Promising 100 % for almost 80 years

Market Domination by Dettol by virtue of Quality

A promise when made by someone, usually are meant to be broken. I know personally, that in past, I have broken many promises and kept a few. It usually requires strength to carry out a promise. But when the promise is made by a brand, the entire reputation of it depends on how it is being carried out. Carrying a promise for 80 years is no mean feat and Dettol as a brand did just that. Over the years the brand has evolved itself so that the name itself became synonymous to protection and care. In the year 1933 when Reckitt Benckiser Plc, first introduced the brand in India, it comprised of only one product category in the form of antiseptic liquid for treating wounds and cuts. It became popular not because of any focused branding strategy, but rather its success story can be considered as a result of its performance.

 

The large scale acceptance of the product is mainly due to two factors. Firstly, results it delivered. The antiseptic liquid had its drawback as far consumer oriented product design is concerned. When applied on wounds, raw Dettol creates tremendous burning sensation along with a unique smell. But the product worked so well that, even now we associate that sensation and the smell with proper treatment intervention. The very smell of the liquid itself creates an impression that the wound will be healed soon. This is the impact, which the product has left on the minds of the Indian consumers. An able competitor in the form of Savlon, tried to position itself as an antiseptic liquid which will create the same impact without the burning sensation which Dettol leaves. But this promotional design and product intervention could have been a winning formula, but Savlon, targeted the wrong market. Well, it should be remembered, that the main buyers of the products were not kids or teenagers, but their parents specially the mothers of the house. So, according to their psychology, the burning sensation of Dettol is actually creating a healing affect which Savlon was lacking. For that reason, Indian mothers and wives perceived Dettol to be more effective brand, when compared to the early competitor in the form of Savlon.

 

This realization on the part of Dettol provided them with the opportunity to take their branding and product positioning to the next level. Now, it is the time to talk about the second factor which contributed to the success of the brand in India. It is the design of the brand itself. The green color of the brand, closely relates itself with the colors of the hospitals and clinics and that created a significant impact on the minds of the consumers. Having realizing their acceptance in the Indian households, the company started promoting itself as a product for responsible mothers and wives, who like Dettol, considers health protection of the family to be the topmost priority. The social structure was slowly shifting and the gradual emergence of the nuclear families made the Indian mothers, the only responsible members of the families. They are the ones, who will certainly not leave any chance as far as their family’s health issues are concerned. Thus, 100% protection was the only alternative option. “Be 100% Sure”, is the tagline for the brand, as they promise nothing less than that.

The widespread recognition and acceptance of the brand encouraged the company to introduce new products. This includes, bathing soaps, shaving cream, body wash and most importantly liquid hand wash. The television commercials promoting the liquid hand-wash displayed that a dependable mother makes her son use Dettol liquid hand-wash and as a result of that her son attended 100% attendance in school, as he never fell sick throughout the course. The emphasis again was on the promise of 100%.

 

But this segment (liquid hand-wash) invited some competition for the product. Lifebuoy became a developed player in this segment as its market share started to develop from the year 2006. The brand evolved itself quickly and was in fact the first mover to introduce various categories and variation of the product. This certainly captured the imagination of the public to some extent, as for over 70 years they were a little tired after getting the same smell of Dettol liquid in each and every product which the brand introduced. This made Detoll to adapt a catching-up game. They introduced certain variations with new packaging, in their bar soaps as well as their liquid soaps. But these variations are much less promoted and displayed when compared to Lifebuoy. What Dettoll showed the others that Green was the color, with which the consumers often associate well-being and healthy life. This also prompted Lifebuoy to introduce a category “Nature” where the packaging and the product itself is green. This is certainly a variation when compared to the typical orange colored products of Dettol.

 

There is another product in relatively similar category which captured the concept of Green Branding quite effectively. This brand is Suthol, which is again an antiseptic liquid, which is not only green in color, but at the same time much more soothing and sensitive to the skin and also made for different purpose altogether, in the form of skin care and protection from skin irritations.

 

 

But despite of the fact, how greener the other brands become, Dettol has made it sure that, it is the promise of 100% protection and not the color of the product which have kept them healthy and active even at the age of seventy nine. 

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