Sensodyne freshens up image, shifts from 'experts recommend' to 'choice'

The toothpaste brand from GSK Consumer ditches the old prescriptive advertising routine, as it looks to widen its appeal among young users

For close to a decade, Sensodyne has been pitched as a special toothpaste for sensitive teeth. One that gets inside people’s homes, not because it offers a fresh feel or, kills bad breath, but via a doctor’s recommendation. A white-coat clad and stethoscope wielding model has been its face, almost ever since its launch in 2011. Now in a new, digital-first campaign, GSK Consumer is recasting its toothpaste in a new mould, asking people to choose the brand for the love of good food above all else. The objective is to make the brand more relatable, the company said, but will this mean losing the distinctive nature of its appeal?  

GSK Consumer Healthcare’s oral care brand Sensodyne tackles Dentine Hyper Sensitivity (DHS), a condition about which the company has sought to build awareness and sensitivity. Its efforts have had the brand gain almost half the share (49 per cent) of the sensitive tooth paste market in the country, the company said. There is room for growth within the segment, but even more so outside. Hence experts say, it is to tap the potential customer base outside the subset of people with ‘sensitive gums’ that the brand’s core promise is being repurposed. 

“The campaign is designed to connect with people who hold back from enjoying their favourite foods, and therefore compromise,” says Anurita Chopra, area marketing lead, Oral Care, GSK Consumer Healthcare. Visually appealing, the ads are built on the premise that the problem of sensitive teeth is more common than one thinks it is. 

Titled #ForTheLoveOf, the campaign is based on  research done by the company that showed that one in three people suffer from tooth sensitivity in India, but only one in five take any action. As a brand, it has been driving category building and has worked towards bringing about a shift in consumer behaviour and understanding, according to Chopra. 

GSK’s pharma imagery has worked for Sensodyne in the past (As part of the deal between HUL and GSK, Sensodyne will continue to be owned by latter), but  Harish Bijoor, brand-expert and founder, Harish Bijoor Consults says, “Dental science and dental hygiene accoutrements market today is a highly segmented one. The toothpaste is the lowest common denominator in this arena. And out here, the ordinary toothpaste of the fluouride or gel variety is a competence that is OTC. Sensodyne and its category is a prescriptive oriented category,” he added.

Given the unique proposition that Sensodyne has built for itself, is the brand straying afar from its core offering, by adopting a general tone in its communication? The Rs 10,400 crore toothpaste market in India is highly penetrated category growing at a steady rate and in the last few years, there has been a fresh momentum due to a growth in use of specialised toothpastes. The sensitivity category stands at Rs 1,100 Cr and Sensodyne leads the segment, followed by Colgate Sensitive at 10 per cent market share and then a host of other players such as Thermoseal, Emoform, Sensoform, Vantej etc.

Given that the category is already highly penetrated, most of the gains are through upgrades to premium/specialised tooth pastes, price increases and increase in the repertoire of brands in the house holds. To grow therefore, brands such as Sensodyne need to tap into the general category. 

Sensodyne’s journey thus far, according to experts, has been primarily about spreading the net and drawing as many people as it can into its ambit, within the sensitive gums segment. If it has to grow, the brand must first expand the category, say experts. 

The latest campaign, developed in partnership with Grey India and Wunderman Thompson, is a digital first campaign. “This is testimony to the brand’s successful strategy in India. We will continue to invest in the brand and its category building initiatives,” said Chopra.

The company has launched on-the-ground campaigns with several malls to spread its use among the people. It has also made advances in the market through collaborations with dental health care professionals. The brand has launched variants, expanded into adjacent need spaces through offerings which delivered on sensitivity plus benefits such as Sensodyne Deep Clean, and Sensodyne Multicare. The new campaign marks a fresh attempt to expand the brand’s appeal and reach and chart a course in hitherto uncharted waters.