Competition

COMPETITION 

It is not Dettol that introduced this product in the Indian market. Godrej Consumer Products Ltd , Himalaya, Paras Pharma etc had introduced this product in the Indian market even as early as 2003. GCPL's brand Protekt is exported to various countries while Himalaya's brand - Pure Hands is a herbal hand sanitiser. But these brands are not able to create a noise in the market so far when compared to Dettol and Lifebuoy.

Industry of a product involves the number of firms or players in the market. Companies compete on the basis of what the buyer wants. Competition can come from different categories depending upon the usage. The same usage brings out the non competition i.e.

• if it is a substitute, it's not a direct competition
• if it is a different category, it's not direct competition
• if it is a potential threat, it's not a direct threat

For any product, in our case- Dettol hand sanitiser, competition coming from Apollo hand sanitisers and Lifebuoy hand sanitisers pose to be from the same category thus the competition. But products like that of Zuci's are not competition due to a)different category and b)no pose as a potential threat to the product. This can be attributed to the brand value that Dettol has over the latter.

The tissue paper and wet wipes act as a substitute to the the product but due to their being a substitute, they are not a direct competition. Also, they contain moisture, which is absent in tissue papers. Some of them also contain vitamin e and essential oils in them, which are again absent from sanitisers. But ost importantly sanitisers are different as they come in different types of fragrances.

The major competitors of Dettol hand sanitisers are :-

•  Dermi- cool skin defense
• Godrej
• Lifebuoy
• Chandrika by Wipro
• Fem safe hands by Dabur
• Pure hands by Himalaya

Distribution process

DISTRIBUTION PROCESS

MANUFACTURER

After manufacturing company sends its products to SKUs and C&F agents all over India to distribute it to the distributor

SKUs AND C&F AGENTS

They act as moderators between distribution and manufacturing company. Company itself has establishes its warehouse where they keep their product and then sku distribute the product in the market. It also provides them about demand behaviour in the market

DISTRIBUTOR

It si most essential link between retailer and manufacturer. They enjoy higher level of expertise and have more knowledge than manufacturer. They also act as advisors and save cost of logistics. Dsitributor of dettol-P K agencies with a profit margin 3-5%. The distributor work according to the area chart plan decided by the company and distributor sales personnel

RETAILER

It is most important as its effectiveness is linked will only benefit others so as to survive in the competitive market. It is the final link where the companies effective marketing strategy will decide the demand and will make the public aware of its existing product as retailers are medium for product display. For dettol their share is 7-8%

SUGGESTIONS

• Exclusive outlet:An exclusive branded showroom concept with emergency first aid centre across tier 2 and 3 towns. Other Reckitt products can also find place. A kind of cause related marketing. It can also be a channel partner managed outlet.
• Tie ups:Tie up with others giving first aid facilities like amusement parks, in car first aid kits etc. Visibility will increase the mind share further.
• Specialty advertising can be the future: It means max coverage and low cost.

customer decision making process

CUSTOMER DECISION MAKING PROCESS

Today, the customer is awarer and better informed. The days of caveat emptor are long gone. Customer is the king now.This changes the definition of rational consumer in a manner that the consumer or the customer now does his research before buying the commodity.Buying becomes a process involving various decisions,namely-

• problem recognition
• information research
• evaluation of alternatives
• purchase decision 
• post purchase behaviour

It means that the customer defines his area of commodity purchase.He narrows down the product line and shortens his list for the best alternatives.He starts looking at his subjects differently, analysing at every step.

To comprehend the given paradigm we take a product, in our case the Dettol hand sanitiser.It begins with problem recognition,here-unavailability of rudimentary soap and water for sanitary purposes due to in-transit situations or simply because the elements are not present.Another problem could be dirty-water scenarios or This is followed by information research-finding out from different sources like Internet,advertisements,dealers,family etc. the various brands and types of sanitisers available in the market.Different brands are Dettol,apollo and Zuci.They come with different types like classic,strawberry etc.
This is followed by evaluation of alternatives-the brands that the customer shortlisted would now be evaluated for further consideration.Thus the customer weighs his options and finds out the benefits reaped out of all the sanitisers of different companies on the basis of different beliefs and attitudes.This leads to purchase decision-the thought process that arises from five subconscious decisions that are-brand,dealer,quantity,timing and payment method.
And finally the post purchase behaviour-this is where the buyer retrospects on his decision after buying the commodity.Thus the customer will analyse the benefits derived out of buying the Dettol product is more or less than the total cost including physical and mental expenditure.
After all of this the customer starts using his experience in future purchases and and this in turn leads to habit formation.
The customer decision making process involves careful deliberation of efforts as our choices are irrational.

CPV OR CVP...it matters or does it?

CUSTOMER VALUE AND BENEFITS

Customer value is what the customer pays and what he gets.But there are two different types of values-perceived and desired.

The question arise how does a supplier deliver customer value to the customer,
A-providing the best good or service at best cost
The dettol hand sanitizer provides the customer with the perfect satisfaction when it comes to value in exchange as the pricing of the commodity is Rs 57 (50 ml).the value in use

Today, the customer is awarer and better informed. The days of cavet emptor are long gone. Customer is the king,now.This changes the definition of rational consumer in a manner that he consumer or the customer now does his research before buying the commodity.Even though the monetary value can be equated with the customer value,the equation remains incomplete as the satisfaction derived from different commodities can be different despite same prices.
CPV i.e. customer perceived value is the difference between the benefits and the costs.Benefits consist of product benefit,service benefit,personnel benefit and image benefit. On the other hand,costs consist of monetary cost,time cost,energy cost and psychological cost.
For any consumer benefit must exceed the cost for the product to be valuable. Dettol hand sanitizer seems to be valuable if we consider both its benefits and costs--

BENEFITS:Product benefit-Due to its brand value the product has great RELIABILITY value
                    Image benefit-The name or the value of Dettol adds value to the benefits on an                                        exponential level


COSTS:Monetary cost-Instead of reducing the value of the product,the cost of Dettol hand sanitizer                     adds value by being priced at an affordable Rs.57
              Time cost-The time cost of this product is low as the accessibility to the commodity is easy                      for urban population who are more prone to using sanitizers
              Energy cost-Just like time cost energy cost is negligible as the people who would use the                         commodity would keep it in store.
              Psychological cost-The only additive to the cost side instead of the benefits side is the                             psychological cost.This is because it is the psychological conditioning of the mind that led                   to need of sanitizers in the first place.

Desired customer value is what a customer desires in his product and in Dettol hand sanitiser both the perceived and desired values are the same.I can say that citing the brand value of Dettol,it delivers what he customers expect and desire and has been doing so for a very long time.
Thus the customer value of Dettol can be said to be of high performance.

The customer value hierarchy consist of five levels, namely- core benefit, basic product, expected product, augmented product and potential product. These can be placed on our product with respect to the 3Cs marketing model. Our product, Dettol hand sanitiser, will have clean germ free hands as a core benefit coming under the customer part of the marketing model .The basic product, which is the sanitiser itself, would come under the company as well as the competition part of the model. Expected product means what the consumer expects out of the product therefore the expectations any consumer has from the sanitiser regarding any improvements or new product line or types or fragrance issues, all come under the customer part of the model. Augmented product deals with adding value to the given product thus this particular levels come under both competition and company. Finally, the potential product is the future expectations for the given product hence this comes under the competition part of the model.

Branding

Dettol's campaign is named "Dettol hai toh sahi hai". It is designed to turn consumers towards hygienic life. This campaign is aimed as a type of education for the audience. It is basically designed to show empathy towards the customers and that we really care for them. It also encourages repeat purchase of the Dettol product.

Their objectives are as follows:

• to place dettol as a complete health care product in the mind of the consumer
• to make the consumer think dettol as their personal doctor
• to turn the use into habit of the consumer

Our product Dettol hand sanitiser brands itself via innovative print ads, such as the following advertisement:

.

Objectivity of the advertisement

The objective of the ad is to illustrate the need for using the hand sanitizer and the possible benefits obtained through its use. The need for a germ fighter is brought out by showing the out stretched hand in different everyday contexts, But, the specific benefits of using a hand sanitizer, namely, it killing 99.99% of the germs or that it can be used anytime anywhere are not brought out in the hand.

The picture shown is a “fair and accurate representation” of the qualities of a hand sanitizer. There is no body copy or endorser who is talking about any benefits going beyond the core proposition of a hand sanitizer. In that respect, the print ad is very objective, as in it talks about (or shows pictorially), what the product can actually deliver.

Creativity shown in the Ad

Without using any body copy or text, the print ad manages to convey the association of dirty hands and the product. The image of the outstretched itself, appearing in multiple forms, each in different everyday context is unique itself. In would lead to high memorability of the ad and hence recall and association with dirty hands.

Scope for improvement in the advertisement

a) Positioning: This has already being talked about before. In summary, instead of a simple germ fighter, the product should be positioned on the relative advantages it offers over a soap. These include:
a. positioning of fighting 99.99% of germs
b. on being the anytime/anywhere answer to fighting germs

This is especially important for a country like India, where the concept of hand sanitizer is very novel. So, talking about a need which is distinct from the simple hygiene need being successfully fulfilled by soaps is required.

b) The TG appears to be the entire set of men being involved in outdoor activities. In a country where penetration and even awareness of such a product is less, greater trial can be achieved by specifically targeting early adopters who would be more likely to use the product. These could be:
i. Doctors, nurses
ii. Adventurers, Mountaineers etc

Usage Contexts and Attributes of the Product: Possible Advertising Themes

The product being advertised is an Instant Hand Sanitizer. A hand sanitizer’s value proposition is that it kills 99.99% of the most common germs that may cause illness. Its relative advantage compared to a normal soap is that it can be used anytime, anyplace, without water or towels. Its disadvantage is that though it is very effective at killing germs on the hands, but it is not effective at removing dirt. Conversely, soap and water are very effective at cleaning dirty or soiled hands, but are not good at killing germs.

So, a result, communication for an Instant Hand Sanitizer must concentrate on two points:

• 99.99 % Germ Killing Formulation
• No need of water/towels, making it anytime, anywhere

The Advertisement for Dettol Instant Hand Sanitizer

We spoke about two themes on which hand sanitizer advertising could be based on. These were:

a) Speaking about the 99.99% germs killing attribute
b) Speaking about the anytime/anywhere attribute

Message

The advertising of the Dettol Instant Hand Sanitizer does not focus directly on any of the above mentioned themes.

It shows a man’s hand and the various things it is put through in the course of a day. The ad tries to show this without showing any explicit user scenarios or using any text. The creative is about an outstretched hand, which through its various projections, each holding an object, represents a particular user activity.

These range from:

• Eating out
• Handling home appliances and gadgets like the remote
• Driving, filling up gas
• Using the phone
• Working, writing, using the computer

All these contexts are possible sources of germs. The bottle of the Dettol Instant Hand Sanitizer kept besides the outstretched hand is the supposedly the solution the outstretched hand is looking for as a solution for all the ills the hand has to go through in the course of the day. The campaign for Dettol Instant Hand Sanitizer illustrates the fact that germs are everywhere. As explained before, numerous occasions throughout the course of the day are all possible sources of germs.

The text in small font on the bottle itself, stating the product as the Dettol Instant Hand Sanitizer is the cue which helps relate the outstretched hand, affected by the germs causing environment and the bottle, which supposedly is the solution that the hand is looking for. Apart from that there is no body copy in the print ad which states the benefits of the product or its usage. What is highlighted though is the Dettol brand itself, which is easily noticed on the bottle. The strong brand of Dettol lends credibility to the product and gives an impetus to the target audience to look at the AD more carefully.

STP

Target audience

A product like Dettol hand sanitisers believes in mass marketing as this product is neither age restricted nor gender restricted.The Target Audience for usage of an Instant Hand Sanitizer must also be made aware of the need of using such a product. This need must be such where an ordinary soap and water combination would not do. This can be created by using a usage context where having hands germ free is important. Examples of the same could be:

a) Before handling/eating food
b) Before handling infants
c) In hospitals, for doctors and nurses, before and after handling patients

In these scenarios, a realization amongst the TG can easily made that a Hand Sanitizer would be a much more effective option compared to a soap, which does not kill all the germs.

The second theme could be focussing on the anytime/anywhere part as the usage of the product does not imply use of water or towels. Again scenarios where such a product can be useful must be shown to highlight the anytime/anywhere aspect of the product. These could be:

a) Use by people on the move like
a. Travellers
b. Adventurers, Mountaineers etc
c. Bikers
d. Sales people
b) Use of people outside home
a. Office goers
b. College students

The realization that this product should be used over more traditional products like soaps should be done for the TG. The penetration levels of the product are very low. So, creating awareness about the product and its relative advantages over soaps is very important.

Segmentation

One segmentation, which the ad talks about is Psychographic Segmentation based on type of activity. It talks about outdoor activities like driving, eating out and also things like working on the computer or making calls. These and also the shirt worn by the outstretched hand, which is a formal shirt, point to a target audience of office going men or men who are outside for some work or the other.
The relevance of the product is there for such a TG, based by them being involved in activities, in which an anytime/anywhere product for keeping hands germ free is needed. Though the fact that the product is anytime/anywhere is never mentioned is one of the shortcomings of the ad and would be taken up later.

Positioning

The implied positioning of the product is that of a solution to keeping hands germ free. It is a problem solver to the everyday scenarios which happen in the course of a man’s usual day in life and lead to germs.

Positioning: What it should have been

Positioning should have been on one of the relative advantages that Hand Sanitizers have over soaps.

a) Soaps also kill germs. So, the current positioning of just germ fighting directly competes against soaps, because many of them including Dettol Soap are positioned as Hygiene or germ fighting soaps. On the other hand, a positioning of fighting 99.99% of germs goes much beyond what hygiene or beauty soaps can offer.

b) Anytime, anywhere usage is something on which soaps can never match Hand Sanitizers, because they need the use of water. A positioning on being the anytime/anywhere answer to fighting germs would have created a unique image in the TG’s mind and increased adoption. The print ad in question is too vague to suggest any association with being anytime/anywhere. The only apparent association is of simple germ fighting for the outstretched dirty hand by the bottle of Hand Sanitizer.

Connection between message and target audience

As has already being explained, the print ad shows various scenarios in which a man’s hand is exposed to germs. These are typical to the TG of office going men or men who are involved in outdoor activities. Thus, they can relate and identify with the situations shown. The bottle kept alongside the hand having the Dettol brand is the solution to the everyday problem of keeping hands germ free.

Promotions

 PROMOTIONS AND IMC

Promotions of our product Dettol hand sanitiser involves a media plan and different above the line and below the line activities with respect to the IMC. It has a different communication style.

Communication style
The style of execution of this product is done through demonstration, health care programmes and free distribution of trial pack.

Integrated marketing communications

ATL activities:It means organising a health camp on health related issues and for health awareness with Dettol at popular multiplexes of the city. Following is the print advertisement for our product:

Some hand hygiene adverts incorporate the kind of imagery you’d expect to find in horror movies, and the effect is often made even creepier by an unsuspecting central character, as in this ad for Dettol Instant Hand Sanitizer. Fear can sometimes be an effective tool for getting an advertising message across, although relying too heavily on it as a strategy may put off some consumers. Still, the solution to this particular problem – that is, Dettol Instant Hand Sanitizer – is displayed prominently at the base of the ad. And the message that it “kills 99.99% of germs on hands, without the need for water” also emphasizes the fact that it’s useful for people on the go. A blunt advert, perhaps made even blunter by the plaster visible on the front hand, it was created by the Sydney branch of global marketing agency Euro RSCG and was first published in July 2008.

BTL activities: It involves performing campaigns in dispensaries, providing drops of hand sanitiser to the customers at food joints  and displaying advertisements on the wall of escalators at the malls. Dettol hand sanitisers are gifted for customers of BIG BAZAAR against bill on Wednesday.

Media plan
The media objectives of our product is to:

• reach mass media audience within a short time
• create loyal customers and reduce brand switching
• generate willingness for the non buyer to try it
• turn the uses into habit
• teach the mind of customers about the advantages of hygienic life

The choice of media:

• Television-The vehicle will be Star Plus, Colors etc. These channels are mostly watched by families sitting together.
• Radio-It is one of the easy means of communication. The vehicle will be Radio Mirchi 98.3 FM. Ad will be starting from morning 7 during the show along with Health tips of the day.
• Newspaper-Vehicle will be TOI because it has a very wide reach irrespective of the age group
• Magazine-Vehicle will  be GRUHSHOHIKA & GRUHINI AND HEALTH CARE because they are mostly read by household members especially by women.

marketing101: DETTOL HAND SANITISER

marketing101: DETTOL HAND SANITISER: THE PRODUCT ITSELF Dettol hand sanitiser:  A hand Sanitizer is an alternative to soap and used for maintaining hand-hygiene. Th...

marketing101: Sustainability management of Reckitt Benkiser

marketing101: Sustainability management of Reckitt Benkiser: Reckitt Benckiser Joins The Sustainability Consortium RB is governed by a corporate responsibility framework comprising our Code o...

Business Markets

BUSINESS MARKETS FOR DETTOL HAND SANITISER

Business market can be of two types:

• BUSINESS TO BUSINESS
• BUSINESS TO CONSUMER

Business to business- A model like that of our product's has only manufacturer-to-wholesaler and wholesaler-to-retailer type of business market. The overall volume of business to business model is higher than that of business to consumer. The primary reason for this is that in a typical supply chain there will be many B2B transactions involving sub components or raw materials, and only one B2C transaction, specifically sale of the finished product to the end customer. For example, an automobile manufacturer makes several B2B transactions such as buying tires, glass for windscreens, and rubber hoses for its vehicles. B2B is also used in the context of communication and collaboration.. Many businesses are now using social media to connect with their consumers (B2C); however, they are now using similar tools within the business so employees can connect with one another. When communication is taking place amongst employees, this can be referred to as "B2B" communication.

Business to consumer- A business to consumer type of  model for our product involves direct sales to consumer through the retailer or the wholesaler.Retail is the sale of goods and services from individuals or businesses to the end-user. Retailers are part of an integrated system called the supply chain. A retailer purchases goods or products in large quantities from manufacturers directly or through a wholesale, and then sells smaller quantities to the consumer for a profit. Retailing can be done in either fixed locations like stores or markets, door-to-door or by delivery. In the 2000s, an increasing amount of retailing is done using online websites, electronic payment, and then delivered via a courier or via other services.Retailing includes subordinated services, such as delivery. The term "retailer" is also applied where a service provider services the needs of a large number of individuals. Online retailing, a type of electronic commerce used for business-to-consumer (B2C) transactions and mail order, are forms of non-shop retailing.

Differences between B2B and B2C
The main difference between B2B and B2C is who the buyer of a product or service is. The purchasing process is different in both cases and the following is a list of key differences between them.

Pricing strategy of dettol hand sanitiser

Dettol has been consistent with its pricing. It's strategy is divided into geographic pricing, premium pricing and discount and allowances.

Geographic pricing: The price of our product, hand sanitiser is affected by the the geographical areas. The need basis is different in different places and that is why the pricing of the commodity is decided. The need basis determines the price as different people have different demands.

Premium pricing:This kind of pricing is done is done when the product is sold to exquisite places like airports, hotels and other places with high end boutiques and duty free shops. In such kind of pricing the prices are hiked more than the maximum retail price and then they are sold to places where MRP is not applicable,

Discount and allowances: Albeit it is an affordable product of Rs. 50, a lot of people are motivated to buy it for when it is available for a discount. Dettol also gives away the product as a free commodity on Wednesdays at the Big Bazaar against the bill. Such kind of strategies helps the sales to boom.

SALES AMNAGEMENT

Managing retailers and wholesalers

Retailing means selling directly to the final consumer, which is mostly how the Dettol hand sanitiser is sold.

There are different types of retailers, namely-specialty store, discount store, superstore, off price retailer, department store, convenience store,catalogue showrooms and supermarket. Dettol hand sanitiser uses all of them other than catlogue showrooms, specialty stores superstores. A consumer's retailing experience is affected by 

• target market
• product assortment
• procurement
• prices
• services
• store atmosphere
• store activities
• communications
• LOCATION

It has four levels of servicing i.e. self service, self selection, limited service and full service. The retailers provide the consumer or the customer with the self service when it comes to the given product. The self service means that the consumer chooses the product himself  unlike in the full service where the salespersons assists with high staffing costs or limited service where customers carry return and credit policies or self selection where the customer chooses the product but with some assistance from the salesperson.

In non store retailing only vending machines are applicable for sanitisers. Others like tv or online or door to door selling are not suitable to sell this product.

The wholesalers perform various functions like selling and promotion, warehousing, transportation, financing, risk bearing, market information, buying and assortment building, and bulk breaking.There are eight types of wholesalers

• merchant wholesalers
• brokers & agents
• brokers
• agents
• full service wholesalers
• limited service wholesalers
• manufacturers and retailers offices
• misc wholesalers

But a product like our is sold by wholesalers if and only if it is sold to channel partners like hotels and hospitals. Dettol hand sanitiser is an utmost important in fact indispensable commodity in such places and they need it in huge consignments therefore buying it from the retailer is not beneficial for these partners.

Both retailers and wholesalers have to make decisions on the best way to store and move g&s to the market and this is called LOGISTICS. The new trends used by the marketers for the product are- frequent deliveries; shorter order cycle times; direct store delivery; tighter promised delivery times; and customized packaging, price tagging and display building.

DETTOL HAND SANITISER

THE PRODUCT ITSELF

Dettol hand sanitiser: A hand Sanitizer is an alternative to soap and used for maintaining hand-hygiene. This product which is available in gel, spray, liquid or foam form can be used directly to the hand and unlike soaps need not be washed away. Just apply the hand sanitizer and leave it like that.

Hand sanitizers are popular in markets like West and Europe because of the consumer awareness ( fear) about hand hygiene coupled with the convenience of the product. The fact that the product can be used anywhere/anytime makes it a very useful product for those who are too much worried about keeping their hands always germ-free( I am one of those cleanliness obsessed females  ). In India the total market share of sanitizers is around 20 crores and it is soon gaining popularity
Moving on to the product which is: DETTOL HAND SANITIZER Original

Dettol Instant Hand Sanitiser is a fast and effective way to kill 99.9 per cent of germs without the need for soap or water. The rinse-free, non-sticky formula instantly refreshes hands, leaving them hygienically clean. The hand sanitiser is a simple, fast and effective solution for cleaning hands on-the-go. Available in: Original, Refresh with Aloe Vera, and Soothe with Chamomile. Always read the label. Use only as directed.

Pros of Dettol Hand Sanitizer:

1. Comes from a trusted name in the cleanliness category- DETTOL
2. It has a very nice, clean and fresh fragrance.
3. Doesn’t dry out the hands after application.
4. Comes in a travel friendly bottle.
5. Delivers what it promises, i.e., kills germs instantly.
6. No need to use water or soap after application.

Cons of Dettol Hand Sanitizer:

Could not think of any . 

Sustainability management of Reckitt Benkiser

Reckitt Benckiser Joins The Sustainability Consortium

RB is governed by a corporate responsibility framework comprising our Code of Business Conduct plus policies, control arrangements and reporting. Policies are available on rb.com, and include:

•  Environmental Policy
•  Occupational Health & Safety Policy.
•  Global Manufacturing Standard (GMS) Policy and GMS Detailed Requirements 
•  Responsible Sourcing of Natural Raw Materials Policy
•  Product Safety Policy
•  Animal Testing Policy
•  Whistleblower Policy
•  Anti-Bribery Policy

Earlier in 2012 RB announced achieved their Carbon20 target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent eight years early.  This performance is based on reducing emissions throughout a RB product’s lifecycle, from raw material sourcing to disposal, and is equivalent to taking 3 million cars off the road.  RB was also named to the 2012 Carbon Disclosure Project’s Global 500 Carbon Performance Leadership Index.Other recent achievements highlighted in RB’s most recent Sustainability report include:     
   - 16% reduction in fresh water usage (per unit of production) versus 2000       
   -  5.4 million trees planted since 2006 as part of Trees For Change, effectively making             RB’s manufacturing sites  carbon neutral        
    - 23% reduction in accident rate versus 2010 (92% reduction versus 2001)   
    - 775,000 children reached with Save The Children since 2003 (175,000)

The reporting criteria of the company is as follows:

• Parameter: Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from energy use in manufacturing and warehouse facilities

• Parameter: Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from energy use in R&D

• Parameter: Water consumption at manufacturing and warehouse facilitiesParameter: Water discharges at manufacturing 

• and warehouse facilities

• Parameter: Total waste at manufacturing and warehouse facilities

• Parameter: Waste to landfill from manufacturing and warehouse facilities

• Parameter: Hazardous waste at manufacturing and warehouse facilities

• Parameter: Energy use at manufacturing and warehouse facilities

• Parameter: Top five raw materials used 

• Parameter: Significant spills (not part of the RB sustainability data assurance process)

• Parameter: Biodiversity (not part of the RB sustainability data assurance process)

Marketing Mix Elements

THE FOUR P'S OF MARKETING

Product/Service

• What does the customer want from the product/service? What needs does it satisfy?
• What features does it have to meet these needs?
  
  • Are there any features you've missed out?
  • Are you including costly features that the customer won't actually use?
• How and where will the customer use it?
• What does it look like? How will customers experience it?
• What size(s), color(s), and so on, should it be?
• What is it to be called?
• How is it branded?
• How is it differentiated versus your competitors?
• What is the most it can cost to provide, and still be sold sufficiently profitably? (See also Price, below).

Place

• Where do buyers look for your product or service?
• If they look in a store, what kind? A specialist boutique or in a supermarket, or both? Or online? Or direct, via a catalogue?
• How can you access the right distribution channels?
• Do you need to use a sales force? Or attend trade fairs? Or make online submissions? Or send samples to catalogue companies?
• What do you competitors do, and how can you learn from that and/or differentiate?

Price

• What is the value of the product or service to the buyer?
• Are there established price points for products or services in this area?
• Is the customer price sensitive? Will a small decrease in price gain you extra market share? Or will a small increase be indiscernible, and so gain you extra profit margin?
• What discounts should be offered to trade customers, or to other specific segments of your market?
• How will your price compare with your competitors?

Promotion

• Where and when can you get across your marketing messages to your target market?
• Will you reach your audience by advertising in the press, or on TV, or radio, or on billboards? By using direct marketing mailshot? Through PR? On the Internet?
• When is the best time to promote? Is there seasonality in the market? Are there any wider environmental issues that suggest or dictate the timing of your market launch, or the timing of subsequent promotions?
• How do your competitors do their promotions? And how does that influence your choice of promotional activity?

PLC AND ILC

PLC AND ILC

The product life cycle of any product comprises of four stages, namely-introduction, growth, maturity and decline. The product, in our case- Dettol hand santiser, is in its maturity stage as the the product is universally accepted. Further under maturity stage there are three sub-stages i.e. growth,stable and decaying stages. After the last stage, the weak competitors withdraw as sales slowdown creates overcapacity in the industry. The market is segmented into high end and low end markets or division into earning profits through low volume and high margins, and high volume and low cost.

In the segmentation of the market into high end and low ends, our product is placed in the high end segment despite its affordability. This can be attributed to the brand value of the company DETTOL itself. The value of the name has led to such an increase in the sales of the particular hand sanitiser.
Any absence of the above said would have proved to be fatal to the sales graph of the product.

If the market is divided into choosing between becoming one of the three remaining and dominating competitors (quality leader, service leader and cost leader) and choosing profits through high volume and lower cost; and choosing between market positioning (market specialists, product specialists and customising firms) i.e. low volume and high profits, our product chooses the former. We have a price that is affordable to the general public thus making us produce low cost and more volume good producing firms.

The shape of the curve of the product life cycle of the Dettol hand sanitiser is bell shaped curve but the industry life cycle is an S shaped curve. This is because despite the fall of the particular product the overall demand of the commodity will eventually rise thus making it first fall and then rise just like the curve of the letter S.

Introduction

DETTOL HAND SANITISER

Hand sanitiser is an alternative to soap and used for maintaining hand-hygiene. This product, which is available in gel, spray, liquid and foam forms, can be used directly on the hand and unlike soaps need not be washed away. Just apply the hand sanitiser and leave it like that. The product is clearly placed at an affordable price of Rs.50 (50 ml). Albeit it is also available in a 200ml pump pack, which is perfect for for kitchen bench or other stationary needs, the 50ml bottle is just more convenient to carry and is great for the handbag. 

Dettol hand sanitiser kills 99.99% of germs and the new cucumber and melon sanitisers have added moisturising components that don't dry out your skin from regular use of other instant hand sanitisers. It has a market share of 55% is also endorsed by IMA (Indian Medical Association). They started a 13 episode talk show on Imagine TV on health and hygiene.

Dettol sanitiser has found takers in consumers who are ultra health conscious. There are consumers who are attracted to the product because of the sheer convenience of it. The product is a boon at places where you don't trust the water or the soap.2009-2010 witnessed another surge (the first one being the outbreak of SARS in 2002-2003) of infectious diseases like H1N1 and host of other diseases that were spread through air/water. Since most of these diseases are infectious and spread through socialising, the scope of a convenient hygiene product surfaced again.

Dettol is pushing this category based on fear. The ads show the probability of germs affecting the consumer at various public places like shopping malls, public transports etc and then advise on always keeping the hand sanitiser with them so that they can protect/sanitise their hands all the time.

Indian hand sanitiser market is still nascent with an estimated market size of Rs 25 crore. Marketers believe that this category will grow faster owing to the new breed of infectious diseases. Hand sanitisers are popular in markets in West and Europe because of the consumer awareness (fear) about hand hygiene coupled with the convenience of the product.