Colgate hopes new starlet will help toothpaste sales sparkle

Lalitha Srinivasan in Mumbai

Call it cost-effective integrated marketing communication strategy. To announce the relaunch of its popular brand—Colgate Fresh Energy Gel— the dental care major Colgate-Palmolive (India) Ltd is planning to launch an aggressive multi-media advertising campaign on November 20 this year.

Created by Rediffusion DY&R, the ad campaign will include print, television and outdoor media campaigns. In a strategic move, the company has opted for the celebrity endorsement route by appointing the new Bollywood star—Raima Sen—as its brand ambassador to promote Colgate Fresh Energy Gel across all media.

As part of its integrated communication strategy, the company has already kicked off its Internet marketing initiative by sponsoring contests2win.com’s Internet soap opera titled — Ghar Ek Mandir—Mera Baap Bhagwan- at the c2w Website.

For effective Web advertising, the company also plans to intersperse banner ads to promote Colgate Fresh Energy Gel—on the Net. Says a spokesperson from Colgate: “To reinforce the trend-setting packaging designs, we will be using unique point of sale material like image window kits with see-thru dummies, danglers, posters, shelf-displays and dispensers.”

As for the rationale behind the relaunch of Colgate Fresh Energy Gel, the Colgate spokesperson says that the company opted for the relaunch route after learning consumer insights across the nation.
Explains the Colgate spokesperson: “Colgate Fresh Energy Red Gel has been re-energised to offer superior freshness and is designed to appeal to the youth segment. The relaunched product now comes in transparent tubes and this marks yet another first from Colgate. The see-thru pack improves the visual imagery and appeal while reflecting the brand’s core promise.”

The product comes in two variants — sparkling red and ice blue. As for the company’s Internet marketing initiative, the Colgate spokesperson comments that the interactive element will connect well with Colgate Fresh Energy Gels’ core benefit line of “Talk to Me”.
“Talk to me” is the latest buzzword in Colgate-Palmolive’s corridors. Every floor of Colgate’s head office located at Hiranandani, Powai (Mumbai), is pasted with whacky ‘Talk to me’ blurbs capturing interesting conversations between two Palmolivers.

‘Talk to me’ is also the latest baseline in Colgate Fresh Energy Gel’s campaign created by Rediffusion DY&R in India.

Incidentally, this is the first time the oral care major has aligned its marketing activities with HR, by involving its own people in activities that promote the brand and create a binding of sorts among employees.