Pantene Pro-V anti-dandruff shampoo marketing mix and strategy

Pantene Pro-V anti-dandruff shampoo 4P's marketing mix

Current pricing

The Pantene Pro-V anti-dandruff shampoo competes in the mature and highly saturated market of cosmetics products. Economic agents are attracted by the market due to its opportunities for development and revenues, but also due to the steady demand. The market situation is as such one in which increasing numbers of agents serve the same customer base, but at higher degrees of intense competition. In such a context, the price plays a crucial role in attracting the customers (Business Standard, 2004).

The Pantene Pro-V anti-dandruff shampoo is currently priced less than its number one competitor Head & Shoulders (Rediff, 2004). The price is nevertheless established in accordance to the costs incurred in its manufacturing and distribution, meaning as such that it is sensitive to changes impacting the Australian micro and macro environments. At the level of consumer responses, a slight change in its price is expected to not generate major shifts as a result of customer loyalty to the brand, but massive changes in the retail price -- specifically major increases in the retail price -- are expected to reduce the demand for the product. In essence, the Pantene shampoo is a product which follows the basic rules of economics and the demand for it decreases as its price increases.

The linked evolution between price and demand is given by the fact that the price increase limits the purchasing powers of the Australian consumers, making it less difficult for them to purchase a product in the high end category. Additionally, this decision to reduce the demand for the Pantene Pro-V anti-dandruff shampoo in the context of incremental prices is pegged to the fact that the fierce competition in the industry makes is extremely easy for the consumers to replace the product. In essence, the threat of substitute products with the Australian hair care products industry is high.

1.3. Current promotion

The promotional strategy of Pantene is focused on strengthening the brand, creating awareness of the products and generating demand for them. In the case of the anti-dandruff shampoos, the largest market share is detained by Head & Shoulders and Pantene has for years been unable to rival the position of its competitor. The current promotional strategy is focused on informing the Australian customers that the company has created its own product to fight dandruff. Additionally, aside from the informational feature, the promotional strategies are also aimed at promoting the Pantene brand and attracting the Australian customers through the promise of healthy and beautiful hair in exchange for using the product.

The Pantene Pro-V anti-dandruff shampoos are promoted through a wide array of channels, the most popular being television commercials. Magazine advertisements are also common and the strategy is that of persuading the customers to buy Pantene (Buakanda, 2009). The company is also using the internet to promote its products and the promotional messages in these campaigns are often similar: provision of information and creation of customer appeal.

The aim of the promotional strategy is that of advancing the product as a noteworthy competitor for Head & Shoulders and convincing the Australian consumers to purchase it. It is also focused on strengthening the brand, attracting new customers, but also enforcing the loyalty of existing customers. As a recent trend, the marketing campaigns of Pantene have also commenced to integrate the green feature. In other words, the company is trying to also focus on the social and environmental responsibility of its operations and actions. This new center of attention is likely to generate a positive return on Pantene's investments in promotional campaigns as it follows a trend of consumer demands. "A study published last month by the Boston Consulting Group found that consumers worldwide expressed an interest in buying green products despite the slumping economy" (Wong, 2009).

References:

Promotion strategy, Buakanda, 2009, http://buakanda.blogspot.com/2009/08/promotion-strategy.html last accessed on April 11, 2011

Rolnicki, K., Managing channels of distribution, AMACOM Div American Mgmt Assn, 1998

Wong, E., Pantene goes natural, Adweek, 2009, http://www.adweek.com/aw/content_display/creative/news/e3ie7ae6a91eebf611fa8fd91a7b3666e1f last accessed on April 11, 2011

Price war in shampoo market over, Business Standard, 2004, http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/price-war-in-shampoo-market-over/189903 / last accessed on April 11, 2011

Shampoo wars: P&G to cut Pantene prices, Rediff, 2004, http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/price-war-in-shampoo-market-over/189903 / last accessed on April 11, 2011

Yellow Pages, 2011, http://www.yellowpages.com.au last accessed on April 11, 2011