CHEWING GUM-Product Evolution

Chewing gum is one of the most popular traditional confection item which has endured the test of time through suitable product evolution & innovation.Typically,chewing gum is made of Chickle,a natural latex product(that is why the brand name-Chicklets).If we look at the per-capita consumption of chewing gum in India it is only 8 per year as compared to 2000 per year in U.S.A & 1000 in Russia.The current size of the Indian chewing gum market is estimated to be about 1000 Crores(INR)thus it offers huge opportunity to companies like Perfetti & Wrigley in terms of market & new product development.

Through the ages,it is believed that chewing gum helps in increasing concentration & losing calories-thus seconding Wrigley's tagline 'Gum is Good'.However,in the current scenario it is contended that gums can be one of the most effective vehicle for drug administration.On an average,it is found that a person chews gum for about 20 minutes.Thus,the average 'inside-the-mouth' time for chewing gum remains very high as compared to lozenges or chewable tablets/candies.Therefore,drugs required for local or direct action in the respiratory tract can be very well administered through chewing gums.Also,it is contended that the cheek walls are very well perfused & can therefore bring about excellent & quick absorption of drugs.Besides,drugs administered through chewing gum also do not undergo hepatic first pass effect-thus increasing the bioavailability of drug.

Currently,not many chewing gum brands in India are positioned on the health plank.However,the recent years saw the launch of products like Protex Happydent which is claimed to prevent tooth decay due to the presence of a special ingredient called 'Xylitol'.Also,Happydent White which contains sodium bi-carbonate helps to keep teeth clean & white.Other brands like Orbit also offer similar benefits & assist in maintaining oral hygiene.Though currently most of the brands are concentrating only on oral hygiene,there are also numerous opportunities in developing chewing gums with sustained release formulations,anti-tussives etc.

GARNIER MEN--Brand Analysis

Garnier Men-Powerlight is the range of skincare products launched by Garnier to exclusively cater to Indian Men & their increased grooming needs. India is pioneering the launch of this brand worldwide.

The Powerlight range currently comprises of Fairness Face Wash, Fairness Moisturizer SPF 15 & 6 hr Oil Control fairness Moisturiser.All these products are completely natural & have Lemon Extract as a common ingredient in them.

The Fairness Moisturizer contains SPF15 agent. SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor & is defined as the time taken before Sunburn occurs when the skin is exposed to Sunlight. Typically sunlight comprises of both UVA & UVB rays.However, SPF only measures the protection against UVB & not UVA.There are other methods like Persistent Pigment Darkening (PPD) to measure protection against UVA.SPF has different ratings depending on the level of protection being offered by the Sun Screen. For Instance SPF 15 offers a protection of about 91% while SPF 30 offers a protection of 97%. Owing to consumer confusion over the real degree and duration of protection offered by SPF, labeling restrictions are in force in several countries. In 2007, FDA proposed to institute the labeling of SPF 50+ for sunscreens offering more protection. This and other measures were proposed to limit unrealistic claims about the level of protection offered.

Today, men of all ages are taking a keener interest in their appearance – a Gillette India study indicates that Indian men now spend an average of 20 minutes in the mirror each morning, higher than the 18-minute average for Indian women. If we look at the Men’s grooming sector in India, quite a few FMCG giants have already forayed the category. Recently Elder Pharma announced its plans to launch multitude men grooming products under the ‘FUEL’ umbrella brand which was kick started by the launch of the deodorant. Also, companies like Emami, HUL, Nivea etc have already entered the Men’s grooming category & robed in popular faces to endorse their brands.

Thus, Garnier Men shall undoubtedly face competition from within the industry.However; the success of the brand depends upon the manner in which it tackles competition from other sectors where males spend their discretionary money. According to a report, more than half of the men surveyed said they would rather spend their excess cash on eating out or recreation, trendy clothes and new accessories, ahead of personal grooming activities and related products. Thus the actual challenge for Garnier would be to increase the per-capita spending by men on grooming & to make the product necessary to its target audience.