Close-Up hones in on new market promo

Tarun Narayan in Mumbai

To accelerate the contribution of Close-Up brand to the bottomline growth of the oral care business of Hindustan Lever Ltd (HLL), and to further ensconce the currently consolidated positioning of “teeth whiteness” targeted at the youth, the consumer goods major plans to launch a combination of a strong measure of mass media and niche media campaigns to break in January.

Hindustan Thompson Associates (HTA) is the agency that is being commissioned for leveraging the positioning initiative as an integrated brand communication strategy, company sources say.

Sources pointed-out that the communication campaigns for Close-Up are not just an effort to lend a thrust to the existing positioning advantage of the brand. Instead, sources believe, that the campaigns which would incorporate a combination of television, print, outdoor and promotional initiatives like tie-ups with youth drama troops, will also be to inculcate an instant and ready buying preference for the brand amongst the youth.

Sources believe that the initiative is to simultaneously enforce the brand perception and drive the youth to the shelves through the new campaigns.

This rationale, according to sources, is the primary drive behind the marketing initiative of strategising even niche media initiatives with emphasis on on-ground promotions alongwith the usual mass media ventures that the company will embark on to create a long-term differential for the brand. Earlier too as part of an outright urge initiative, the Close-Up brand had been associated with youth-related events such as bungee jumping events in Mumbai. The present drama troop initiative too comes as part of the mission of the company to grow the brand with such niche media campaigns termed as “outright urge” initiatives.

Fast-track bottomline growth can be attained when there is no time-lag between the communication and actual mobility of the brand on the retail shelves. This can happen only when the awareness and urge is combined by utilising all the vehicles and platforms available for the communication, explain sources.

The oral care market is growing at around 8 to 10 per cent per annum. The other players operating in this segment include market leader Colgate and Pepsodent, in addition to smaller players like Promise.