Date:05/11/2009 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2009/11/05/stories/2009110550650500.htm

Back Godrej aims to get a grip on hand hygiene market with Protekt

Launches sanitisers, wet wipes and hand-wash products.

“We will be using the know-how and technology from the Cuticura brand, which is already a market leader in the UK, in the hand hygiene space.”

Purvita Chatterjee

Mumbai, Nov. 4 Taking a cue from the recent swine flu menace, Godrej Consumer Products (GCPL) has introduced a new brand – Protekt — with products such as hand sanitisers, hand washes and wet wipes.

Positioned on the “germkill” proposition, the products would mark GCPL’s re-entry into the hand-sanitiser category as it had a similar product under the Cinthol brandthat was discontinued.

Wet wipes and hand wash are the new segments being targeted by the FMCG major, which would be pitted against established brands such as Dettol and Lifebuoy in the hand wash category.

Speaking to Business Line, Mr V. Suresh, Vice-President Marketing, GCPL, said, “We will be using the know-how and technology from the Cuticura brand, which is already a market leader in the UK, in the hand hygiene space. The Protekt hand sanitiser would be our flagship product and we believe we would be the first big player in this market.”

Cuticura belongs to Keyline Brands, an FMCG company acquired by Godrej Group in 2005.

The hand sanitiser market is relatively nascent and not crowded and is estimated at between Rs 15 crore and Rs 20 crore against the Rs 75-crore hand wash market dominated by brands such as Dettol, Fem and Lifebuoy from larger FMCG companies such as HUL, Reckitt Benckiser and Dabur. “The space is big in the hand sanitiser market currently, and we felt a new brand was needed to lead in this space which could not have been filled by Cinthol,” said Mr Suresh.

However, Cinthol has been extended as a hand wash and sanitiser in West Asian markets where Godrej has a presence through its subsidiary.

“The germkill proposition would not stand for Cinthol, which is positioned on freshness and energy. However, we continue to sell some amount of Cinthol hand sanitisers and hand washes in West Asia,” said Mr Hoshi Press, Vice-Chairman, GCPL.

The hand sanitiser market is mainly in the hands of brands such as Clarus, Chandrika and Himalaya. The wet wipes market is smaller and is nearly vacant except for a couple of local brands such as Wet Ones and maybe the only national brand – Kara from Aditya Birla Nuvo.

“Wet Wipes is practically a vacant market and again we would be using the advantage of our heritage brand of Cuticura to make a foray into the hand hygiene segment,” said Mr Suresh.

GCPL has appointed BBDO as the new advertising agency to build the Protekt brand with an “anti-bacterial germkill’ positioning.