Lifebuoy (soap)

Lifebuoy is a brand of soap marketed by Unilever. Lifebuoy was originally, and for much of its
history, a carbolic soap containing phenol (carbolic acid, a compound extracted from coal tar).
The soaps manufactured today under the Lifebuoy brand do not contain phenol. Currently, there

are many varieti

1902 ad for Lifebuoy Soap

Magazine insert advertising Lifebuoy soap

Lifebuoy Soap Packaging. Photographed at the Museum in den Halven Maen, The Netherlands
Advertising material for Lifebuoy Soap listing the product’s many uses. Includes the tag line "Makes Health
Infectious." The list includes the use of the product in the bath, with an endorsement by an "eminent M.D.",
around the house as a general purpose cleaner, and in the kitchen as a drain cleaner.

Lifebuoy was introduced by Lever Brothers in 1895 in the United Kingdom. Originally a carbolic
soap containing phenol, different varieties were later introduced without the medicinal carbolic
smell, such as the coral-coloured Lifebuoy during the late 1950s and Lifebuoy Minty Refresher in
1966.[2] Lifebuoy was one of the most popular soaps in the United States from approximately
1923 to the mid-‘50s,[3] when perfumed soaps took over the market. It was the best selling
medicated/health soap in North America until roughly 1951. It was well known for its red and
yellow packaging, red color and octagonal shape, as well as its carbolic aroma. Sometime in
1951 or 1952, due to declining sales, Lever Bros. experimented with adding perfumes to the
soap, and made the changes permanent in 1954. Earlier experiments in 1936, 1938, 1939 and
1940 also added an artificial scent to the soap, but generally lasted only one batch. Sales,
however, continued to decline until 2006, when Lifebuoy was officially completely pulled from the
American market. Lifebuoy's popularity reached its peak between 1932 and 1948. After World
War Two, when more materials were available and rationing was over, other soaps began to
take hold of the market. Its popularity waned steadily through the 1950s. In the mid/late 1960s it
saw a popularity surge which would last through 1973. This was, in part, caused by the
introduction and success of Lifebuoy White in the American market. After this decline, the
Lifebuoy brand was seen less and less in the American market. It was pulled from American
shelves starting in 2003 and was completely phased out of the American market by 2006.
Sometime in 2008 or 2009, Unilever released Lifebuoy Classic, a modern soap with retro
packaging and a medicated scent intended to be similar to that of the 1950s product, as a tie-
in novelty product sold through the official A Christmas Story website. [citation needed]
Although Lifebuoy is no longer produced in the US and UK, it is still being mass-produced
by Unilever in Cyprus for the UK, EU (on hold and under investigation) and Brazilian markets,
in Trinidad and Tobago for the Caribbean market, and in India for the Asian market. Unilever in
Cyprus and Trinidad and Tobago is manufacturing the Red Lifebuoy Soap with a carbolic
fragrance, but as of 1976 it no longer contains phenol.[citation needed] The Lifebuoy soap manufactured
in India and Indonesia for other markets including South and South East Asia has been updated
to use red and other colours with ‘modern’ aromas.[4]
es of Lifebuoy.
Marketing Mix of Lifebuoy
Marketing Mix of Lifebuoy analyses the 4Ps  (Product, Price, Place & Promotion) of
marketing strategy. This is a renowned and also widely used framework to explain
the marketing strategy of a company.
Lifebuoy Marketing Mix will discuss the product line of the Lifebuoy, Lifebuoy
advertisement, distribution channel of Lifebuoy soap, and pricing of Lifebuoy. Let’s
start discussing the 4Ps marketing mix of Lifebuoy.
 
Starting with carbolic soap, now it has become a brand. Lifebuoy’s unique shaped
and red coloured soap is a memorable item of this company.  Now it has a wide
range of products with better effectiveness .fragrant and feel. Lifebuoy’s product line
includes-
 Lifebuoy Bars
 Lifebuoy Handwash ( available in refills and hand pumps)
 Lifebuoy Body wash
 Lifebuoy Sanitizer (Now in top-selling item)
These are the major product portfolios of Lifebuoy. Now, we have understood the
product strategy of the company. So let’s turn our focus on the pricing strategy of
Lifebuoy. 

2. Lifebuoy Pricing Strategy

Lifebuoy has a brand value and also reliable soap in India. It gained familiar status
due to its amazing pricing strategy. Lifebuoy keeps its product’s price relatively lower
than competitors.
Its reasonable and inexpensive marketing pricing policy has helped to survive in both
urban and rural markets. This led to huge sales and greater profit margins. Lifebuoy
is a global brand that is one of the most popular and widely used soap brands in
locations like India. 
Because of its penetration policies, it has successfully infiltrated both the urban and
rural markets. It also confronts competition from several brands, which it has
addressed by instituting a competitive pricing policy. Lifebuoy’s product pricing is
slightly lower than those of its competitors.
With this, the pricing strategy of Lifebuoy comes to an end. Lowering its price and
distributing its products all over the world, is one of the fundamental essences of any
business. So, now let’s look into the place and distribution strategy of Lifebuoy. 
3. Lifebuoy Place & Distribution  Strategy
Lifebuoy was first launched in England. Then became a popular brand in the United
Kingdom and United States market. In 2003, it completely pulled out of the US
market.
Now it produces products in India and Indonesia for Asian markets, Tobago and
Trinidad for Caribbean markets, Cyprus for Brazil, EU, and UK markets. In India, it
has sales offices in Chennai, Mumbai, and Kolkata and also a  huge market in India
now.  Lifebuoy offers a robust and extensive distribution network that comprises
retailers, wholesalers, distributors, warehouses, and transportation services to reach
clients through discount stores, convenience stores, corner shops, and
supermarkets.
Lifebuoy used Unilever’s network wisely to reach every corner of India. It also has a
strong network that includes retailers, wholesalers, warehouses, and transport
services which also helps to reach customers’ doors.
It has collaborated with 6000 suppliers and 4000 stockists to cover over 80,000
villages. Due to its powerful network, it has been able to enter even rural places. 
Thus, the company leverages the possible ways of producing, distributing, and
promoting its products to its target market that helps the brand to reach its peak in
the market. 
Now let’s tear it down and understand the promotional strategy of Lifebuoy in the
coming section to know more about its special set of plans in terms of advertising
4. Lifebuoy Promotional Strategy
Lifebuoy has worldwide recognition as a germ protection soap which reflects it as a
safe and secure company. It has adopted intensive marketing plans also .it has
launched promotional ads on magazines, billboards, newspapers, television, and
also in online media like youtube and Facebook.
It has some well-known campaigns also .like-
 Swasthya Chetna  – Through this campaign, it distributed Lifebuoy soaps in
rural areas. Global Hand Wash Day on October 15- For motivating the
practice of handwashing in rural areas.
 Distributed soaps in Gurudwara – engaged 36000 people.
 Campaign in Maha Kumbh Mela
 Programs like Krishi Darshan, Aap ka Swasthya
 “Did You Wash Your Hands with Lifebuoy ?” – Campaign
Some notable Advertisements of Lifebuoy
 Bunty Tera Sabun Slow Hai Kya?
  Help a Child Reach 5
 Lifebuoy Banaye Healthy Hindustan
The advertisements contain some emotional keywords. We love our family and
friends so that they attach family, friends, and country in their ads to attract our
subconscious mind. This strategy of the advertisement has been creating too many
new uses.
Conclusion
 
Finally, our marketing mix of Lifebuoy comes to an end with a knowledgeable idea of
Lifebuoy. The brand is good enough with their renowned soap. They are spreading
their business with variants of soaps with colour, smell, and usage. As it has a huge
user base all over the world, I hope it will go along with its fame.
Lifebuoy has implemented some comprehensive marketing strategies to promote its
products in international markets. It has run advertisements on TV, radio,
magazines, newspapers, billboards, and the internet. 
Were you able to learn something new? Are you interested in learning more? Similar
case studies can be found in our knowledge base. Furthermore, if you’re interested
in Digital Marketing, Karan Shah, the Founder, and CEO of IIDE, offers a free Digital
Marketing masterclass. Please leave a comment below with your opinions on this
case study. Thank you for taking the time to read this, and if you enjoyed it, please
share it with others.

References[edit]
1. ^ "Lifebuoy".
2. ^ A History of Health Archived 2014-10-06 at the Wayback Machine, lifebuoy.com
3. ^ "Supreme Court, Appellate Division – First Department"  – via Google Books.
4. ^ "Unilever Lifebuoy brand information". Unilever. Retrieved  2013-03-21.
5. ^ Baseball: Phillies near 10,000th loss, New York Times, June 12, 2007
6. ^ Intimidation Sells Bath Soap, Old-Time.com. Retrieved 2017-07-04.
7. ^ Who Invented B.O.? - Center for History and New Media at George Mason University
8. ^ Lifebuoy Health Soap 1948 (audio), another commercial mentioning B.O., Old Time
Radio Fans. Retrieved 2017-07-04.
9. ^ "Unilever becomes Bangladesh Cricket team's sponsor". The Daily Star. September 6,
2018.
10. ^ "Mclaren Racing announces Lifebuoy as side sponsor for the 2020 formula one world
championship". Mclaren. September 9, 2020.

Exter