Colgate relaunches Charmis, Zig Zag

agencyfaqs! News Bureau

NEW DELHI, October 11

Personal and dental care major Colgate-Palmolive (India) Limited (CPL) has announced the nationwide relaunch of its cold cream brand, Charmis, and its premier toothbrush brand, Zig Zag.

With the relaunch of Charmis cold cream - now branded Palmolive Charmis - CPL has made clear its intention of taking on Pond's, which has hitherto enjoyed an unchallenged run in the cold cream market. Incidentally, in the past, Charmis had, for some strange reason, been marketed as a standalone brand and was never extended the Palmolive umbrella that the consumer could associate with.

According to the company, the new Palmolive Charmis is a moisturizing cold cream enriched with Vitamins E, C and A. A Palmolive spokesperson said that Palmolive Charmis is "no longer just a skin cream with Vitamin E only" and that "with its triple action formula, Palmolive Charmis rejuvenates and moisturizes skin to give it that healthy, nourished glow."

Palmolive Charmis is being retailed in five jar sizes of 200ml (priced at Rs 97), 177ml (Rs 79), 100ml (Rs 56), 60ml (Rs 37) and 35ml (Rs 21.50), and is available in general stores, chemists and supermarkets across the country. The launch will be supported by a multi-media advertising campaign and consumer promotions.

The new Colgate Zig Zag toothbrush is what CPL terms "a new generation toothbrush redesigned to combine style with performance to achieve new levels of brushing effectiveness and consumer comfort." CPL claims that the toothbrush's unique contoured handle and 'diamond head' offer clinically-proven brushing superiority.

Zig Zag is retailed in two variants, medium and soft, and is priced at Rs 20. Zig Zag's relaunch too is being supported through a multi-media advertising campaign and point-of-sale material such as self-supported sunpacks, wobblers and other merchandising material.

The relaunch of the two brands assumes significance when viewed in the light of the following facts. According to ORG-Marg estimates, the Rs 1,000-crore toothpaste market registered negative growth last year. And toothpaste constitutes the bulk of the CPL's sales - which totaled Rs 1,121 crore in 1999-2000.

With the toothpaste market stagnating, industry watchers see CPL's move as a bid to shore up revenues by increasing focus on non-toothpaste products. However, one analyst cautions against reading too much into the relaunch. She points out that the relaunch of Charmis is to be expected, given the potential the market offers. And Zig Zag, after all, falls under dental care. And just over a month ago, CPL made it evident that it wants to grow this market to double-digit levels.

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