According to Shailesh Jejurikar, marketing director of Procter & Gamble Hygiene and Health Care Limited, the introduction of this variant of the Pantene brand is expected to expand the Rs 700-crore shampoo market in India considerably. The company's research showed that consumers, especially heavy oil users, faced inconvenience while getting oil and other residue off their hair-they had to go in for three to four repetitive washes. In order to address the unmet need of deep cleansing among consumers who regularly use oil as part of their hair care regimen, P&G has introduced the new product, he said.

The brand will be present in all the 300 towns in India with population above one lakh people, said Jejurikar. Targeted at heavy oil users and those who have a high natural build-up of oil and dirt on the scalp (ie majority of Indians), P&G will use mass marketing strategies to promote the product. It will conduct product demonstrations at high-traffic areas like malls etc. That will be accompanied by attractive in-store displays in large shampoo outlets.

The company plans to spend a majority of its promotional funds on print and TV advertising. These advertisements would highlight the characteristics and benefits of Pantene Lively Clean: it not only cleans oil build-up, but also dirt, grime and any other deposits on the hair in a single wash. The shampoo comes in two variants: Transparent 200 ml bottles priced at Rs 125 and 7.5 ml satchets for Rs 3 each. The three Pantene variants currently present in the Indian market include Pantene for normal hair, for severely damaged hair and anti-dandruff.

The company claims that the Pantene brand so far accounts for 10 per cent of the shampoo market, while its premium brand `Head & Shoulders' has seven per cent of the market. So far, all shampoo products of P&G sold in India, including Pantene Lively Clean', are being imported from the US.

payment to ad agencies linked to sales Starting July 1, 2000, the advertising agencies working for Procter & Gamble worldwide, including India, will see a drastic change in their remuneration structure. They will no longer be paid on commission basis, but a percentage of sales, which will depend on their performance and vary according to the product category, said Jejurikar.

As the focus around us is shifting from mass marketing to individual marketing, advertising agencies will have to increasingly move towards being marketing agencies, he said. This is P&G's effort to recognise the transition and reward the agencies, especially when we are planning to double our turnover in the next six to seven years, he added.