very certain about
what they are buying. Whereas less risk adverse consumers can tolerate some
risk and uncertainty in their purchases. The second variable, innovativeness, is a
global measure which captures the degree to which consumers are willing to
take chances and experiment with new ways of doing things (Donthu and
Gilliand, 1996).The shopping motivation literature is abound with various
measures of individual characteristics (e.g., innovative, venturesome,
cosmopolitan, variety seeking), therefore, innovativeness and risk aversion were
included in this study to capture several of these traits. Measures by Donthu
were used to measure innovativeness and risk avers

Kotler (2003) defines all activities in selling goods or services to the final
customersforpersonal use in today’s scenario our retailer does not exist in the br
ick and mortar form alone. She/he can do it by using the telephone, by direct
mails. Richardson et al., (1994) “Marketing isa social and managerial process
whereby individual and groups obtain what they used need and want through
creating and exchanging products and value with others”. Consumer behaviour
is studied so that we can come to know that how perception and attitude of a
person decides that what should be buying pattern of the consumers
A. Ghassemi, W. Hooper, L. Vorwerk - The primary purpose of this randomized,
controlled, six-week clinical trial was to determine the effectiveness and safety
of a new whitening dentifrice in removing extrinsic tooth stain and whitening
teeth. An additional two-week exploratory study was conducted to determine
whether the whitening or stain-prevention activity of the dentifrice would
persist following cessation of use. METHODS In the first study (Phase I), one-
hundred and forty-six qualifying subjects were randomly assigned to either a
sodium bicarbonate whitening dentifrice group (Arm & Hammer Advance
White Extreme Whitening Baking Soda and Peroxide Toothpaste) or a silica-
based negative control dentifrice group, and brushed twice daily with their
assigned dentifrice for six weeks. Tooth shade on the labial surfaces of the eight
incisors was assessed using a Vita Classic shade guide, and extrinsic tooth stain
was scored using a Modified Lobene Stain Index (MLSI) at baseline, week 4,
and week 6. In Phase II (after the week 6 examination), volunteers from the
Arm & Hammer whitening dentifrice group were randomly assigned to continue
using the whitening dentifrice or to use the negative control dentifrice twice
daily for two weeks. The six-week shade and stain index scores served as the
baseline for this exploratory phase and were rescored after two weeks.
RESULTS The whitening dentifrice group had statistically significant (p <
0.0001) mean shade score reductions of 1.82 and 2.57 from baseline to weeks 4
and 6, respectively. 

N. Aydın, S. Karaoğlanoğlu, E. Oktay, B. Ersöz (2001)-The desire of individuals

to have whiter teeth increases the interest in tooth whitening products. Our aim
was to in vitro study the whitening effect of hydrogen peroxide, blue covarine
and active charcoal containing whitening toothpastes on human teeth. Materials
and Methods: A total of 40 extracted human incisor teeth were used in the
study. To measure the whitening effect of toothpastes, the teeth were divided
into four subgroups and placed in the phantom tooth jaw model. Then, daily
brushing was done with an electric toothbrush. The colors of the teeth were
measured initially using the spectrophotometer (single point and bleached shade
mode) and at the end of 7th, 14th and 28th days. Whitening effectiveness of
toothpastes were studied according to CIEDE2000 formula (∆E00) and shade
guide units (SGU). One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey test
were used in the statistical analysis of the data. (p<0.05). Results: Activated
charcoal containing toothpaste showed the greatest whitening effect at the end
of 7th, 14th and 28th days (p<0.05). There was no statistically significant
difference between the whitening effects of hydrogen peroxide and
conventional toothpaste (p>0.05). Blue covarine containing toothpaste had
statistically the lowest whitening effect (p<0.05). Conclusions: All toothpastes
showed a whitening effect on the teeth after 7 days of use. Activated charcoal
containing toothpaste showed more whitening effect after 28 days of use than
hydrogen peroxide, blue covarine and traditional toothpaste.

Bruno G S Casado, S. Moraes,-(2008) - systematic review was performed to

evaluate whether whitening toothpastes promote tooth whitening when
compared to the use of conventional (nonbleaching) dentifrices. This review
was registered at PROSPERO (CRD42017065132) and is based on the
Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses.
Electronic systematic searches of PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and the
Cochrane Library were conducted for published articles. Only randomized
clinical trials in adults that compared the use of so-called whitening dentifrices
to the use of non whitening dentifrices were selected. The outcome was tooth
color change. Twenty-two articles from 703 data sources met the eligibility
criteria. After title and abstract screening, 16 studies remained, after which a
further five studies were excluded. In total, nine studies were qualitatively
analyzed. Significant differences in tooth color change were found between the
groups using whitening dentifrices and those using non whitening dentifrices.
Within the limitations of this study, the evidence from this systematic review
suggests that bleaching dentifrices have potential in tooth whitening. However,
although many whitening dentifrices have been introduced into the dental
market for bleaching treatments, it is important to analyze tooth surface and
color changes when performing home bleaching.

A Survey on the various factors that influence a customer’s choice of toothpaste

in mogappair population. 11, March, 2019)By- Dr. Uma Sudhakar: The client’s
choice of toothpaste may appear to be a light theme to be examined. This
overview examines the variables that impact the client's decision just as the
most well-known brand liked among different age gatherings. This data can
help comprehend the kind of oral cleanliness techniques that patients feel good
to approach and utilize it can likewise comprehend the information level of
patients with respect to dental cleanliness.
M. Shamel, Mahmoud M. Al-Ankily, M. Bakr (2019)-Tooth whitening usually
includes the direct use of gels containing carbamide or hydrogen peroxide on
the tooth enamel surface through a wide variety of products formulas. A
generally new advancement in whitening of teeth uses the significant
importance of the tooth color shift from yellow to blue in delivering a general
enhancement in the observation of tooth whiteness. The aim of the current work
was to measure the tooth whitening effects, surface roughness and enamel
morphology of six different types of blue covarine-containing and blue
covarine-free toothpastes using in vitro models. Methods: A total of 70 sound
extracted human premolars were randomly and equally divided into seven
groups, and each subjected to tooth brushing using different toothpastes. Tooth
color and enamel surface roughness were measured before and after the
brushing procedure using a white light interferometer, and scanning electron
microscopy (SEM) was used to assess tooth surface after the procedure. Results:
Toothpaste containing blue covarine resulted in the greatest improvement in
tooth color amongst all groups as well as a statistically significant color
difference when compared to blue covarine-free toothpaste. Furthermore, blue
covarine-containing toothpaste resulted in fewer morphological changes to the
enamel surface. This was confirmed with SEM images that showed smooth
enamel surfaces with fine scratches. Conclusions: The results from the present
study show that blue covarine containing toothpastes are reliable, effective in
tooth whitening and produce less surface abrasion when compared to blue
covarine-free toothpastes.

Dr. Vinit Dani (May

2013) Toothpaste industry is a major market in India. Toothpaste from a
significant thing in the
month to month shopping for food of the vast majority of the
metropolitan families. In prior
occasions, buyers particularly in India depended on utilizing the customary
substances like Neem
twig or Mishri for keeping their teeth spotless and sound. However,
gradually global brands
began supplanting the more seasoned strategies for keeping up oral cleanliness.
Prior purchasers
were careless of their oral cleanliness and even didn't want to see a dental
specialist for their oral
medical condition. The pattern is changing and now daily's dental
guidance is additionally
thought of and significant factor while settling on a buy choice of the toothpaste
brands.
Dr. Vinit Dani (May
2013) Toothpaste industry is a major market in India. Toothpaste from a
significant thing in the
month to month shopping for food of the vast majority of the
metropolitan families.
Dr. Vinit Dani (May 2013) Toothpaste industry is a major market in India.
Toothpaste from a significant thing in the month to month shopping for food of
the vast majority of the metropolitan families. In prior occasions, buyers
particularly in India depended on utilizing the customary substances like Neem
twig or Mishri for keeping their teeth spotless and sound. However, gradually
global brands began supplanting the more seasoned strategies for keeping up
oral cleanliness. Prior purchasers were careless of their oral cleanliness and
even didn't want to see a dental specialist for their oral medical condition. The
pattern is changing and now daily's dental guidance is additionally thought of
and significant factor while settling on a buy choice of the toothpaste brands.

Marketing Research on Toothpaste (6, June 2017) By- Ms. Harshleen Kaur
Sethi: Various item dispatches in the oral consideration market when all is said
in done, are development of perceived brands. Advertisers understand that there
is more interest for item that give brightening and smell battling benefits.
Taking advantages of perceived brand names is one technique through which
oral consideration advertisers can carry creative and novel items into the
market. The venture spins around the broad use of showcasing research strategy
to comprehend the utilization, demeanor and inclination of Indian shoppers
towards toothpaste

A Study on Brand Preference of toothpaste among different age groups of

consumers in Udumalpet Town By- R. Ganapathi: The shoppers now days are
very mindful of the distinctive attributes among the various brands of specific
products. It is incredibly uncovered that Indian toothpaste businesses are being
divided not just based on costs and advantages, yet in addition it is portrayed by
heterogeneity in purchaser’s responses to the promoting blend in to more
homogeneous submarkets
C. van Loveren, R. Duckworth (2013) - In terms of novel formulations, there
seems to have been a shift in emphasis from anti-caries/anti-gingivitis to anti-
calculus/whitening toothpastes in recent years. The anti-calculus and whitening
effects of toothpastes are to some extent based on the same active ingredients:
compounds of high affinity for tooth mineral. Due to this affinity, crystal
growth may be hindered (anti-calculus) and chromophores be displaced
(whitening). Besides these common ingredients, both types of toothpaste may
contain agents specifically aimed at each condition. Clinical studies have shown
that these active ingredients can be successfully formulated in fluoride
toothpastes to give significant reductions in supragingival calculus and stain
formation and facilitate their removal. Some of the ingredients are formulated in
toothpastes that additionally contain anti-plaque and anti-gingivitis ingredients,
making these toothpastes (together with the fluoride) truly multi-functional. The
development of these products is not straightforward because of interaction
between formulation components and because the active ingredients must
maintain their beneficial characteristics during the shelf life of the paste. Neither
a therapeutic benefit (in terms of less gingivitis or less caries) nor a societal
benefit (in terms of less treatment demand) has been demonstrated as a result of
the anti-calculus and whitening effects of toothpastes.

2009 Ana Magalhães Dental erosion is defined as the loss of tooth substance by
acid exposure not involving bacteria. The etiology of erosion is related to
different behavioral, biological and chemical factors. Based on an overview of
the current literature, this paper presents a summary of the preventive strategies
relevant for patients suffering from dental erosion. Behavioral factors, such as
special drinking habits, unhealthy lifestyle factors or occupational acid
exposure, might modify the extent of dental erosion. Thus, preventive strategies
have to include measures to reduce the frequency and duration of acid exposure
as well as adequate oral hygiene measures, as it is known that eroded surfaces
are more susceptible to abrasion

M . Saranya : An investigation on consumer loyalty towards toothpaste with

extraordinary reference to Colgate. The primary object of to recognize the
different variables Impacting client in acquisition of the toothpaste, to realize
the clients gathered from 100 example of respondents. Information was
gathered by overview technique; the review was gathered Omalur town in
Salem through organized poll with five-point rating scale questions. Optional
information is gathered from the accessible writing sources.

(Dec 2010) By- G. Vani, Today the achievement of any firm relies on the
fulfillment of shoppers. For fulfilling the customers, the firm should think about
the conduct of the buyers. In these conditions understanding buyer is an
extremely troublesome undertaking in view of the evolving innovation,
advancement and changes in way of life. Scientists directed many examinations
here, and they give just barely any proposal

Brucks(1985) called subjective knowledge, that is, consumers self-perceptions

of knowledge levels. This is often contrasted with objective knowledge, which
is what consumers actually know. Park and Lessing (1981) proposed that
subjective knowledge provides a better understanding of consumers decision
making processes because consumers level of confidence in their search and
decision making behaviour, independent of their objective knowledge.

(Donthu and Gilliland, 1996).Highly risk adverse consumers need to be very

certain about what they are buying. Whereas less risk adverse consumers can
tolerate some risk and uncertainty in their purchases. The second variable,
innovativeness, is a global measure which captures the degree to which
consumers are willing to take chances and experiment with new ways of doing
things (Donthu and Gilliand, 1996).The shopping motivation literature is
abound with various measures of individual characteristics (e.g., innovative,
venturesome, cosmopolitan, variety seeking), therefore, innovativeness and risk
aversion were included in this study to capture several of these traits. Measures
by Donthu and Gilliland (1996) were used to measure innovativeness and risk
avers

Anselmo Agostinho Simionato (2000) - The aim of this in situ study was to
evaluate color change, surface roughness, gloss, and microhardness in tooth
enamel submitted to whitening and remineralizing toothpastes. Fifteen healthy
adults (REBEC - RBR-7p87yr) (with unstimulated salivary flow ≥ 1.5 ml for 5
minutes, pH=7) wore two intraoral devices containing four bovine dental
fragments (6 x 6 x 2 mm). Participants were randomly assigned and instructed
to toothbrush the devices with the tested toothpastes (30 days): CT:
conventional; WT: whitening; WTP: whitening with peroxide, and RT:
remineralizing toothpaste. A washout period of 7 days was established.
Readouts of color, gloss, surface roughness, and microhardness were performed
before and after brushing. The results demonstrated no color, gloss, and
microhardness differences (p>0.5). The samples brushed with WTP (0.2(0.7)
showed higher surface roughness (p=0.0493) than those with WT (-0.5(1.0).
The toothpastes did not alter the properties of the dental enamel, except for the
roughness. Toothpaste with an abrasive system based on sodium bicarbonate
and silica, and that contains sodium carbonate peroxide increased the surface
roughness of the enamel.

Cardozo’s (1965) initial study of customer effort, expectations and satisfaction.

Despite many attempts to measure and explain customer satisfaction, there still
does not appear to be a consensus regarding its definition (Giese and cote, 2000)
customer satisfaction is topically defined as a post consumption evaluative
judgment concerning a specific product or service (Gunderson heide and
Olsson, 1996). It is the result of an evaluative process that contrasts pre-
purchase expectations with perceptions of performance during and after the
consumption experience (Oliver, 1980)

Gupta and Kaur, (2013) conducted a study on brand awareness among

consumers on daily consuming goods. The study found that brand awareness is
increasing everywhere. They also examine brand preferences of different
products- Tea, Toothpaste, Soap & Shampoo in rural market. In case of
toothpaste the result reveals that Close Up is the highest preferred branded
toothpaste in rural areas. Pepsodent, Colgate and Sensodine got 2nd, 3rd and 4th
preferred position respectively.

Sarker, Yousuf and Monzoor (2013) explored some factors that affect to select a
toothpaste brand in Khulna city. Results show that several factors are influential
for the toothpaste brand selection e.g. quality, advantages of using product,
duration of freshness, Smell, perceived performance, brand awareness, product
Attribute. The study found that some of the factors like Perceived performance,
Brand awareness, Product Attribute, Taste, Credibility of the company,
Availability of product information, Herbal Ingredients seem to be most
important factors from customer’s point of view. At the same time some factors
are less important to the customers to select toothpaste brand. This includes;
Product Availability, Uniqueness or Innovation, Doctor’s Instruction, Parents
influence, Country of Origin, Price, TV Advertisement. Again customers don’t
consider some factors like peer group influence, Design or packaging to select
toothpaste.

Cyril, Siam and Muhammad (2012) run a study for exploring the role cue plays
on low involvement product purchase intention and product evaluation of
Malaysian consumers. They chose toothpaste as a low involvement product.
The study reveals that customer of the specific country prefers products
produced by developed countries and they tend to less preference to the less
developed countries. In case of specific countries, consumers prefer toothpaste
made in Australia not made in China. They perceived that the products of
developed countries are more qualitiful because of economic and technological
advancement of the countries.

Daud (2013) conducted a study to know consumers interest in branded products

in rural areas. The study reveals that young generation prefers branded products.
They are experienced from variety of entertainment sources. There has a
positive perception about branded products that is not limited to any
demographic characteristics (age, gender or education).

Sharda and Sharda (2010) conducted a study in Udaipur, India. The aim of the
study was to know the factors that influence on choice of oral hygiene. The
study concludes that Colgate is the mostly used toothpaste and information from
media or advertisement, flavorare the most influential factor to choice
toothpaste. Again advice of dentist, cost and color consider as the less important
factor. The study also concludes that brand name is also an influential factor.

Moisescu and Allen (2010) take an endeavour to investigate the

interrelationships among various brand dimensions for a successful brand. The
result show that different brand dimensions- perfection of fit, brand attributes,
brand associations have positive relationship among them. The study observed
that consumers prefer brand by considering brand image of a firm rather than
level of quality, brand attitude and usage level. The author summarized that
perception of fit, brand attributes and brand associations are indeed irrefutable
for a brand’s success.
Majeed (2014) took an initiative for assessing the brand awareness of fast
moveable consumer goods in rural areas. The most important findings of this
study that consumers awareness is increasing in case of FMCG in rural areas.
Rural consumers are now aware on average 60% about different brands of tea,
soap, toothpaste. It also found that they are becoming aware through Television
Communication (TVC). In terms of toothpaste, consumers prefer Colgate (1st),
Close UP (2nd), Pepsodent (3rd), and Miswak (4th).

Vani, Babu and Panchanatham (2010) run a study to find out the consumer
behavior, analyze the preference of consumers and consumer awareness about
toothpaste brands. The study found some important information such as 80%
consumers use toothpaste and they purchase it two or more than twice in one
month. The consumers are about different brands like Colgate, Close Up,
Pepsodent, Dabur, Anchor, Ajanta. The most important finding is that there
perception about toothpaste brands is constituted on the basis of dentist
recommendation, price, availability, packaging, quality, brand, flavor, healthy
tooth & gems, freshness, prevention of tooth erosion, whiteness and influence of
friends, kids or parents.

Polster and Jodecke (2010), completed their thesis on differences in attribute

pretences of manufacturer and private label buyers when they making purchase
decision. The study has shown all four buyer groups to perceive quality and
health-related attributes to be most important. Especially a good price quality
ratio was found to be of high importance across all four groups. Interestingly,
private label brand buyers of toothpaste state to be equally loyal prone as buyers
of manufacturer brands are, indicating a stronger bond to private label products
in this category. Across categories results have shown toothpaste buyers to have
a significantly more positive opinion on familiarity, category involvement and
attitude towards private labels, as well as a higher brand sensitivity indicating
them to be rather risk averse compared to buyers of orange juice dueto the
complexity of toothpastes in general.

Hong (2013), investigate the competitiveness of some selected brands of

toothpaste, detergent powder and shampoo by taking into account of several
attributes and functional values. The study found that 80% customers are like to
use branded products. The customers have deep interest on products ranging
superior quality. The author also found that 91% customer wants new products
which indicate that customers are not satisfied with present products or brands.
They are mostly (71%) rely on electronic media for brand selection.
Kotler and Keller (2009) emphasis on consumers experience and perception in
defining brand. They define that brand constitutes with thoughts,
feeling,perceptions, image, experiences, beliefs, attitudes, and so on about a
brand. Sheena, Mohanan and Naresh, (2012), defined that the perception of fit is
the extent of brand awareness and reputation of the firm. Reputation is achieved
through customers’ positive experience about a brand by providing superior
benefit. De Chernatony and Dall’Olmo Riley (1998) developed a
multidimensional brand construct combining the literature with interviews of
twenty brand consultants.
 Conceptual Framework

Dental care needs more attention because of bad care of tooth may cause, tooth
decay, bad breath, , tooth sensitivity , periodontal gum disease and dental caries
arise from microbial activity of Buccal cavity. At present, the most common
diseases in the world is dental caries. Causative organism who are responsible
for dental caries is Streptococcus mutan. It convert carbohydrates to acid after
that this acid combine with saliva and food debris and form plaque on the
surface of tooth [2].pH of the mouth to below 5.5 and demineralization of the
teeth starts. Continuous demineralization at a definate site for a long period of
time causes the formation of cavity at that site. In some severe cases Dental
disease could be painful and the pain may be increased by cold heat, or food
drinks and sweet[3]. Various synthetic chemical agents having antimicrobial
activity into cosmetic products like toothpaste is a critical issue in our world
today because of their adverse effect on human health[4].Plants having good
antimicrobial activity such as clove, turmeric etc and it can use as an substitute
to synthetic chemicals to minimize the adverse effects like teeth staining, DNA
damage , cancer and hypersensitivity reaction. According to the Physician the
lining inside the mouth are made up of mucous and has good absorption
efficiency of approx. 90%[6] Toothpaste never be swallowed but it can
automatically absorbed within a seconds through the mucous membrane in the
mouth or through the skin on the lip . Oral fluids inside the mouth such as
biofilm fluid and saliva contain Calcium (Ca) and Phosphate (P) in high
concentrations which are the mineral composition of enamel. So these Ca and
P ions are deposited on the surface of teeth known as enamel or they are
redeposited on areas where enamel are lost. This is a natural mechanism
basically done by the saliva to protect the mineral structure of enamel in the
mouth.

Competitors Analysis of Colgate

Whenever a company launches their product they need to analyze what their
competitors are up to and try giving better products at either the same price or
less than the competitor’s price.
Colgate has become a household name for battling germs and poor breath while
maintaining proper oral hygiene. By offering high-quality goods at fair and
affordable prices, the brand has earned the confidence of millions of customers.
Although it faces strong competition from other brands, this healthy
competition encourages them to improve their products to keep their market
share. Some of the competitors Colgate faces are:
Pepsodent

Pepsodent is a Company owned by Unilever. The USP(Unique selling point) of

Pepsodent is that it creates toothpaste that tastes like mint. According to the
company, their toothpaste protects teeth from germs and strengthens teeth to
fight against bacteria and captivity. It has operations in over 50 countries and it
is one of the biggest competitors of Colgate.

Close up
closeup is also a Unilever Product. It is known for its long-lasting freshness In
India, it has been a market leader for many decades as it targets the youth of the
nation. The biggest advantage of Closeup is that it was the first gel-based
toothpaste that attracts its target audience.

Dabur

Dabur India Ltd is an FMCG company in India it produces goods in the

following segments
 Food

 Haircare

 Oral care

 Skincare etc
Marketing Mix of Colgate

The marketing mix of a company generally is the analysis of 4main aspects of a

company, there are as follows
 Product
 Place
 pricing 
 Promotional
Product Mix of Colgate

Colgate is a brand that sells a variety of oral hygiene products. It has introduced
exclusive items for children in addition to its standard versions used by any
genre. To battle tooth decay and germs, the product kitty contains a Colgate
toothbrush with soft bristles that cover every nook and cranny of the mouth.
Toothpowder and mouthwash from Colgate are two of the most common
product’s in the brand’s roster Colgate toothpaste contains abrasive ingredients
such as fluoride, which help to remove plaque from the teeth and polish the
surface by removing food stains. There are currently thirteen toothpaste
varieties on the market that includes:
 cavity protection
 gingivitis and plaque prevention
 longer-lasting fresh breath 
 tartar reduction
 strengthening of enamel
 relief from sensitivity tooth whitening

Place Mix of Colgate

Colgate has always favoured a technique that is distinct to stand out. This aids
in the creation of a new customer base as well as the retention of existing
customers’ interests. The producer is part of the distribution chain for its goods,
followed by a fast dispatch to wholesalers, retailers, and finally customers.
Their strategy mainly focuses on fast delivery and easy availability. The
products are accessible in every part of the country including rural, semi-urban,
and urban markets.

 
Price Mix of Colgate

Colgate has positioned toothpaste as the company’s primary product, with all of
the other oral care products placed around it. To compete with its different
rivals, the organization has settled on a dynamic pricing strategy. The prices are
comparable to or slightly higher than those of other goods. It uses purchaser
psychology to its benefit by presenting its goods as having a longer duration and
far-reaching effects on the oral care of the patrons. The extra costs may not feel
like a burden to the consumer since many dentists recommend the product.
Prices for different goods are different to suit the needs of different parts of
society. For example, a Visible white toothpaste will cost more than the Max
Fresh toothpaste as it provides extra oral care and whitening.
The products are available in numerous sizes and combo packs that make them
more attractive to consumers. The company has consultants who keep a close
eye on the competition and are constantly revising the pricing strategy to retain
its customer base.
 

Promotion Mix of Colgate

Colgate has chosen creative schemes and appealing packaging solutions to

effectively satisfy the desires and needs of all of its customers. The traditional
colour red is now being associated with Colgate and thus the company
capitalizes on this simple familiarity with its products. The business has
encouraged various promotional policies to promote the sales of its goods,
which have been implemented through digital media such as television and
radio, as well as print media such as magazines and newspapers, as well as
numerous billboards and hoardings. The internet has also become a popular
marketing tool for both buyers and sellers, resulting in increased revenue.
The company has a social networking media page on My Space, Twitter, and
Facebook where customers are encouraged to share their experiences to build a
personal one-to-one relationship with them. To boost sales, various discounted
coupons are available in various newspapers and on the official Colgate
website. At different events, the brand has enlisted the support of several
celebrities.
Let’s further analyze Colgate’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats
with the help of SWOT analysis
SWOT Analysis of Colgate

SWOT Analysis is the analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and

threats that an organization faces. Let’s take a deeper look into Colgate’s
analysis. 

1. Strengths of Colgate
 Colgate is a well-renowned household name. This gives Colgate
advantages like high brand recall and easy visibility. 
 Colgate is the topmost brand in the FMCG sector featuring a plethora of
products in its roster. Therefore, the more in-depth is the product line, the
costs fall further.
 Colgate has continued to maintain their market share because of a high
penetration rate in the market.
 
2. Weaknesses of Colgate
 The market has become saturated, with a large number of local and
national players competing for market share in the personal and oral care
sector. There is little room for growth as all companies are consuming
each other’s market share.
 Colgate goods are also more expensive than their competitors due to high
operating costs.
 
3. Opportunities of Colgate
 Colgate’s biggest opportunity remains the ability to expand its product
line. This will increase sales and offer a wider range to Colgate’s
consumer base.
 As the urban markets are now at saturation level companies can start
reaching to rural market to establish themselves before their competitors
do
 
4. Threats to Colgate
 With the growing number of local and national players, it’s becoming
increasingly difficult for businesses to stand out. Counterfeit goods often
pose a danger to the company’s brand image in the marketplace.
  Because of Colgate’s use of animal testing, the publication “The Ethical
Consumer Research Association” advised its readers not to purchase
toothpaste. This type of knowledge would affect the Colgate brand in the
digital age.

These were the largely identified strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and

threats faced by Colgate. Now let’s see some of the different Marketing
Strategies adopted by Colgate

Marketing Strategies of Colgate

Marketing strategies are the strategies created by the companies their products
and services to their targeted audience, Zee follows the strategy of STP
Let’s see what STP stands, what does it mean and how Colgate uses it in their
benefit

1. Segmentation

Segmentation is dividing the market into different segments to find out the
correct audience for ourselves which can be our potential customers and can
buy our product

Segmentation can be of many types like

 Geographic segmentation
 Income-based segmentation
 Demographic  segmentation
 Behavioural segmentation etc 

Colgate segmented their audience by using different segmentation types for

different products like they used Age-based segmentation for toothpaste.
Colgate segmented their audience based on 2 types, they are as follows:
 behavioural segmentation
 Demographic segmentation
 
2. Targeting

Targeting is selecting one segment of the audience out of different segments

that we created during segmentation and them promote our product to
them. Colgate Targets almost every segment by providing different products to
each segment which helps them racing to a larger audience. Colgate mainly
Targets people of the middle class and lower class.
 

3. Positioning

Positioning is creating a good image in the minds of customers so that they buy
your product. With the help of different marketing strategies and due to existing
for such a long time, people have started trusting Colgate which helps them gain
the customer’s trust. Now, after the STP, let’s see some of the Marketing
strategies that Colgate used to promote their product to the targeted customers.

Marketing Campaigns of Colgate

Marketing Strategies are the activities carried out by the company to promote
their product to their targeted audience. They use different and creative methods
to reach out to their target audience so that next time they go to buy a product
they buy the product produced by the company
Let’s see some of the creative marketing strategies that were carried out by
Colgate to promote their products

1. Attractive packaging

When it comes to packaging, Colgate is a mastermind. The packaging is very

youthful, light, and decent, appealing to a wide range of people but still
conveying the correct message. Whether it’s Cavity Prevention toothpaste or
Max Fresh toothpaste, the company’s advertisements and advertising campaigns
accurately reflect what they’re selling, and by focusing on a very specific issue
of oral health, they win the public’s confidence. The Colgate Scholarship Offer
Program was strategically initiated by Colgate. It was designed to create an
emotional connection with Indian families by assisting children in achieving
their goals.
2. “The Smile Show”

Colgate started this campaign with the intention of bringing people’s attention
to the most “visible” feature on their faces – their teeth. The audience is so
focused on the teeth of the people in the images that they fail to notice the
woman in the first picture has six fingers and in the second picture, seems to
have an extra hand. This highlighted the importance of brushing and flossing
and most importantly, made people stop and stare. Hence, giving the consumers
a good amount of time to retain Colgate’s brand image.
“The Smile Show” – YouTube videos to reach targeted millennials.
The logical place to go when aiming to target a consumer base like millennials
is YouTube and Colgate took this opportunity and turned it into gold. Colgate
accumulated more than 24M views with the help of popular YouTubers like
Andrea Brooks and Blair Fowler promoting and featuring on The Smile Show
started by Colgate.

The video series obtained unbelievable brand metrics. It led the company to
following increments
 13% increase in brand awareness,
 10.8% increase in purchase consideration,
 1116% increase in brand interest 
 

3. Colgate’s location-based marketing strategy

Maha Kumbh Mela is a mass gathering of Hindu pilgrims and Colgate’s unique
strategy helped them tap into this consumer genre. To reach its target audience,
the company built a virtual circle around the pilgrimage site and used location-
based targeting. As a result, when pilgrims entered the circle, they got a call and
were greeted by an Indian radio personality named Amin Sayani. Amin
encourages the pilgrims to stop by the Colgate booth for free samples and the
chance to win prizes.The results were a whopping 300% per cent increase in the
foot traffic at Colgate’s booth
 

4. Colgate’s collaboration with celebrities

Colgate has collaborated with many different celebrities like Kareena Kapoor,
Shahrukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit, etc
One of the major examples of their smart collaboration is their collaboration
with Ranveer Singh wherein advertisement that shows how Colgate max fresh
makes you as energetic as Ranveer Singh
 
5. Customers Trust

Colgate has always created strategies that touch the sentiments of the customers 
They have participated in different social activities and has also collaborated
with different NGOs to work on the upbringing of particular people depending
on the project and needs of society

6. Offer And Free Sample

Colgate Use Strategies that Provide Costumer Free Gifts with Attractive
Packaging and Free Package one on offer like buy 2 get one free Which attract
consumer this strategies is also when any new product is launched Free Sample
Of the new Product is Provide with original Product at original Price For
Promotion of New Product this also Promote and Provides as Advertisement to
both Product

Industry and Customer Analysis

Colgate-Palmolive has the world largest market share when it comes to oral care
products. The company’s main product is toothpaste, for instance, in 2015 the
company’s oral products contributed 47% of the total revenue (Colgate
Website, 2018)). The oral care market has an intense competition with large and
medium-size firms accounting for the market share. The company’s main
competitors are Procter & Gamble Co and GlaxoSmithKline Pc. The Colgate
toothpaste is leading in the market due to its high quality. In this industry, the
companies compete regarding quality, pricing, and innovation. Thus, the
company uses new products as a strategy to maintain demand in the market. The
Colgate products have a competitive advantage over its peer’s products due to
their products attributes. The quality of the Colgate products which confirmed
through performance, safety, value, and consistency of the products have
contributed to the products competitive advantage.
Comparative Advantages and International Trade Opportunities:
The Colgate-Palmolive Inc. is an American multinational manufacturing
corporation headquartered in Park Avenue, New York. But the Company has
plant overseas (South Africa) that handles most of the production. This helps
the company to produce the Colgate toothpaste cheaper and faster than if they
were manufactured in the United States. Therefore, the lower cost of production
and faster production gives the Colgate Company advantage over its
competitors.

Factors Affecting Demand, Supply and Prices for the Colgate Toothpaste
Availability of the alternative or Substitute products in the market:
the existence of the alternative products in the market creates competition for
one another. The Colgate toothpaste has competition from Crest, Sensodyne,
Arm & Hammer, and Close-Up toothpaste. Thus, substitute goods are two
alternative goods used for the same purpose. The existence of substitute goods
affects demand and supply of Colgate toothpaste since it presents consumers
with alternative goods (Rios et al, 2013). Thus, an increase in the price of
Colgate toothpaste will lead to a rise in demand for the other toothpaste.
 Conclusion
Despite intense competition in the market, Colgate has emerged as a leading
competitor. In spite of fall in the market price, loss in basis points, loss in
market share, tough competition Colgate has regained its market leadership by
introducing Vedshakti in the market. Brand awareness and acceptance are key
advantage on which Colgate leveraged and gained market share in herbal
product too.