Colgate Children's Toothpaste Flavor Extension: Australia Marketing Plan
This paper presents a product extension marketing plan for Colgate-Palmolive's children's toothpaste line in the Australian market. It begins with an overview of Colgate's global toothpaste portfolio and the importance of establishing early brushing habits in children. A PEST situational analysis examines Australia's economic, sociocultural, technological, and legal environment. The paper then evaluates the competitive landscape, customer base, and market size — estimated at approximately 60 million units annually — before presenting a SWOT analysis. It concludes with packaging and flavor innovation ideas, including fruit-themed characters and holiday tie-ins, designed to increase children's engagement with oral hygiene products.
- Introduction to Toothpaste and Colgate's Product Portfolio: Overview of toothpaste, Colgate brands, and children's market
- Situational Analysis for Australia: PEST analysis of Australia's market environment
- Competitive Analysis and Market Share: Colgate's position and competitors in Australia
- Customer Base and Market Size: Children's segment size and annual unit potential
- SWOT Analysis: Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats
- Packaging, Flavors, and Product Extension Ideas: Flavor concepts, packaging themes, and brand extensions
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What makes this paper effective
- Uses standard marketing frameworks — PEST and SWOT — and applies them directly to a specific product and geographic market, giving the analysis concrete focus.
- Supports market size claims with simple, transparent calculations (e.g., 5 million children × 12 tubes per year = 60 million SKUs), making the business case easy to follow.
- Connects packaging and flavor ideas back to established research on children's brushing behavior, grounding creative proposals in evidence.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates applied market analysis: it selects an appropriate analytical framework (PEST for environment, SWOT for competitive position), populates each cell with market-specific evidence, and then translates findings directly into actionable product recommendations. This link between environmental analysis and product strategy is a core skill in marketing coursework.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with product and company background, moves through situational and competitive analysis, and closes with strategic recommendations on flavor and packaging. Each section builds on the previous one, moving from context to analysis to application — a standard business-report structure well suited to a marketing plan assignment at the undergraduate level.
Introduction to Toothpaste and Colgate's Product Portfolio
Toothpaste is a generic term for oral pastes or gels that, together with a toothbrush, clean and maintain the health of teeth. Toothpaste aids oral health by providing abrasiveness to remove dental plaque and food from the teeth, reducing bad breath, and delivering active ingredients such as fluoride and xylitol to help prevent tooth and gum disease. While most of the physical cleaning is achieved by the mechanical action of the toothbrush, taste, flavor, and color all influence brushing compliance — particularly in children. Although toothpaste is never intended to be swallowed, research finds that children are more likely to brush, and to brush longer, when using a good-tasting toothpaste (Toothpaste, 2011).
One of the leading global producers of toothpaste is the Colgate-Palmolive Company, an American multinational that in 2009 posted $15.3 billion in revenue. Colgate focuses on household and personal care products including soaps, detergents, veterinary products, and oral hygiene (Colgate-Palmolive, 2011). Currently, Colgate produces 13 brands of toothpaste designed to promote oral health across specific consumer niches:
| Brand | Key Benefits |
|---|---|
| Colgate Total Advanced | Advanced whiteners; lasts 12 hours in germ prevention and plaque reduction; includes silica. |
| Colgate Sensitive Pro-Relief | Clinically proven to relieve sensitivity; for those with oral sensitivity issues. |
| Colgate Total | Same as Total Advanced without silica. |
| Colgate Max-Fresh | Minty flavor; all benefits of Total with enhanced breath fresheners. |
| Colgate Luminous | Reinforces enamel layers to protect against stains and yellowing. |
| Colgate ProClinical White | Clinical levels of whiteners. |
| Colgate Sensitive | Entry-level formula for sensitive teeth. |
| Colgate 2in1 | Liquid gel varieties. |
| Colgate Sparkling White | Whiteners plus mint. |
| Colgate Cavity Protection | Strong levels of fluoride. |
| Colgate Baking Soda and Peroxide Whitening Bubbles | Baking soda and peroxide as primary ingredients. |
| Colgate Tartar Protection with Whitening | Primarily designed as a cavity fighter. |
| Colgate Ultrabrite | Advanced whitening formula. |
| Colgate Triple Action | Family toothpaste designed for cavity protection, whiter teeth, and fresher breath. |
| Colgate Kids' Toothpastes | Divided into age groups 0–2, 2–5, 5–8, and 8–12; also available in SpongeBob and Dora the Explorer themes. Younger children's products are mildly fruit-flavored and safe to swallow. |
(Toothpastes, 2011)
It is extremely important to develop good brushing habits in young children as early as possible. Dentists and child nutrition scholars suggest a number of strategies: colored toothbrushes, reward charts, appealing flavors, and so on. Brushing at least twice a day is imperative for proper oral health (Maritz, 2009). For marketing professionals, the children's market has been significant for decades. When marketers recognized that children's preferences had become an important and decisive factor in parents' buying habits, they adjusted their strategies accordingly.
A classic example of this dynamic is found in the toothpaste industry. Companies originally formulated products to appeal to a broad audience — parents, grandparents, adolescents, and children — so they defaulted to mint or cinnamon flavors. Children tended to dislike both, which led manufacturers to introduce bubble-gum flavor. Children responded enthusiastically, spurring numerous product extensions including flavored mouthwash, toothbrushes, and dental floss (Stanton & George, 2005, p. 251). A recent review of products available in Australia or through mail order found nearly 500 different flavored toothpastes for children currently on the market (Child Flavored Toothpastes, 2011).
References
Australia. (2011, January). Retrieved from The World Bank: http://data.worldbank.org/country/australia
Central Intelligence Agency. (2011, January). Australia. Retrieved from CIA World Factbook: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/as.html
Child Flavored Toothpastes. (2011, September). Retrieved from TheFind: http://www.thefind.com/beauty/browse-child-flavored-toothpaste
Colgate-Palmolive. (2011, January). Products and information. Retrieved from Corporate Web Page:
Funny Face Packs. (2005, June). Retrieved from The Imaginary World: http://theimaginaryworld.com/ffpac.html
Maritz, L. (2009). Health, safety and nutrition for the young child. Belmont, CA: Cengage Wadsworth.
Soap, Detergent Manufacturing in Australia. (2011, July). Retrieved from IBIS World: http://www.ibisworld.com.au/industry/default.aspx?indid=190
Stanton, J., & George, R. (2005). Success leaves clues: Practical tools. Aberdeen, WA: Silver Lake Publishing.
Sydney Morning News. (2003, November 27). Brighter future of toothpaste. Retrieved from SMH.com.au: http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/11/26/1069825840957.html
Taste Test: Healthy store-bought snacks for kids. (2011, April). Retrieved from Epicurious:
Toothpaste. (2011, June). Retrieved from Dental Plaque Formation and Protection: http://dentalplaque.wikispaces.com/Toothpaste
Toothpastes. (2011, January). Retrieved from Colgate Oral and Dental Health Resource Center:
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