ail.comIntroduction * In year 200 the toothpaste market stood as huge as Rs. 2,200-crore by value * Colgate revitalized Cibaca which was acquired by Colgate in 1994 from Ciba Geigy as Colgate Cibaca in 2000 to act as a price flanker for the company * In no time Colgate Cibaca became the 4th largest selling brand in paste category by gaining whopping 50% market share * To add to the positives of Colgate Cibaca it became a brand to reckon with despite the absence of an intensive communication strategy and support. This shows the inherent strength in the offerings that Colgate Cibaca promises to offer to its consumers * The brand Colgate Cibaca was blessed to have been provided with an excellent platform comprising sales and distribution channels courtesy the company’s flagship brand Colgate Dental Cream * The falloutof the above strategy lies in the fact that Colgate Cibaca relied heavily on trade level activities and below the line strategies for its success

The Task
Our task is to provide a comprehensive communication strategy to take forward brand Colgate Cibaca without cannibalising mother brand Colgate. The strategy will cover the following * Target Audience * Consumer understanding * Positioning * Communication and creative strategy * Media strategy

Target Audience We have decided to define our target audience using three tools or methods.
Geographic
Given the value bundle that Colgate Cibaca promises to offer, the maximum amount of concentration of its potential takers are most likely to be found in tier 2 and tier 3 cities along with towns and other rural areas of India.
Demographic
* Age:- All specially because the target audience it caters to is most likely to purchase single brand of toothpaste for the entire family * Gender: All * Family size: All * Income: Predominantly to low income group and also to a few sections of middle class

Socio Economic Classification
The brand Colgate Cibaca would appeal the most to the citizens who belong to the SEC B and SEC C category.

Current Scenario and prospects * In 2005, India’s per capita toothpaste consumption stood at 74g, amongst the lowest in the world * People didn’t have access to modern dental care * The generic competition in the forms of Neem sticks and charcoal ash still looms large on the growth of toothpaste brands specially in lower income groups in rural India * As per estimates, 12.2% of the total world population lives in rural India * Only a small portion of region has been tapped * Although, expansion in rural areas requires huge investments, it is a market that cannot be overlooked and has a huge potential

Recommended Strategy * Target untapped rural India: * Take up the initiative of converting non-dentifrice product users to Colgate Cibaca users and in the process inculcate better oral hygiene habits amongst the rural masses * Position the toothpaste as value for money since it is the best way to lure cash strapped potential customers which is the lower income group * Colgate should try to build preference for Colgate Cibaca by * Leveraging on Colgate equity * Matching prices of competitors aggressively to counter low price point threat

Consumer Understanding * The Consumers perceive it as a paste which protects teeth from getting decayed &it’s refreshing minty flavor makes them breathe super fresh * It promises value for money * Consumer feels that this product is catering to the needs of the entire family * Even when harping about its attributes, the advertisement brings the notion of the family (“Strong teeth, fresh breath for your family”) * A strong sense of emotional positioning is apparent

Recommended Strategy

* All the communication strategies of Colgate Cibaca should harp on the theme of value propositions showcasing the brand as a complete value for money package * Colgate Cibaca should set its sight in making inroads into the bastions of its generic competitors lying in the rural India * Empowered with strong brand equity and distribution network, it should take help of influencers & local doctors to make people understand the disadvantages of using products like coal ash etc. including its health hazards * It should spread the awareness regarding maintenance of dental hygiene

Positioning

* Colgate Cibaca has worked its way into positioning itself as a tooth paste synonymous to the words ‘strong teeth’ and ‘fresh breath’ * Colgate Cibaca apart from offering tangible benefits also tries to establish an emotional connect with its potential customers by claiming to be a family product reflecting the same through its tagline “Strong teeth, fresh breath for your family”

Recommended Strategy

* Colgate Cibaca should look to strengthen its image as a brand which offers supreme value for money. * Family product It should look to come across as a brand which belongs to the family as a whole as in the rural areas the households do not buy different products in the same product category for individual family members * Dental care As it promises to make teeth strong it should look to inculcate habits of taking good dental care in the customers especially in rural India

Communication and Creative Strategy

Communication & Creative Strategy
Communication strategy- Present Scenario:-

 Pitched against low priced products using Colgate lineage and the resultant global quality assurance at the same price point.

 propagated the “Family protection” concept through the tagline “Strong teeth, fresh breath for your family”.

Recommended Strategy:-

 Colgate Cibaca relied mostly on trade level activities & below the line strategies. So, in our opinion it should go ahead with the same strategy for deeper penetration without involving expensive communication medium.

 In rural areas, most of the people are still illiterate. So, it would be beneficial if the company catch hold of local grocery shops, influencers to sell the product.

 while conveying the message, emphasis should be laid on:

o Family protection.

o Importance of teeth.

o Belongingness.

o Concern for the entire family’s needs.

o Ill effects of using non-denitrified products.

Creative Strategy- Present Scenario:-

 Colgate Cibaca is currently utilising its trading channel partners to speak about the product and strengthen the presence of product in the market.

 Medical camps are being organised for dental check ups and encourage people to shift to health ways of living.

 People are being taught the importance of dental hygiene and maintaining a healthy mind & body.

Recommended Strategy:-

 Print ads and banners, the theme of the shows, can be addressing the following aspects: -

* Comparison theme - Family based campaign depicting two situations where one family member is suffering from tooth decay etc. after consuming non-denitrified products and another one using Colgate Cibaca and is free from all tooth related diseases.

* Critical disease theme – Drawing attention towards critical problems like bleeding of gums, cavity problems and also it becomes a costly affair to go to city for treatment. So, we can give them a preventive mechanism in the form of Colgate Cibaca.

* Time factor theme - The time factor is based out of the difference of velocity of effectiveness i.e. consumption of non-denitrified products takes lot of time and these days, even villagers have so much to do, resulting time factor to be an important factor.

Price factor theme – We can exhibit the opportunity cost of going to cities for treatment of tooth diseases, Colgate Cibaca takes very less time and that too at an affordable price.

* Hygiene theme –We can highlight the importance of sanitation & personal hygiene and its connection to living a hastle-free & healthy life.