COLGATE'S MARKETING STRATEGIES

KEEP INDIA SMILING

COLGATE'S MARKETING STRATEGIES, WITH KEY FOCUS ON BRANDING

Colgate is famous around the world.  

Colgate is a global brand when it comes to oral care which include tooth paste, toothbrushes etc. A brand that is known in every household as the toothpaste brand surprisingly didn’t start like that. Colgate is 200 years old brand which earlier used to sell products like soaps,starch, candles, and later moved on to oral care products like toothpaste and mouth wash. Currently,it is a global brand with superb product and brand positioning which deakls in 150 countries. Colgate is an American Multinational company which deals in production and distribution of healthcare and personal products. Colgate worldwide deals with 4 categories which are:

• ·     Oral care
• ·     Personal care
• ·     Home care
• ·     Pet nutrition

But in India,it primarily deals in Oral products

The brand is known for enabling individuals to have perfect smiles and exceptional teeth.In fact, Forbes notes that brand is worth more than 66 billion!

How did Colgate become the most famous product in the oral care industry? In part, through digital marketing strategies that focused on helping consumers achieve perfect smiles and oral education.

1.THE SMILE SHOW–  COLLABORATED WITH INFLUENCERS TO CREATE YOU TUBE VIDEOS

What happens when brands and YouTube collide?

You get fun and actionable branded content that’s compelling to watch.

This is exactly what happened to Colgate when it integrated YouTube in its digital strategy, in order to target millennials.

The Smile Show is a series of videos promoting Colgate. The brand collaborated with YouTubers Andrea Brooks and Blair Fowler; and amassed 24 million views.

2. TURNED A PHOTOSHOP DISASTER INTO A STANDOUT CAMPAIGN

Can you tell what’s wrong with the following photos?

Source: Fstoppers

I bet you didn’t notice anything besides their teeth.

What you have missed is this: the woman first photo has six fingers, and there’s an extra arm around the guy in the second.

But, why didn’t you notice them first?

Food left on the teeth, is a lot more noticeable than you think. This is the message that Colgate wants to impart in its advertisements.

By highlighting the importance of brushing and flossing, Colgate is able to make viewers stop and stare. This way, its consumers can understand why flossing everyday is important.

3. MAHA KUMBH MELA- USED LOCATION- BASED TARGETING TO REACH CUSTOMERS

For starters, Maha Kumbh Mela is a large spiritual gathering of Hindu pilgrims.

Colgate wanted to tap into this new market. They understood that most of Hindu pilgrims In their target area had low literacy rates. This is why they used voice-based communications through a mobile phone to promote their products.

The brand created a virtual circle around the pilgrimage site and  used location-based targeting to reach its target audience. As such, when pilgrims entered the circle, they received a call from Amin Sayani– an Indian radio personality. Amin tells these pilgrims to visit the Colgate booth to receive free samples and a chance to win prizes.

4. COLGATE 'BRIGHT SMILES, BRIGHT FUTURE' PROGRAMS- PROVIDED FREE DENTAL SCREENING AND ORAL HEALTH EDUCATION TO 900 MILLION CHILDREN

Colgate is a prime example of a business with a successful advocacy.

Colgare's  'Bright Smiles, Bright Future' program is one of the most far-reaching advocacies in the world. The program provides free dental screenings and oral health education.

The brand’s program includes multicultural education materials that let children know how they can achieve healthy teeth and gums. In the US, Colgate’s program includes a fleet of mobile dental vans that travel across 50 states to provide free dental screening and education.

The brand’s advocacy has made a huge impact around the world. In fact, it’s campaign has reached 900 million children across 80 countries!

Now this, is how you combine business and advocacy.

Here are a few lessons that we should learn from Colgate’s success:

• Collaborate with YouTube influencers
• Be witty and creative
• Use location-based targeting
• Support an advocacy