By Laura Klepacki, special to GMDC
The battle of the toothpaste titans is now spilling into the natural products arena and that may herald some big changes in the mass and price-based paste category, which according to Information Resources Inc., inched up less than one percent (excluding Wal-Mart) in 2006.
Last spring, Colgate acquired Tom's of Maine, the nation's leading marketer of natural toothpaste, for a $100 million. The partnership entered Colgate into the $3 billion U.S. market for natural oral and personal care, which has been growing at a brisk 15 percent a year. At the same time, the partnership helped Tom's products filter into mainstream mass-market stores, giving Colgate a significant new segment addition to its extensive inventory of products.
Now its rival, Procter & Gamble, is readying a new toothpaste with a natural twist to get a piece of the action. Crest Nature's Expressions is slated to hit stores in April, perhaps enticing some whole health-oriented shoppers to the traditional oral care section.
"Through consumer research, Crest discovered a growing audience segment who we identified as the 'mainstream naturals' consumer," said Diane Dietz, general manager North American oral care at P&G. "We developed Nature's Expressions for this target, a woman who wants to experience natural ingredients but whose preference indicates a strong loyalty to brands with established heritage."
Nature's Expressions combines Crest's original formula with natural flavor ingredients. The flavor ingredients are naturally sourced and minimally processed, so as not to alter molecular make-up. However, Crest Nature's Expressions also contain some artificial ingredients, so it could turn off purists.
Still, it is a significant initiative by a major player in the oral care category to appeal to the natural products consumer. Along with Colgate's Tom's of Maine, there are only a handful of true natural toothpaste offerings including items from Jason's, Kiss My Face and private label from specialty retailers such as Trader Joe's.
If change comes, it will be revolutionary. According to Information Resources Inc., of the top 15 toothpaste brands in the U.S., not one natural product appears in the ranking. Crest and Colgate brands dominate the list, with Sensodyne and Aquafresh each making one showing.
Discussion Questions: Will a possible marketing war between Crest and Colgate inject some energy into the category? Will natural products sizzle give the paste category some much need growth? Will a significant new ingredients offering move the paste category away from strictly price competition?