MARKET SEGMENTATION ,POSITIONING & TARGETING Market Segmentation Market segmentation is broadly classified into two categories: a.

)Specific need based segmentation Enhancement needs : this cater the need for having fresh breath and whiteness of teeth Hygienic needs : This caters to the overall Oral care need

b.)Demographic segmentation The segmentation was specially to target youth between 18-25 years, however it did not alienate the people who were above the age of 30 years (especially the ones who feel young at heart).This product was also targeted to those groups of audiences who liked experimenting with different products. Close up is targeted at young people; the target market being Multi Brand Households where the young does not use what their parents use. This particular targeting was significant when Close Up was launched because Colgate positioning was a sort of oral care and hygiene benefits .Also, Colgate was going for a broad market constituting of all the age groups.

Positioning A large part of Close Up's success is because of its brand positioning. " Close up falls under the third pillar of toothpaste Freshness Segment particularly dealing the need for white teeth and freshness. Also Close Up has positioned itself for Emotional benefit of closeness and rational benefit of freshness. The name Close Up was propounded with a motive of building social confidence to get closer to others. Close Up was positioned as a youth oral care brand from the very beginning. In 2004, the brand was re-launched with a publicity blitz that communicated virtues of a Vitamin Fluoride system present in the product -- a powerful mix of vitamins, fluoride, mouthwash and micro-whiteners, for fresher breath and stronger, whiter teeth. Targeting

MARKETING MIX PRODUCT Close Up falls under the umbrella brand HUL Hindustan Unilever L i m i t e d . T h e l e v e l o f product may be discussed as below: Core benefit: Hygiene Base product Toothpaste Expected product Freshness Augmented product - Various Flavor Future Product Target sensitivity segment Product line of Close Up is: Red Hot Menthol Chill Peppermint Splash Lemon Mint Fire Freeze The color of the toothpaste depends upon the flavor. The color also is decided with a motive to evoke the mood and desire to affect the purchase decision of the potential customer. Various colors of the same flavor are tested in the market and the best color for that flavor is selected .The strength of the product is its USP of catering the customers who desire a fresh breath along with white teeth. There were extensive market test conducted by the producer before manufacturing and offering t h e p r o d u c t i n t h e m a r k e t . T h e t e s t s t h a t w e r e c o n d u c t e d w e r e o n t h e b a s i s o f t h e c o n c e p t , product testing, communication route, and the final advertisement. Innovation The first-move advantage in the gel market has helped Close Up secure an edge over the other brands. A large part of its success can be attributed to two factors - youthcentric product positioning and an innovative product pipeline. The most recent addition to its arsenal has been the Fire Freeze variant. Packaging The Packaging of Close Up is designed to exhibit liveliness and freshness. The pack of the product has a metallic effect to make it more lively and attractive .I t a l s o h a s a couple being featured on its pack to help the target audience identify with t h e concept of the product. Close Up was the first brand who featured a couple on its cover

The packaging was designed in par with the competitors in the market. The color of the pack of C l o s e U p w a s d e c i d e d a s p e r t h e c o l o r o f t h e t o o t h p a s t e . T h e p a c k a g e o f t h e p r o d u c t a l s o comprised with the details as per the norms laid down for consumer product. The packs offere din rural area are relative of smaller, with a motive to enable the daily wage worker to purchase the product.

PRICE The price of the product is the same for the rural and the urban market, however the products are offered in a smaller pack in rural area to enable them to purchase the same. Decision to fix the price is taken into consideration after evaluating the competitors pricing strategy. However the price for Close Up was on premium basis at par with the premium variance of the competitors. In India, there is a high consideration given to the basic need of the consumer and based on which price of the product is decided, which is mostly in parity with the basic needs. With respect to the pricing aspects of the distribution channel, there are some trade discounts given to the intermediaries, also there is a facility of 2-3 days credit purchase for the wholesalers and distributers

With respect to the pricing aspects of the distribution channel, there are some trade discounts given to the intermediaries, also there is a facility of 2-3 days credit purchase for the wholesalers and distributers B r a n d n PLACE Close Up has its presence in both,Urban as well as Rural market. H o w e v e r t h e s a l e i s comparatively more in Urban 60% and less in Rural area 40%.In International market the presence of Close Up is felt in Brazil (as No.2 in Toothpaste market).In Thailand, Philippines Close Up is the No.1 in the toothpaste market and in Nigeria it holds a share of 82%. The market share of Close Up in India is 18% of the toothpaste market and it ranks third in the toothpaste segment (after Colgate and Oral - B) and no.1 in the Gel segment. Close Up toothpaste is made by Lever Brothers Limited (Unilever) and used all over Africa Limbe, Malawi to Lusaka, Zambia .from Tema in Ghana, Nairobi in Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Thailand, Philippines

HUL has concentrated on building their rural distribution networks by rolling out smaller units of t o o t h p a s t e s a t a f f o r d a b l e p r i c e s . T h e c o m p a n i e s h a v e a l s o b e e n u s i n g C h a n n e l s s u c h a s e - choupals and Disha to further reach the rural population.

Promotion: Promotion forClose Up is done through various modes of media. There is a d v e r t i s e m e n t telecasted on television, especially on the youth oriented channels like MTV and so on. The C l o s e U p t u n e P A A S A A O . . P A A S A A O P A A S A A O N A . . . i s v e r y p o p u l a r a m o n g t h e youth .There are also promotional activities on radio, and outdoor media like banners and hoardings .Also there are promotional activities done in mall. In Philippines promotion was carried out by asking people to get their breath tested and then they were asked to brush their teeth in mall, after which again there was a test conducted to know the difference in the freshness of their breath after using Close Up. The findings of this experiment were that the subjects were convinced that Close Up was effective in providing freshness .T h e r e w a s a l s o a p r o m o t i o n a l a c t i v i t y c o n d u c t e d i n N i g e r i a b y c o n t a c t i n g t h e S c h o o l s a n d helping the young students to understand the effect of using Close Up. Close Up also conducts promotional activities in colleges all over the world to increase their sale. T h e y h a v e r e c e n t t i e d u p w i t h o n l i n e g a m i n g c o m p a n y Zapak. T h e b r a n d p l a n s t o u s e t h e gaming platform to promote 'Fire Freeze'. Gaming apart, the brand is also betting on Facebook. Close Up has sponsored a reality show called Nachenge Gayenge Joomenge on Doordarshan.

The brand recently roped in South Indian brand ambassador Suriya to p r o t e c t i t s t u r f i n t h e South (Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu), where the brand has historically been strong. Based on the promotional activities, there was a finding that Peppermint Splash was currently doing well in the market, however the newly introduced product Fire Freeze is yet to pick upon sales in metro cities for which there are more promotional strategies introduced.

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