As awareness of oral health grows in rural India, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) recognised that gaining early access to this nascent market with a new toothbrush for sensitive teeth could potentially deliver significant market share growth. But with low household incomes, price is a major barrier.
To persuade target consumers to buy into the Sensodyne brand, the challenge was to create a toothbrush that would retail at an affordable price of no more than 30 rupees (about 30 pence). The strategic approach to the project was defined by finding a low-cost way of designing and manufacturing a toothbrush, without compromising on quality.
In creating the Sensodyne Daily Care toothbrush, the holistic design approach identified as many efficiencies as possible in the process, enabling crucial cost savings to be passed onto the consumer and ensuring the toothbrush is cost effective enough to persuade thousands of small, rural store owners to stock it.
Despite being made using 45% less material, it’s still premium looking, feels like a toothbrush should, and cleans teeth effectively. Weighing nearly half the standard weight, it is more efficient to produce and transport, and its manufacturing cycle is 37% faster than a typical toothbrush. Merchandised using a simple point-of-sale hanger, the toothbrush stands out in store with its premium cues and bright colours.
The new toothbrush has enabled Sensodyne to increase its share of the toothbrush market in India and has established the brand with a new segment of consumers. Its driving wider distribution, with Sensodyne’s toothbrush retail outlets growing 17%.
The number of Sensodyne Daily Care toothbrushes sold in the first six months alone exceeded delivery forecasts four times over, with the toothbrush encouraging millions of people to change their oral hygiene routine.
