Hind Lever To Make Dental Care Affordable

Hindustan Lever (HLL) understands that getting the rural population hooked on to its oral care products is no easy task.

So it picked up a leaf from the national oral health policy document which propounds among other things making good dental health affordable, and preventive in nature while taking an overall holistic approach.

Affordable and preventive, are apparently, the two key words which propelled HLL into devising a product that should get talked about in a late evening lazy village chaupals and in rickety rural homes.

Obviously, HLL was not going to charge into the market fighting on price.

As it battled with the dilemma of putting up another brand, which would have gone against its stated policy of focusing on only thirty power brands, someone had a brainwave: why not combine affordability and good oral care habits into one product that guarantees against tooth decay, and at the same time, backs up the guarantee with a solid financial product.

 

Not only is HLL delivering a promise on the basic product, it is putting forward a verifiable guarantee that should any claims arise, they will be covered by an insurance company.

That serves its twin objectives: firstly, it will wean the target audience from coarse home-made products like charcoal powder to formal oral care products, and secondly, it will not have to invest in brands and the other marketing expenses to push a new product.

Says HLLs head of oral care, Pradeep Banerjee, "The first initiative of this kind, it further strengthens Pepsodents germ protector proposition. It also asserts our commitment towards improving the oral hygiene for our consumers."

Citing various statistics , HLL indicated that India is still at the higher end of the scale with the maximum number of extractions and treatment due to tooth decay.

"We are looking at educating the rural populace about good oral health hygiene and oral habits," Banerjee adds.

The scheme offers free dental insurance of upto Rs 1,000 worth to any individual who registers with the company for this scheme before April 30, 2003.

It can be availed of by people anywhere upwards of 5 to 6 years and up to 50 years of age.

In specified cities of Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai, Bangalore and Hyderabad, expenses up to Rs 1,100 could be reimbursed.

But it is still a winning proposition, in the sense that the company expects a tremendous build up in interest ( and obviously increased sales) but few claims.

Adds Banerjee that "As a proof of Pepsodents performance, we do not expect too many claims to arise."

This initiate opens up another front in HLLs war to grow the oral care market. HLL, through Pepsodent has been going to schools in rural India to promote good oral health. It hopes to cover over 10,000 villages this year.