JANUARY 25: Tapping the nascent children's toothpaste market, Oral-B willsoon introduce a toothpaste for children. The Rs 35 toothpaste is beingmanufactured in India and will be available in a tube-top packaging of 100gms. The toothpaste, claims the company, has a low mint content -- a featurewhich is highlighted as its USP on the packaging as `Mild Mint'. Part ofits international product portfolio, the toothpaste has a colourful imagewith Disney characters all over it -- the company has a tie-up with Disney tomerchandise characters.According to Amal Pramanik, regional business head, Oral-B, the segment hasa tremendous potential as it addresses two major issues in the children'stoothpaste category. One, since brushing is an activity children hate,Disney characters provide some motivation for kids to start brushing theirteeth. Two, the mint content is low and creates less lather as compared tothe adult toothpastes -- a fact that the company feels will make the productmore convenient and healthy to use.
In a related move, the company has also introduced Oral-B Sensitive, aspecialised toothpaste. The toothpaste is being imported from TheNetherlands, and is priced at Rs 59 for a 100 gm tube top. ``The size andthe value of the segment -- just one per cent of the Rs 1,700-crore oralcaremarket -- does not justify its manufacture here,'' says Pramanik.
Copyright © 2000 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.