What can Colgate teach us?

In the 1970s, there were only two types of Colgate toothpaste...

Guess how many different types of toothpaste Colgate has for you to choose from today.

Thirty-two!*? That equates to a different toothpaste for each individual tooth in an adult’s humans mouth.

Thirty-two types of Colgate toothpaste (and we are excluding the four varieties they make for kids.

And that's JUST the Colgate toothpaste options.? Add in the best-known competitor brands and we are quickly approaching the hundreds - add in the own brand labels and who knows how many different products fit under the classification of toothpaste.? It’s a competitive market.

But it’s also safe to say that it’s a very large market too. We all have teeth and have been educated about how important it is to keep them in good order.

Fear of the dentist is a strong motivational factor for many of us to look after our pearly whites, but it is fair to ask: How many options of toothpaste do we need?

It’s also worth asking:

1. Why do toothpaste manufacturers keep launching new options?

2. How can new players enter the market successfully?

Although some consumers remain religiously loyal to a particular toothpaste brand - most people are happy to try alternatives if they can’t get their preferred option.

Perhaps they forgot toothpaste whilst on a trip or their usual option was not available in the local shops. Maybe they choose a different variant from their trusted brand manufacturer because they’ve seen an advert promoting a new claim - or maybe they try an alternative make just out of curiosity, or they buy a completely different alternative on a whim.

Sensitive, whitening, fresh breath, enamel strengthening, plaque resistant, tartar resistant - the options and the reasons to check out another toothpaste are endless. They may only try the alternative for one tube, and then revert to their norm, but they will try a new option if only to check that their usual toothpaste is still the right choice for them.

The appliance of science

The messaging around tooth care (and toothpaste in particular) has been rooted in scientific advancement for so long that the industry has created an expectation in the public’s mind. (And possibly a rod for its own back).

Consumers know that scientific knowledge is continually advancing - so they expect to see new developments and ‘new & improved’ types of toothpaste to be released. The promise of the ‘new and improved’ keeps the toothpaste market constantly in flux. (I’d add a small caveat here that some research suggests that the general public have become increasingly sceptical of the claims of continual improvement).

In such a huge market, acquiring just a small slice of the pie can still be very lucrative. Be it the supermarket’s own brands, new formulas, eco-friendly packaging, whitening, enamel restoring, gum health, added fluoride, fresh breath, extra minty, or whatever hook an individual paste claims- every new variant has the potential to grab a small piece of the whole-market pie.

But what can we learn from Colgate that could be applied to other industries?

One simple answer is that if we stand still we are likely to see our market share shrink. New players, customer curiosity, financial pressures … there are lots of reasons why a once loyal customer might be tempted to try something or someone new.

Testing new messaging and new approaches can open new doors and receptivity.

In some markets just trying something new will make people take notice. And as the AIDA* marketing model states - Awareness and Interest are the first two steps to a purchase decision. (AIDA = Awareness, Interest, Desire, Action)

I’d be the first to say that these lessons do not apply to all businesses. I’d be the first to say that in most business sectors approaching your audience with 32 different options is unhelpful and likely to lead to confusion.

But for many (especially service industry businesses), an individually tailored offering, personalisation of marketing material, choice and adaptability of product are becoming increasingly persuasive factors in people’s buying criteria.

Perhaps you’d prefer we were back in the 70s with just two Colgate kinds of toothpaste on offer, they were certainly simpler times. But the world has moved on; consumers have become more savy, more sophisicated, and more cynical.

If you want to have a big grin on your face in business, it’s crucial to look at what you do from the prospect’s perspective, and it is imperative to look at how your offer sits within the wider market options. I’d argue that most businesses should do some marketplace research and comparative placement assessment every few years. The world moves forward at an increasingly fast pace - it’s easy to get left behind.

*32 - At the time of researching this piece.