Pepsodent launches dental insurance; campaign to break by end-October

agencyfaqs! News Bureau

NEW DELHI

The toothpaste market in India, estimated at Rs 2,000 crore (ORG-Marg) currently, has not been growing for the last two years. One of the major players in the category is Hindustan Lever Ltd's (HLL) oral care brand, Pepsodent. It registered a nominal growth of .9 per cent (in value terms) this year over last year (from 16.4 per cent last year to 17.3 per cent in August 2002, according to ORG-Marg). To combat this potentially alarming situation, Pepsodent may have found an innovative marketing strategy to push its market share northward. This is the Pepsodent Dental Insurance plan.

This initiative has been launched in partnership with New India Assurance, the general insurance company. Under this initiative, Pepsodent plans to offer its customers insurance cover against expenses of up to Rs 1,000 for the extraction of a permanent tooth/teeth on account of caries and periodontitis, two of the most widespread dental ailments in India. The insurance cover will be provided for one year, and comes into effect after a period of six months from the date of issue of the Pepsodent Dental Insurance Certificate. The insurance can only be claimed by people above the age of 15 years.

The dental insurance forms are available on the purchase of the (recently launched) 40-gm tube of Pepsodent (priced at Rs 10), the 100-gm tube (Rs 30) or the 200-gm (Rs 54) tube. To claim the insurance, the applicant has to furnish a certificate from his/her dentist testifying that he/she has caries or periodontitis. This certificate, along with the dental bills, has to submitted to the Pepsodent Dental Insurance office in New Delhi. Once HLL verifies the claim, the applicant is reimbursed within 30 days.

Talking about the background of the Dental Insurance initiative, Pradeep Banerjee, category head, oral care, HLL, says, "The idea was to establish a bond of trust between Pepsodent and its consumers. With that as the principal motivator, Pepsodent's Dental Insurance became a reality. The initiative not only strengthens Pepsodent's proposition of being a ‘germ-protector', but also shows our commitment to oral hygiene."

A multimedia campaign will be used to establish that bond. By the end of October, a series of advertisements, created by Lowe, Mumbai, will break on television and in print. "These ads are an extension of Pepsodent's brand proposition. While the core creative idea remains germ protection, these ads will further the association by instilling trust through a genuine concern," explains Banerjee. The Pepsodent Dental Insurance will target consumers through a series of roadshows as well. © 2002 agencyfaqs!