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  • May 2015 (Revised May 2017)
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Colgate-Palmolive Company: Marketing Anti-Cavity Toothpaste

By: John A. Quelch and Margaret L. Rodriguez
  • Format:Print
  • | Language:English
  • | Pages:23
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Abstract

In October 2013, Colgate-Palmolive Company, the world's leading oral care company, was about to launch its new Colgate® Maximum Cavity Protection™ plus Sugar Acid Neutralizer™ toothpaste in Brazil. Oral care category accounted for 46 percent of Colgate's $17.4 billion sales worldwide in 2013. The new toothpaste was clinically proven to reduce and prevent cavities more effectively than toothpaste with the same level of fluoride alone. All major industry players, including Procter & Gamble, GlaxoSmithKline and Colgate itself, had long ago launched products with the maximum amount of fluoride allowed by Health authorities. Yet cavities remained a significant threat to public health in many countries, both developing and developed. As Suzan Harrison, Colgate's president of Oral Care, prepared to launch CMCP+SAN in Brazil, the world's third largest oral care market, her executive team was divided over the product's positioning and pricing. Should it be positioned as a basic product to maximize reach for its health benefits or as a premium product for consumers who sought superior cavity protection?

Keywords

New Product Management; Consumer Segmentation; Global Marketing; Corporate Social Responsibility; Healthcare; Sustainability; Health Care and Treatment; Environmental Sustainability; Marketing; Segmentation; Product Development; Product Launch; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Product Positioning; Consumer Products Industry; Brazil; United States

Citation

Quelch, John A., and Margaret L. Rodriguez. "Colgate-Palmolive Company: Marketing Anti-Cavity Toothpaste." Harvard Business School Case 515-050, May 2015. (Revised May 2017.)
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About The Author

John A. Quelch

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Related Work

    • June 2015 (Revised May 2017)
    • Faculty Research

    Colgate-Palmolive Company: Marketing Anti-Cavity Toothpaste

    By: John A. Quelch
    • May 2015 (Revised May 2017)
    • Faculty Research

    Colgate-Palmolive Company: Marketing Anti-Cavity Toothpaste

    By: John A. Quelch and Margaret L. Rodriguez
Related Work
  • Colgate-Palmolive Company: Marketing Anti-Cavity Toothpaste By: John A. Quelch
  • Colgate-Palmolive Company: Marketing Anti-Cavity Toothpaste By: John A. Quelch and Margaret L. Rodriguez
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