Off late I have felt that toothpaste adverts are very similar to shampoo adverts. I apologise, if anyone reading this expected a deeper, perhaps existential dilemma that I might be discussing here. This is no less to me, as I punch the keys on my laptop.
Remember the time when one would stand in a supermarket, wondering at a wall of stashed shampoos, whether one’s hair is smooth or oily, damaged or oily and damaged, dry or dry and damaged? The wonderful it all looked as a coloured viscous liquid showed off the ‘miraculous’ results on a ‘model-head’! So, will it be egg or olive; Indian gooseberry (amla) or tea, papaya or acacia - the choices were infinite and as confusing.
Toothpastes now have started doing the same to all consumers, globally. Confuse. Back in the days, when this author was a child, one only heard fluorides. Today, the toothpaste industry rides on many things more. I am presented with the exact insurmountable question each time I have to make a purchase. Salt or Sugar? Micro-blasters or zeolites? Tartar removing or plaque removing? Peppermint or spearmint? Gel or un-gel? Red or blue? Or just white and stripes?
Oh, the pains we take for the love of pearly whites! Or shiny blacks!
Well done marketers!
totally agreed……..kids are so spoilt for choices and ask me questions half of which i hve no answers or clues to .arey yaar each family member wants a diff toothpaste…….”hamarey zamaney mein” bas ek hi toohtpaste hua karti thee….. complicated world wid more complications
…..
Posted by vibsbha | November 29, 2011, 17:40Wasn’t life easier then?
Posted by Dev J Haldar aka Calmdev | November 29, 2011, 20:12I’ll admit it–I get overwhelmed in the the toothpaste isle! I’d like to think of myself as a fairly quick decision maker too, but for some reason because it’s for the sake of my dental hygiene I panic! I usually just end up going for whatever my mom bought us as kids, as long as its a reasonable price…
Posted by Stephanie Bennis | November 29, 2011, 18:06Thank you Stephanie for your comment!
Agree with you. We usually associate a lot of brand loyalty to brands we have seen our parents use. But shampoos still beat me… sigh!
Posted by Dev J Haldar aka Calmdev | November 29, 2011, 20:15so true Dev . .. this are all marketing gimmicks. . . but it make us look fool out there… remember Colgate as the only toothpaste available earlier . . . please add shaving cream as well… even remember the add by our own Kapil paji Palmolive ka jawab nahi . . .and girls appearing in shaving adds ufff…
Posted by mobin agha | November 29, 2011, 19:46Just a bit of ani-thesis when we say that consumers are very aware / intelligent these days; well marketers are sharper than we think.
Posted by Dev J Haldar aka Calmdev | November 29, 2011, 20:14i still will never understand the fairness cream ads…… u use it only on the face right and yet the whole body gets fairer…..pity those who buy these creams……. now imagine these cosmetics targetting the teenage groups
we were never allowed to use a lipstick till i got engaged …
Posted by vibsbha | November 30, 2011, 05:08The world we are living in is driven by ‘consumerism’ and the consumers of today are much more pampered, finicky & choosy, when it comes to buying any ‘consumer product’….be it a simple toothpaste to a high-end mobile to a luxury car/apartment. And, when faced with such demanding & informed customers, the marketing strategy is devised carefully so as to cater to the entire gamut of ‘customers’ making every ‘Customer feel that he/she is treated like a KING’.
It’s a pure case of ‘economics’, where multiple wants are met with multiple products.
Posted by Hari Achariya | November 30, 2011, 10:19Hari, a kingmaker, more often, more powerful than the king!
Posted by Dev J Haldar aka Calmdev | November 30, 2011, 11:04