In just 5 years of its presence in the `6,700 crore Indian toothpaste market, Sensodyne has emerged as a leader in the sensitivity segment, shares Anurita Chopra, Area Marketing Lead “ Oral Health, ISC, GSK Consumer Healthcare with Elets News Network (ENN)

As such, oral healthcare is quite a neglected area in rural and semi-urban areas. How is GSK Consumer Healthcare planning to ensure affordable oral healthcare through right interventions across both rural and urban areas of India?

Rural areas are growing at three times of urban markets for us, with over 10 per cent of our business coming from these markets. The rural consumer recognises the condition and is looking for the effective solutions to manage this.

Sensodyne Rural programme includes activities, such as reaching out to rural medical professionals and chemists detailing about the condition and the solution. Home-to- home sampling to rural consumers is an integral part of the programme that happens along with educating them about tooth sensitivity.

Please walk us through the range of oral healthcare products introduced by GSK Consumer Healthcare in recent times? What kind of evolution in consumer needs, especially in a market like India, propelled the manufacturing of these healthcare products?

Sensodyne is the worlds no. 1 toothpaste for dentine hypersensitivity (DHS) and is the fastest growing oral care brand from GSK Consumer Healthcare. In just 5 years of its presence in the `6,700 crore Indian toothpaste market, Sensodyne has emerged as a leader in the sensitivity segment. GSK Sensodyne has a vast product portfolio:

Sensodyne Whitening “ After the success of Sensodyne, GSK Consumer Healthcare is foraying into a new segment in the toothpaste market with the launch of Sensodyne Whitening. This new toothpaste takes teeth back to the best by keeping a unique balance between sensitivity and restoring natural whiteness.

Sensodyne Base “ Sensodyne Base consists of potassium nitrate, as clinical studies show potassium nitrate progressively reduces sensitivity over a period of weeks. Sensodyne is clinically proven to provide relief from DHS in 4 weeks. It is priced at `50 for 40 g and `100 for 80 g.

Sensodyne Rapid Relief “ Sensodyne Rapid Relief gets to work in just 60 seconds. Rapid Relief is a quick response solution that creates deep, acid-resistant occlusions that prevent tooth sensitivity. In addition to this, regular use of Sensodyne Rapid Relief also ensures long-term protection against DHS. It is priced at `65 for 40 g and `120 for 80 g.

Sensodyne Repair & Protect “ Sensodyne Repair & Protect provides a higher order benefit of repair as it repairs areas of the tooth that are susceptible to sudden sensitivity with daily use. Powered with patented NovaMin technology, a breakthrough clinically proven formula, helps in repairing vulnerable sensitive areas with the natural building blocks of your teeth. It is priced at `80 for 40 g and `150 for 80 g.

Sensodyne Expert Toothbrush “ Sensodyne Expert Toothbrush has been designed for people with sensitive teeth. It is scientifically crafted with cross active bristles which provide effective cleaning of the teeth, up to 20 times slimmer bristle tips to clean hard-to-reach areas and a tongue cleaner for cleaning of the tongue. Its broad ergonomic handle ensures comfortable grip and better reach.

We are aware that GSK Consumer Healthcare has significantly increased investments in the Indian market in terms of infrastructure, manufacturing outlets and in retailers. Please throw light on what kind of business collaborations & measures you are looking forward to accelerate the reach of your oral healthcare products.

Four out of five sensitivity sufferers continue to use normal toothpaste instead of a specialist solution like Sensodyne. Our job is to accelerate trials of our product so that more sufferers can lead a life of no compromise. To do the same, we look for partners who can collaborate with us and drive this agenda harder.

  Sensodyne Rural Programme
  • Reaching out to rural medical professionals
  • Connecting with chemists detailing about the condition & solution
  • Home-to-home sampling to rural consumers along with educating them about tooth sensitivity

What kind of research and development (R&D) and innovative procedures are followed while manufacturing oral healthcare products? Please provide details.

Sensodyne comes from the house of GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), one of worlds largest consumer healthcare companies with a heritage that goes back to over 160 years. GSK is a science-led global healthcare company with a mission, which is to help people to do more, feel better and live longer.

Science forms the core of GSKs product portfolio, along with a relentless focus on innovation and customer. Sensodyne is one such brand which is dedicated to creating a future where every life is sensitivity free. Sensodyne has been available in the Indian market since 2010, starting with its base variant. Since then, it has continuously been innovating to cater to various consumer needs, such as quick comfort and also repairing of teeth. Within 2 years of its national launch, Sensodyne was available in three variants that include Base Sensodyne, Sensodyne Rapid Relief and Sensodyne Repair & Protect and also extended to toothbrushes in 2013.

  GSK Consumer Healthcare – Overview
  • Operational in the Indian market since 2010
  • Believes in continuously innovating various consumer needs

Looking at the wide disparity in the income distribution in India and lack of awareness, what kind of innovative marketing and distribution measures are being enunciated by GSK Consumer Healthcare to achieve the of pan-India coverage?

Sensodyne invested heavily in building awareness and educating the consumers about sensitivity through its extensive consumer outreach programme “ chill tests, at various high-footfall areas asking people to drink cold water. The simple yet effective tests made people realise that they unknowingly suffer from teeth sensitivity which was leading them to not enjoy food and drinks which they could have easily done. When engaged in a conversation with the brand promoters, people recalled that they had experienced short sharp sensations earlier too, but had never taken it seriously. Once their curiosity was piqued, the brand promoters explained the benefits of Sensodyne to the sufferers.

In another significant outreach programme, Sensodyne also redefined engagement with its key stakeholders “ the dentist community in India. Sensodyne adopted a long- term engagement route with the dental community wherein its representatives visited the dentists more frequently and engaged with them more closely to detail the science behind Sensodynes range of products. This definitely helped the brand to build a stronger dental equity.

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