Take a Deep Breath to Market a Diaper in India.
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Huggies to tap doctors to push diaper use
Purvita Chatterjee
Mumbai, Jan. 10:
Convincing an Indian mother to use diapers for her baby is not easy. But when doctors or paediatricians suggest the same, it is likely to become a worthwhile proposition.
Kimberly Clark Lever, the maker of Huggies brand, is targeting doctors and nursing homes as ‘influencers’ to new parents to use diapers right from birth for their babies.
“Today, doctors are functioning as key influencers and we are working closely with 200 hospitals. Through a focused education-based programme, both doctors and the hospital staff are helping us in reaching out to new mothers directly and most of them are happy to receive samples of the Huggies diaper,” says Prakash Iyer, Managing Director, Kimberly Clark Lever.
Key Challenges
But there are inherent challenges in the Rs 1,200-crore diaper category which is growing at a CAGR of 30 per cent. “Acceptability, availability and affordability are the three key challenges. We have already taken several efforts to beat these challenges and these include educating consumers about the benefits of diaper usage, ensuring easy access for our products and pricing them competitively,” says Iyer.
Credibility factor
But more than distribution or price, it is first going to be acceptability of the category through doctors which may work in its favour. As Jagdeep Kapoor, Managing Director, Samsika Marketing Consultants, says, “When there is an influencer such as a doctor, the credibility of the product goes up. It is a supplementary route which will work for the category in terms of changing the mindset of the Indian consumer. Educating consumers will work more than price or distribution for the diaper category.”
Today, a Huggies diaper is available for as low as Rs 10 and price is only one of the considerations. Giving a range to suit every consumer’s need is what the company
Top of Form
SEARCH
Bottom of Form
Huggies to tap doctors to push diaper use
Purvita Chatterjee
Mumbai, Jan. 10:
Convincing an Indian mother to use diapers for her baby is not easy. But when doctors or paediatricians suggest the same, it is likely to become a worthwhile proposition.
Kimberly Clark Lever, the maker of Huggies brand, is targeting doctors and nursing homes as ‘influencers’ to new parents to use diapers right from birth for their babies.
“Today, doctors are functioning as key influencers and we are working closely with 200 hospitals. Through a focused education-based programme, both doctors and the hospital staff are helping us in reaching out to new mothers directly and most of them are happy to receive samples of the Huggies diaper,” says Prakash Iyer, Managing Director, Kimberly Clark Lever.
Key Challenges
But there are inherent challenges in the Rs 1,200-crore diaper category which is growing at a CAGR of 30 per cent. “Acceptability, availability and affordability are the three key challenges. We have already taken several efforts to beat these challenges and these include educating consumers about the benefits of diaper usage, ensuring easy access for our products and pricing them competitively,” says Iyer.
Credibility factor
But more than distribution or price, it is first going to be acceptability of the category through doctors which may work in its favour. As Jagdeep Kapoor, Managing Director, Samsika Marketing Consultants, says, “When there is an influencer such as a doctor, the credibility of the product goes up. It is a supplementary route which will work for the category in terms of changing the mindset of the Indian consumer. Educating consumers will work more than price or distribution for the diaper category.”
Today, a Huggies diaper is available for as low as Rs 10 and price is only one of the considerations. Giving a range to suit every consumer’s need is what the company