Think oral care with benefits

In today’s social media-obsessed world, a person’s smile not only says a lot about him or her, but also says it to a lot more people worldwide. It is no wonder, then, that oral care has been receiving so much attention lately.

The overall oral care market has grown with new and expanded products aimed at addressing common concerns ranging from general hygiene and tooth sensitivity to teeth whitening. And as we continue to live longer and healthier lives, keeping our teeth healthy will become an integral part of our overall health.

According to “Oral Care — US,” a May report from global market research firm Mintel, sales within the overall oral care category are expected to grow a modest 2 percent this year. New product innovations, as well as strong brush head replacement sales within the floss/accessories/tools segment, are leading the charge.

Innovation continues

A lot has changed within the oral care product segment over recent years. Many products that were once exclusive to dental professionals are now available at local retailers.

Consumer versions of professional oral care products are on-trend and important, according to Paul Cira, managing director of Toronto-based BrushPoint Innovations Inc. These products include power toothbrushes, whitening products and interdental tools for consumers demanding professional-quality results at home.

Also gaining momentum are natural oral care products.

“Natural continues to be a growing segment as consumers are now more conscious of the ingredients in the products they use,” says Mary Thomson, vice president of sales for Dr. Collins Inc., Lake Forest, Calif. “Natural ingredients such as xylitol, charcoal and tea tree oil have gained a lot of buzz for their oral care benefits — for example, anti-plaque, whitening, antiseptic, etc.”

Products catering to specific oral health conditions such as dry mouth and teeth sensitivity are in demand and should be included in a retailers product lineup, she adds.

“With the senior population and prescription drug use increasing, more and more people have reported suffering from dry mouth symptoms,” Thomson explains.

Dr. Collins offers self-dissolving dry mouth strips, which feature Optaflow technology to provide on-the-go relief, she adds.

Speaking of “on-the-go” opportunities, Mintel analysts point to portable oral care products as a way to increase product usage. Some suggestions include oral wipes, on-the-go kits and disposable toothbrushes that come with toothpaste already dispensed onto the brush.

Perfect timing

The constant innovation within the oral care category has proved challenging for the private label sector. According to Cira, store brands are simply waiting too long to roll out new products, especially when it comes to whitening products.

“Retailers have waited a year and a half to two years before coming out with private label versions with the same [whitening] benefit,” he says. “Because there’s so much innovation in the marketplace, that timeframe is really too long now.”

Cira suggests that retailers react quicker to capitalize on new product success.

Duff Lewis, senior director of marketing services, Ranir, Grand Rapids, Mich., calls on retailers to be focused on “regimen selling” with their private label oral care SKUs, similar to what the national brands are doing. For example, they could market toothbrushes, toothpaste, mouthwash, whitening strips, etc., all together as a joint oral care solution.

“There should be an ‘umbrella’ brand name used across all of these products along with similar graphics to tie them together in a way that is understandable to the consumer,” he explains. “The message being that using these products, in combination with one another, will generate better whitening results than using these products individually.”

And when it comes to product marketing, retailers should not be afraid to pull out all the stops. With whitening products, in particular, retailers should actively promote their own brands through displays, shelf talkers, coupons, circulars and customer loyalty programs, Lewis insists.

Retailers need to allocate a fair share of space to private label across the category, too, Cira suggests.

“[The brands] will put in a toothbrush, a mouthwash, a toothpaste all on the same end,” he explains. “I think that private label needs to do the same thing if they can. They need to try and do some on-shelf activity across their oral care line of their own branded products.”

A condition-specific approach to merchandising also could be the wave of the future. Many consumers are self-diagnosing oral care concerns via easy-to-access information found online.

“I expect retailers will eventually start merchandising oral care products based on the condition they serve — for example, sensitivity, whitening, dry mouth — as opposed to grouping by brand,” Thomson says.

As far as placement in relation to the national brands, it’s worth noting some retailers have moved away from brand blocking — that is, positioning the store brand SKU next to the comparable national brand SKU, he adds. But the result has been a negative impact on store brand product sales.

“In order to make comparison shopping easier for the consumer and drive more store brand sales,” Lewis says, “the retailer should ensure their store brand products are positioned correctly next to the national brand.”

Opportunity for expansion

Looking ahead, retailers have a tremendous opportunity grow penetration of store brand oral care products.

“I think there’s a huge opportunity to expand penetration for [private label] oral care by providing more differentiated items in combination with national brand equivalency,” Cira says.

One of BrushPoint Innovations’ power oral care systems stands out, in particular, because it is not really a national brand equivalent, yet it remains a top-selling private labeled item for many retailers, he says, adding that this example is just one way retailers could use innovation to ensure store loyalty and increase retail margins.

Do consider product development that addresses specific conditions such as dry mouth or sensitivity.

Don’t miss the opportunity to market multiple store brand products as a total oral care solution.

Do be an innovator or a fast follower.

Don’t ignore the growing natural oral care segment.