MARKETING MANAGEMENT

CIA-III

ON

‘ORAL-B’

PREPARED BY,

YUGANK MODGILL 08D1026

SHASHANK BARANWAL 08D1061

OVERVIEW
Oral-B is a brand name of toothbrush and other dental care products (such
as dental floss) manufactured by Procter & Gamble who acquired Gillette in
2005. In 2006 it came into P&G's fold with its acquisition of Gillette
worldwide. The brand also includes power toothbrushes and interdental
products (such as irrigators and oral care centers). The company is based in
Belmont, California. Oral-B Laboratories operates as a subsidiary of Gillette
Co.

Gillette claims that Oral-B toothbrushes are "used by more dentists and
consumers than any other brand in the U.S. and in many international
markets.

FOUNDER

Pre-1980's 1921 - Max Braun started an appliance workshop in Frankfurt,

Germany. In 1950 The first Oral-B toothbrush was designed and patented in
California by Dr. Robert Hutson, a California periodontist. The first product
was called "Oral-B 60," as it had 60 bristles. Dr. Hutson started a family-
owned company based on the brush.

HISTORY AND ORIGIN OF THE BRAND NAME

It all started with a dentist, back in 1950, who created the first Oral-B
toothbrush and its soft, end-rounded nylon bristles. Dr. Robert Hutson, a
California periodontist, designed and patented the first Oral-B toothbrush. He
also created the Oral-B brand name. "The first product was known as the
Oral-B 60," said Dr. Hutson, "because it had 60 tufts."
Dr. Hutson started small, with a family business. He would wrap the orders in
the basement, then load them in the back seat of the car and take them
down to the post office to be mailed.
The role of the dentist was critical from the very beginning. Dr. Hutson said,
"I knew I had a good thing but the acceptance by the dentist was something I
never expected—having a product that was accepted by the dentist and the
dentist in turn told the people about it.

YEARWISE

Pre-1980s

 1950 - The first Oral-B toothbrush was designed and patented

in California by Dr. Robert Hutson, a California periodontist. The first
product was called "Oral-B 60," as it had 60 tufts. Dr. Hutson started a
family-owned company based on the brush.
 1969 - An Oral-B toothbrush is the first to go to the moon. It rode on
the Apollo 11 mission.
 1978 - The electric toothbrush called the "D1" was mass produced,
simulating the manual side-to-side movements of a manual brush. It was
sold predominantly in Europe.

1980s

 1981 - The "Oral-B Right Angle" was introduced.

 1984 - Oral-B was acquired by Gillette. Braun introduced the first power
toothbrush that combined vertical and horizontal movements. The Star
Wars toothbrush is released for children.
 1986 - Muppets toothbrushes and toothpaste for children were launched.
 1987 - The Oral-B Ultra Plus is released, the first Oral-B product design
with Braun collaboration.

1990s

 1991 - The D5 was released and clinically proven to clean better than a
manual toothbrush. The Oral-B Indicator was released with fading bristles.
The Chilean business Duralon was acquired.
 1992 - The Oral-B Plaque Control Center, OC5, was released with a power
toothbrush and oral irrigator.
 1993 - The Oral-B Advantage toothbrush was released featuring
multilevel trim patterns.
 1994 - The D7 (with indicator bristles and nonslip gripping) and the Oral-B
Compact Interdental brush were launched.
 1995 - The Squish Grip and Gripper brushes were released. Oral-B
UltraFloss dental floss is launched. The Pro business in Latin America was
acquired.
 1996 - The Advantage Control Grip toothbrush was released featuring
micro-textured bristles and an ergonomic dual material handle. The D9
(Oral-B Plaque Remover) and the Oral-B Interclean Interdental Plaque
Remover were launched.
 1997 - Oral-B partners with Nickelodeon. Oral-B acquired the
Prudent business in India.
 1998 - The Oral-B 3D Plaque Remover, Oral-B CrossAction toothbrush and
SATINfloss were released.

2000s

 2000 - The Oral-B 3D Excel, Oral-B Kids' Power toothbrush, and the Oral-B
Battery Toothbrush were launched.
 2001 - Oral-B entered into an exclusive license agreement with Disney to
release products including manual, battery, and rechargeable power
toothbrushes, showcasing Mickey Mouse, Winnie the Pooh, Buzz Lightyear,
and the Disney Princesses.
 2002 - The Oral-B Stages line is introduced, marking the first time
children's toothbrushes are designed for the four different stages of a
child's dental development.

 2003 - The Oral-B CrossAction Power toothbrush is launched. The Oral-B

CrossAction Vitalizer manual toothbrush and Stages Kids' Flossers are also
introduced.

 2004 - Oral-B introduces its first sonic toothbrush, the Oral-B Sonic
Complete.

Other products introduced in 2004 are the CrossAction Power Max and
ProfessionalCare 8000 series of electric toothbrushes, the Advantage Artica
manual toothbrush, Stages power toothbrushes and Stages tooth & gum
cleanser.

Oral-B acquires the Zooth brand of children's power toothbrushes which

feature sculpted characters like Barbie, Hello Kitty, My Little Pony, Finding
Nemo, and Hot Wheels.

 2005 - The Gillette Company is acquired by Procter & Gamble, uniting

Oral-B and Crest beneath the umbrella of P&G Oral Care. P&G Oral Care
 becomes the only company to have offerings across all key segments of
the category - providing consumers with a broad range of products for
their full oral health regimen, including toothpaste,
toothbrushes, mouthwash, dental floss, whitening and dentures.

An independent review by the prestigious Cochrane Collaboration, a British-

based non-profit health research group, found oscillating-rotating technology,
pioneered by Oral-B, to be consistently better at removing plaque and
reducing gingivitis than manual tooth brushing.

Oral-B Triumph ProfessionalCare 9000 is introduced, featuring "smart

technology".

Oral-B Pulsar is introduced featuring the first manual toothbrush with a pulse.

 2006 - Oral-B Vitality is launched, marking the first time rechargeable

power toothbrushes are available at an affordable price of less than $20,
including Sonic technology.

Oral-B Sensitive Advantage is introduced - an extra soft brush for sensitive

gums.

 2007 - Oral-B introduces Pulsar Pro-Health, combining the bristle and

brush head innovation from Oral-B Pulsar with new gentle ProSoft bristles.

Oral-B Triumph with SmartGuide is launched. It is the first rechargeable

power toothbrush to combine cleaning and gum care with a wireless remote
display to provide while-you-brush feedback for optimal brushing habits.

BRAND DETAILS

Brand Analysis Count: 280

TAGLINE
The brand uses the tagline " The brand more dentists use themselves
worldwide" worldwide. They use the same tagline in India too.

LOGO

COMPETITORS AND MARKET SHARE

RIVALS

 Colgate-Palmolive
 Johnson & Johnson's Reach
 Sunstar's Butler and G.U.M.
 Rembrandt

Big 3 players in oral care 2007 sales

Colgate $2.5B
Crest $1.1B
Gillette oral care $860.7M
Oral-B $787.0M
Rembrandt $73.7M

Oral-B has a 34 percent market share, according to Gillette. Last year, the
whitening segment grew 25 percent to $328 million, with the Crest (oral b)
brand accounting for the bulk of those dollars with sales of more than $200
million. Colgate followed with $81.5 million and Rembrandt came in a distant
third with sales of $22 million, according to Information Resources Inc. data
for the 52 weeks ended Dec. 28. Crest's traditional toothpaste is the No. 1
U.S. brand, with a 13.6 percent share in 2006, according to Euromonitor
data. Crest Pro-Health captured 1.8 percent share in 2006 after its August
debut.

But Colgate is still the leading toothpaste company, with 36 percent of the
U.S. market in 2006, slightly ahead of Crest's 35.7 percent, based on
Euromonitor data.

In India, it is the second largest player behind Colgate. India is considered to

be the second largest market for toothbrushes and the market is estimated
to be around Rs 600-700 crore.

The electric toothbrush category accounts for about 40% of the toothbrush
market in terms of dollar value. Oral-B has an estimated 70% share of the
electric toothbrush market. Oral-B rising from less than 10% market share to
24% share in 18 months in 2008. The brand rapidly achieved market
leadership. U.S. consumers spend nearly $4 billion annually on products to
keep their pearly whites as bright as Julia Roberts's. According to Mintel, a
market research firm, power toothbrushes accounted for $350 million in
2006. Procter & Gamble's Oral-B brand is the category leader with more than
40%.
 PRODUCT LINE & PRODUCT MIX DETAILS

The Oral-B product line contains the following

POWER MANUAL FLOSS AND THOOTHPA ON-THE-GO

PRODUCTS TOOTHBRUS INTERDENTAL STE, ORAL CARE
HES S MOUTHRIN
SE,
CLEANSER

 Triumph with  Sensitive  Hummingbi  Kids'  Brush-Ups

SmartGuide Advantage rd (phased Fluoride (phased
 Triumph  Pulsar * out in Toothpas out in
 ProfessionalCar  CrossActio 2006) te 2006)
e: 5000, 7000 n:  Satin Floss  Mouth
Rinse  Hummingbi
& 8000 Series; Toothbrus  Ultra Floss
rd (phased
7900 OxyJet h, Vitalizer  Essential
 Amosan out in
Center  Advantage Floss
Oral 2006)
 Sonic : Artica,  Super Floss
Wound
Complete Plus,  Interdental
Cleanser
 Vitality Control Brush
 AdvancePower: Grip System
400 & 900  Indicator  Denture
Series, Kids  Stages Brush
 CrossAction  Ends-Tufted
Power & Power  Specialty
Brush
Max Toothbrus
 Sulcus
hes
 Hummingbird Brush
(phased out in  Orthodonti
2006) c Brush
 Pulsonic
 Gum
 Power Stimulator
Brushheads
* Pulsar is a battery powered toothbrush which contains one vibrational
motor that creates a pulsing effect in the bristles for added plaque removal.
Once the battery is completely discharged (approximately 3 months of
normal use), the user should replace the brush, in line with dental
professional recommendations.

MARKETING MIX

Product Strategy:

Oral-B has produced hundreds of innovative products over the past fifty
years. Oral-B
adds imaginative and therapeutic products for use in the professional
practice and at home.
Along with Oral-B products the buyer gets not only excellent value, but also
quality, innovation,
efficiency, and outstanding customer service. Their product offerings have
established them as
the market leader since the 1960's!

To the industrial dental market Oral-B offers 21 products in their current

catalog.
There is an outstanding product depth in their lines as well as many
innovative products. The
company offers many children's lines of toothbrushes, as well as oral care
products tailored to
the individual's needs. Consultative selling of their products is a valuable
practice with Oral-B.
Orders of products, sizes, variations, dentist's name and address on the
products, whatever the dentist requests. Oral-B strives to meet the individual
and unique needs of all their customers.
Oral-B's product catalog is unique. Oral-B offer dentists a wide array of
product
 purchasing tactics. Dentists can order in any quantity they wish, realizing
cost savings in larger
orders. If a dentist is unsure of a newer or untried Oral-B product, the
company has no problem sending the dentist samples to try out at no
charge. This type of strategy strengthens the buyer- supplier relationship for
future dealings.

Oral-B also includes demonstrations of its products to dentists upon request,

before the
purchase process takes place. Oral-B will send a sales rep to a dentist's
office to perform
demonstrations and answer any questions the dentist may have.

Pricing Strategy:

The product is priced at Rs. 30. Company officials attributed this pricing to
superior design and a technological breakthrough, saying Advantage comes
with four US patents. Indian patents have also been applied for.

``The brand is expensive on the face of it, but consumers expect certain
quality associations with the Oral-B brand,'' Mr. Pramanik said.

In foreign countries the company being a premium brand starts with a range
of Rs. 300 till 1200. The company does not compromise with the quality
standards so it has the products priced so. Intensive RnD is done before the
product is finally launched in the market.

Place:
The company operates under Gillette throughout the world. It is available in
all the retail stores both-organized and unorganized. The distribution network
of oral-b is very robust. They have P&G‟s distribution network in addition to
Gillette India’s existing one. The distribution network follows a hub and spoke
model. The hubs are the 20 cities.

Promotion:

The launch of Advantage will be supported by media advertising, display

drives and a strong distribution network of over 3,20,000 outlets. The ad
campaign for Oral-B Advantage is to break in the media. The company will
has placed advertisements in print which has named the outlets where the
offer is available. The number of outlets will be over 100. A new Oral-B
Advantage is being given free in exchange for any old toothbrush. For every
old toothbrush collected, Oral-B will donate Rs. 3 to Prayaas (Mumbai based
NGO). The programme is to be held for two days in six cities each.

ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE (GILLETTE)

UPS AND POSITIONING

Oral-B is positioned as Dentist's Choice of Toothbrush. The brand uses the

tagline " The brand more dentists use themselves worldwide". In India too,
the brand uses the same tagline. The brand is currently on a hyperactive
mode in India with lot of promotions in the visual media.

Oral-B was positioned as a premium brand. Oral-B is a marketer's icon. A

brand which has brought so much value into a dull product category. Earlier,
the choice available for a consumer was whether the bristles are soft
medium or hard. Now the choice is numerous. The introduction of power
brushes (battery powered) created a new premium segment of toothbrushes.
The shape and the size of the bristles and toothbrushes also have changed.
From the typical rectangular head to round shaped head. From straight
bristles to Zigzag . Many things are happening to the good old toothbrushes.
The interesting fact is that these innovations have created a change in the
mindset of consumers. Earlier consumers believed that Toothpaste is the
central product in the oral care/hygiene. Toothbrush's role is limited in the
oral care. The innovations from these players have prompted the customers
to think that toothbrush is also an important product that needs some
serious thinking before purchase.

In India, Oral-B's strategy has been in line with the Gillette strategy of
increasing the value of the market by providing value to the consumers. The
company has adopted a two-pronged approach for marketing its two brands:
Prudent and Oral-B. While the former has addressed the volumes market, the
latter has been focussed on value.

DISTRIBUTION CHANNELS

The distribution network of oral b is very robust. They have P&G‟s distribution
network in addition to Gillette India’s existing one. The distribution network is a
combination of own network and that of a franchisee. As of now, Gillette India
has the same distributors in the 20 cities that P&G operates with. The
distribution network follows a hub and spoke model. The hubs are the 20 cities.
It is under these stores that all the products of oral b are sold. Apart from this
the local retail shops and organized retail shops also sell their products. The
spokes are the various Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities and towns around the major hub.
These cities are managed by the exclusive distributors in those cities. Every city
has only one franchisee distributor. These tier 2 and 3 cities (spokes) thus serve
as a feeder market to the hubs. Each franchisee distributor has his own set of
employees working for him. The distributor also manages his own fleet costs to
supply to the retailers. There are no wholesalers. It is in this form.
The sales representatives go with the drivers to the various Retailers under
their geographic span and take orders every week. The credit period offered
is one week. So, for every week the order is taken and supplied, the amounts
due for the previous week would be collected. The two sales managers have
split the city into two parts for their span of control. They are in charge of the
big retailers, super markets etc.

PROMOTION ADS

ORAL-B DENTAL FLOSS

ORAL-B POWER TOOTHBRUSH

ORAL-B in ARGENTINA
ORAL-B FLOSS

INNOVATIONS AND DEVELOPMENTS

The innovations of Oral-B are mind blowing. Some note worthy innovations is
listed below.

1984: Oral-B revolutionized Kid's toothbrush market with its Star Wars range
which had the characters in the toothbrush
1984: The first Power Toothbrush launched under the Braun brand.
1987: Oral-B Ultraplus was launched which had round head
1991: Oral-B Indicator with fading bristles.
2007 saw another mind blowing futuristic innovation from this brand- Oral-B
Triumph with Smart Guide Technology. The toothpaste now comes with a
wireless digital monitor which will guide the consumer to use the toothbrush
in the ideal manner. The wireless digital monitor have a timer which guide
the customer to brush for 2 minutes and also indicates the various motions
and even indicates the replacement of the toothbrush head.

The Oral-b CrossAction toothbrush features innovative technology clinically

proven to provide a greater level of manual plaque removal.

Oral-B’s strategy for growth relies on a combination of new product

development and geographic expansion. The oral care category has
experienced growth due to new product development of both manual and
power assisted toothbrushes. Oral-B holds about 20 percent of the worldwide
market for manual toothbrushes and a nearly 70 percent market share for
power-assisted toothbrushes. Geographic expansion continues with the
establishment of sales organizations in emerging economies, and the
opening of a toothbrush manufacturing plant in Vietnam. These strategies
are supported by strong advertising and promotion campaigns in an effort to
sustain Oral-B’s worldwide growth.

Gillette has launched Oral-B Stages, a line of toothbrushes designed to meet

the needs of children's dental development stages from infancy to preteens.
The toothbrushes spotlight the differences in the development of teeth and
gums, motor skills and coordination, which are grouped into four key stages:
4-24 months (Stage 1); 2-4 years (Stage 2); 5-7 years (Stage 3) and eight
years and up (Stage 4). Each toothbrush addresses what Gillette calls the
3D's of development--dentition, dexterity and development.

If customers visit this link http://www.oralb.com/arabia/en/learningcenter/, they

will arrive to a learning centre which educates the viewers on good oral care. It also
has a glossary of all the technical oral care terms.
CONCLUSION

For more than 50 years, Oral-B has produced the highest quality dental
hygiene products for the families and dental professionals worldwide. Trust
the brand more dentists use themselves worldwide. Oral-B is a special brand.
The brand is the global leader in the toothbrush market. Oral-B is a special
brand since it bought so many innovations in a low involvement product like
Toothbrush. In fact, Oral-B is a brand that made Toothbrush a high
involvement product category.

In a strong and well-established partnership with dental professionals, Oral-B

develops and markets a broad range of superior oral care products
worldwide. Led by toothbrushes, the Oral-B line also includes interdental
products, specialty toothpastes, mouth rinses, and professional dental
products. Sales and profits continue to increase in this segment as a result
of technological developments and product innovations. For example, the
Oral-B CrossAction toothbrush features innovative technology clinically
proven to provide a greater level of manual plaque removal.

Oral-B’s strategy for growth relies on a combination of new product

development and geographic expansion. The oral care category has
experienced growth due to new product development of both manual and
power assisted toothbrushes. Oral-B holds about 20 percent of the
worldwide market for manual toothbrushes and a nearly 70 percent market
share for power-assisted toothbrushes. Geographic expansion continues with
the establishment of sales organizations in emerging economies, and the
opening of a toothbrush manufacturing plant in Vietnam. These strategies
are supported by strong advertising and promotion campaigns in an effort to
sustain Oral-B’s worldwide growth.
BIBLIOGRAPHY

www.wikipedia.com

www.orab.com

http://www.oralbprofessional.com/us/aboutus/about_history.asp

www.oralb.com/arabia/en/aboutus/history.asp