ASIAN CASE RESEARCH JOURNAL, VOL.

13, ISSUE 1, 105–143 (2009)

ACRJ
Dettol: Managing Brand Extensions
This case is prepared by
Assistant Professor Anand
Kumar Jaiswal of Indian “What next?” pondered Vishal Khannaa, General Manager
Institute of Management,
Ahmedabad, Arpita Srivastav, (Marketing), Reckitt Benckiser India Limited (RBIL), as he
doctoral candidate at Man- sat gazing at the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) matrix of
agement Development Insti-
tute Gurgaon, and Dhwani Dettol brand extensions (Exhibit 1). It was December 20, 2006
Kothari, MBA Class of 2003, and Mr. Khanna was putting together decisions concerning
XLRI Jamshedpur. It is pre-
pared from the published the brand extensions of Dettol. RBIL had rolled out more
sources and the informa- than eight extensions of Dettol in the past and many of them
tion provided by ACNielsen
ORG-MARG Private Limited had failed to establish their presence in the market. Khanna
(“ACNielsen”), as the basis
for classroom discussion rath- was entrusted with the task of assessing the performance of
er than to illustrate either ef- various extensions. He was wondering what future course of
fective or ineffective handling
of an administrative situation. action the company should take. He first started reflecting on
ACNielsen owns all rights in the long journey traversed by Dettol in India.
its information which is copy-
righted in ACNielsen’s name.

Please address all correspon-

dence to Assistant Professor RECKITT BENCKISER INDIA LIMITED:
Anand Kumar Jaiswal, COMPANY BACKGROUND
Indian Institute of Manage-
ment, Vastrapur, Ahmedabad
380015, India. E-mail:
akjaiswal@iimahd.ernet.in. Reckitt Benckiser India Limited (RBIL) was a wholly owned
subsidiary of Reckitt Benckiser plc. The parent company was
the world’s number one in household cleaning products.
It had its operations in over 60 countries and its products
were sold in 180 countries.1 In 2004, it had a turnover of
£3,871 million and net profits were £586 million.2 The Indian
subsidiary was incorporated in 1951 as Reckitt & Colman
India. With the merger of the parent company with Benckiser

aNames are disguised. Case setting is created for the purpose of facilitating classroom
discussion.

© 2009 by World Scientific Publishing Co.

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NV of the Netherlands in December 1999, it was renamed

Reckitt Benckiser India Limited. RBIL contributed 4% to
global revenues of Reckitt Benckiser plc.3 The sales for its key
products are provided in Exhibit 2. The sales figures for RBIL
are given in Exhibit 3.
The company had two main divisions: household
products and over-the-counter (OTC) pharmaceutical products.
Fabric care, surface cleaners, pest control, air fresheners, and
lavatory care products constituted the household division,
while antiseptic creams, ointments, and analgesics fell under
the OTC pharmaceutical products division. RBIL was a leader
in most of the categories in which it was present. About 85%
of its revenues came from brands which were number one or
number two in their respective categories.4 The company had
around 20 brands in its portfolio which included Robin Blue,
Dettol, Dispirin, Coldarin, Cherry Blossom, Lizol, Harpic,
and Mortein. Pest control, toilet soaps, surface care, and
fabric care products contributed 74% of total revenues.5 The
product portfolio of RBIL is given in Exhibit 4. The shares
of various categories in 2001 were as follows: household
products, 51.7%; toiletries, 20.7%; laundry products, 11.3%;
pharmaceutical products, 13%; and food products and others,
3.4%.6
RBIL followed a niche market strategy, and focused
more on niche segments which had concentration of a large
number of unorganized players and a few organized players.
The strategy had reaped good results, and had made its
brands market leader in respective categories. However,
of late, the company was facing tough competition from
local players in a few product categories such as laundry care
and ointments in OTC, leading to a decline in the market
share.

ORIGIN AND EVOLUTION OF DETTOL BRAND

The moment anybody said antiseptic, the image of Dettol

conjured up. Dettol was one of the world’s most used and

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 DETTOL: MANAGING BRAND EXTENSIONS 107

trusted antiseptics. Dettol antiseptic liquidb had become

generic to its category soon after its launch in the 1930s7 and
had maintained its status quo over the years. More than a
billion people all over the world were aware of the brand.
Dettol developed distinct brand values and associations. It
always achieved high standards in effective germ kill and
superior solutions. It was also found to be safe on contact
with the skin. The very word brought the images of brown
liquid in a green labelled bottle, unique odour as well as the
sting which was characteristic of the product. Consumers’
trust on brand was evident from the fact that a bottle of
Dettol antiseptic liquid could be found in any household. The
company had to do very little to promote the brand equity.
The name of Dettol got built up over the years, through sheer
usage, high credibility and also through market leadership.
Dettol’s brand logo consisted of white glistening sword
against the backdrop of green. The sword represented its
core benefit of killing germs and treating infections, while
green and white colours were supporting its association with
hospitals. The Dettol brand logo is provided in Exhibit 5 and
Dettol bottle pack is shown in Exhibit 6.
Dettolc first emerged in a leading United Kingdom
maternity hospital. There its use was limited to as an
antiseptic during childbirth. Death rate during childbirth was
high because of widespread puerperal fever.d The doctors
started using Dettol antiseptic liquid and soon found the

bThe main ingredient in the Dettol antiseptic liquid is 4-chloro-3,5-dimethylphenol

(C8H9ClO), which is also known as parachlorometaxylenol (PCMX) or
chloroxylenol. This is an aromatic compound and gives Dettol the ability to fight
germs continuously. This molecule makes up only 4.8% of Dettol volume, the rest
is contributed by oil, isopropyl alcohol, castor oil soap, caramel, and water. Dettol
antiseptic liquid is safe and mild enough to apply on the skin. It is a powerful and
an effective disinfectant owing to its broad spectrum antimicrobial action.
cThere is an interesting history on how the name Dettol came into existence. The

name was new, and conveyed no particular meaning or idea. The company’s
management decided on this name as it was free of any pre-conceived opinions or
perceptions, its features or attributes. Additionally, it was believed by many that the
word Dettol connoted medical association.
dPuerperal fever (from the latin word puer which means child) is also known as

childbed fever. It is a disease contracted by a woman during childbirth or shortly

after childbirth or abortion. Its most common cause is unhygienic conditions. It
is uncommon nowadays because of better hygiene during childbirth and use of
antibiotics.

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death rate in women was reduced by almost half. This led

to its endorsement by the medical fraternity very rapidly. In
1933, it was launched publicly and was made available to the
general community to protect them from minor wounds. Its
fame spread further during World War II when, along with
sulphonamide drugs, it was extensively used to treat wounds.
It was used as a disinfectant in the army and soldiers carried
it across the continent from Dunkirk to Rangoon. It soon
became an integral part of the war to such an extent that
Hull in the U.K. was attacked by the enemies to destroy
the manufacturing base of Dettol. New facilities were set
up at Yorkshire Dales which was much more peaceful and
undisturbed.8

DETTOL IN INDIA

Dettol came to India in 1933.9 Dettol antiseptic liquid, Dettolin

mouthwash and Dettolin obstetrics cream were the products
that were introduced by the company. Initially these products
were mainly prescription driven or used only in hospitals,
and their use expanded on the home front gradually. The
cause for the growth was increasing consumer awareness
for health and hygiene in everyday life.10 Dettol had been
dominating the liquid antiseptic market without any serious
competition. The popularity of Dettol can be gauged from the
fact that in an AC Neilson survey of most trusted brands it
was usually in the top ranks.11 In 2002, Dettol was voted as
the most trusted brand in the Economic Times Brand Equity
survey of India’s most trusted brands.12
From Rs.27 crore brand in 1990, Dettol grew five-fold
and became a Rs.168 crore brand in 1998 in just a matter of
eight years13 and then it went on to become Rs.230 crore in
2001.14 In 2002, 8% of Reckitt’s turnover came from the Dettol
brand.15 Dettol’s prominence in the market had been mainly
through antiseptic liquid, soap, and liquid handwash.
Dettol had spearheaded the provision of household
protection amongst the masses in India and helped them
improve the quality of their family’s health and hygiene. It
developed a unique and traditionally entrenched position

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 DETTOL: MANAGING BRAND EXTENSIONS 109

of trust and reliability in the average Indian consumer’s

mind. It was described as the “king of germkill”. It had top
of the mind recall in any given instance of a wound or cut.
The brand offered both rational as well as emotional appeal
to consumers who perceived Dettol as being a “doctor’s
friend” to their families.16 The brand had been promoted on
two propositions: functional and emotional. The functional
aspect was antiseptic — protection from germs and healing
wounds. The emotional aspect was love and care as Dettol
portrayed a mother’s love and care in treating minor wounds
of her children and family members. Dettol’s love and care
image was supported by an advertisement campaign which
showed a mother reading a letter from her son who is in a
boarding school. The mother wasn’t worried about her son,
though he was away from home, because she felt he was safe
with the protection of Dettol. The campaign helped in making
emotional connect with consumers and people remembered
the campaign even long after it was discontinued. The unique
set of associations which represents Dettol’s brand identity is
provided in the Exhibit 7.

NEED TO GROW THE BRAND

In the late 1980s Dettol faced a unique problem. Despite being

a highly popular brand with clear monopoly in the antiseptic
segment it was faced with stagnation. Sales volume was not
growing and inventory was stuck with the company and the
middlemen. Dettol had become a product which was a must
for the emergency kit of all households, but was seldom
used, far less than the company’s expectation. This led to
a low sales volume. Another issue of concern was restricted
revenues because of price inflexibility since the government
kept the product under the purview of price control.e Since
the company could not increase the price of the product its
revenue did not go up and inventory piled up. To tackle
this problem the company came up with a new marketing

eThe government had included Dettol antiseptic liquid in the category of price
controlled drugs.

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strategy. Its advertisements claimed multiple uses of the

antiseptic liquid: add it to water for washing clothes, floor
cleaning, bathing, shaving, etc. The idea was to project Dettol
as an all-purpose antiseptic liquid. Consumers fell for the
gambit and soon sales volume started going up. Looking at
this success, the company decided to introduce new products
consistent with a variety of secondary usages of Dettol. A
brand extension strategy was developed to fully exploit the
potential of Dettol and establish its presence in the consumer’s
everyday life.17

INTRODUCING BRAND EXTENSIONS

Starting with the first brand extension of Dettol soap in the

1980s, RBIL introduced more than eight brand extensions
from mouthwash to prickly heat talcum powder. Dettol
plaster was launched in 1993, Dettol liquid soap in 1994, and
shaving cream in 1997.18 A floor cleaner called Dettol Gold
was test marketed in 2002. The company also planned to
launch an anti-dandruff shampoo.19 Apart from soaps, other
extensions of Dettol were not successful and hardly anyone
remembered them.

Dettol Soap

Dettol soap was introduced in 1981. It was the first brand

extension which the company tried its hands on. Originally
it was launched as a premium cosmetic soap, positioned on
the “love and care” platform.20 By 1986 the market share of
Dettol soap was 0.5% in the premium soap segment.21 When
the soap could not make any mark in the market, the reasons
were analysed. The company relaunched it as a “100% germ
fighter.” It was positioned on the germ killing platform,
different from its initial positioning as a premium cosmetic
soap (Exhibit 8). The new positioning worked well and sales
slowly started picking up. Meanwhile the other reason for the
success of soap was the growing awareness among consumers
regarding health and environment. Many had started feeling

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 DETTOL: MANAGING BRAND EXTENSIONS 111

that the air was heavily polluted and using Dettol antiseptic
liquid in their bath would give them protection. This gave
the idea to the company of presenting it as 100% bath.22
Dettol soap gradually established its hold on the market. In
2001, Dettol soap had a market share of 3% (in value terms),
going up to 3.6% in 2005 (Exhibit 9). Sales of Dettol soap
grew from Rs.210.5 million in 1995 to Rs.1849.4 million in
2005 (Exhibit 10). Apart from Dettol soap, Lifebuoy, Savlon,
Medimix, Margo, and Hamam were other competing brands
in the health and hygiene segment in the soaps market.
However, the key competitors for Dettol soap were Hindustan
Lever Limited’s (HLL)f Lifebuoy soap with “germ killing”
positioning23 and Savlon, positioned as a “family protection”
soap.24
The company launched several line extensions or
variants of Dettol in the toilet soap segment. In 1999 it
introduced Dettol Fresh, a perfumed variant of the medicinal
soap.25 In 2000, Dettol Extra, soap bar with moisturizer,
was launched. Dettol Extra failed in gaining consumer
acceptance and subsequently withdrawn from the market. In
2001 continuing its strategy of introducing a stream of line
extensions, the company launched Dettol Junior, a bar soap
targeted at children aged between 2–6 years.26
Similarly in 2004, the company came up with a new
line extension, Dettol Skincare soap bar. It was mainly
targeted at women. Product formulation was done to take
care of the skincare needs of women. It was introduced in a
saddle shape with milky white colour and a special fragrance.
This clearly differentiated it from other existing brands in its
portfolio.27 In 2006 Reckitt introduced another soap bar with
the name Dettol Cool. It was enriched with menthol to deliver
a cool sensation, specifically designed for teens and young
consumers. The soap was manufactured in light blue colour
to highlight its freshness proposition, with a saddle shape and
fresh fragrance.28 Despite launching a series of line extensions,
the performance was lacklustre. Except Dettol Skincare, these
variants yielded poor sales for Reckitt (see Exhibit 10).
f Hindustan
Lever Limited is a 51% subsidiary of Unilever, an Anglo-Dutch consumer-
goods company. It is one of the dominant players in Indian fast moving consumer
goods market.

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Dettol Liquid Soap

In the mid 1990s, increasing competition within the soap

category forced Reckitt to look out for product innovations.
Earlier Hindustan Lever had launched Lifebuoy in liquid form
in a plastic dispenser. Lifebuoy was an established health soap
brand competing with Dettol. It was said that as the dispensers
were defective and hence the effort was not successful. This
gave Reckitt the idea to introduce Dettol Hand Wash, a liquid
soap. The product clicked in the market and sales registered
continuous growth over the years (Exhibit 10). In 2003 the
company launched Dettol Skincare hand wash, a new variant
of the Dettol hand wash which was marketed aggressively.29
In 2006 it introduced another variant, Dettol Sensitive hand
wash, which was a soap-free formulation having glycerine
and mild on skin.30
Realizing that the trend of bathing with body wash
was catching up, the company launched Dettol Body Wash
in three variants: Original, Skincare, and Cool. The objective
was to tap the comfort conscious customer who wanted more
than just a soap for daily bath.31 The product was priced
higher and targeted upper class customers. The body wash
category had higher concentration of female users than males.
It was seen as an indulgence product providing a refreshing
bathing experience. Dettol had a weak position in the body
wash market in comparison to hand wash market (Exhibit 10).
The body wash market was dominated by Lux Body Wash,
Palmolive and Dove.
Dettol liquid soaps, especially hand wash further helped
the company in moving the Dettol brand out of first-aid boxes
into households. Over the years Dettol’s presence in the liquid
soap segment grew rapidly. Dettol established its clear market
leadership. By 2004, it had 44.5% market share in value terms
(Exhibit 11).

Dettol Medicated Plasters

In 1991 the company extended the Dettol brand into the

medicated plaster category. For Dettol medicated plaster, the

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major competitor was Band-Aid, a brand owned by Johnson

& Johnson ( J&J).32 Market analysts believed that it launched
this extension because for different reasons. J&J had bought
the marketing rights of Savlon, an antiseptic liquid, from
ICI.33 Savlon claimed to have a newer and much powerful
formulation. Further, it did not have the typical sting and
smell of Dettol. J&J provided substantial advertising support
to it. This made Reckitt insecure regarding its own products
though Dettol’s brand name was deep-rooted in this category
and possibly Savlon had less chances of posing serious
challenges to Dettol. Reckitt entered the medicated plasters
market as a combative strategy against J&J. It tried to make
J&J vulnerable by attacking it on medicated plasters. J&J had
market leadership in medicated plasters. Dettol medicated
plaster was introduced almost at the same time as the re-
launch of Savlon. Reckitt hoped that J&J’s attention and
resources would be diverted which it was planning to put
behind Savlon. Reckitt’s strategy worked to an extent that
J&J took a defensive position by introducing many variants
to Band-Aid. Also in the antiseptic liquid category, J&J’s
promotion of Savlon got reduced and did not affect Dettol’s
hold in the market.34
Dettol medicated plasters were launched with a
distinct purpose. It was meant to force the competitor to
take a defensive position by attacking it on its stronghold.
Furthermore, it was thought that consumers would accept
Dettol medicated plaster since the Dettol brand symbolized
protection and was used for small cuts, bruises and external
injuries.
The brand extension could not achieve any significant
sales for the company. The market for medicated plasters was
very small, a mere Rs.20 crore.35 This was because medicated
plaster was a low value product and homes in India
continued to use traditional medications for minor injuries.
Furthermore, the category was dominated by two powerful
brands: J&J’s Band-Aid and Bieirsdorf’s HandyPlast. Dettol
would have to make significant investment to create a place
for itself. The product was contract manufactured and the
company faced supply constraints. The company soon lost the
zeal to pursue the product wholeheartedly.36

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Dettol Shaving Cream

Reckitt got the idea of brand extension in the category of

shaving creams and gels after a study commissioned in
1996 revealed that 40% regular shavers applied an antiseptic
lotion on their face after shaving and approximately 30%
used Dettol liquid.37 The study found that the users of Dettol
were completely satisfied with their product and did not
feel the need to use any aftershave lotion. Most importantly,
the average frequency of purchase of Dettol liquid for
this purpose was once every 10 months, which was much
higher than the average for Dettol as a pure antiseptic liquid
for wounds and injuries. The company believed that the
antiseptic platform had a fit and it was consistent with the
functional benefit provided by aftershave lotions and shaving
creams.38
However, Reckitt’s attempt to enter the male grooming
market by piggy-backing on this brand extension was not that
successful. Dettol shaving cream had a market share of less
than 5% by 2000. Dettol shaving gel was withdrawn shortly
after its introduction. The company officials claimed that
they did not possess expertise in gels and did not market the
shaving cream aggressively.39

Dettol Talc

Reckitt entered into the prickly heat talc market in 2000 by

extending the Dettol brand.40 It was initially introduced in
southern India, which is considered as the most dynamic
market for talcum powder in the country.41 The company
claimed that the product had actives which prevented body
odour by fighting the germs that caused it.42 The product
failed to gain consumers’ acceptance and was withdrawn
within a year of launch. The company launched it again in
2003 but it did not do well. There was hardly any visibility of
Dettol Talc on the shelves.43 The market share was less than
1% (Exhibit 12) while sales had gone down significantly from
Rs.43.1 million in 2001 to Rs.4.3 million in 2005 (Exhibit 10).

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 DETTOL: MANAGING BRAND EXTENSIONS 115

Though Dettol talc had a pleasant fragrance, the

consumer believed that it had a medicinal smell because of
the Dettol brand name attached to it.44 The strong antiseptic
smell of Dettol was well entrenched in the consumers’ mind.
Whereas in the case of talcum powder, the lingering fragrance
was an important product attribute, and it was a critical
component of product experience for consumers.
The market size for the product was not big enough.
The prickly heat talc segment accounted for less than 15%
of the talcum powder category. In 2000 the size of the talc
market was Rs.6000– 8000 million, of which the prickly heat
segment accounted for just Rs.1000 million.45 In addition,
brands such as Nycil, Dermicool, and Boroplus dominated the
prickly heat talc market.

Dettol Mouthwash

Dettol mouthwash was yet another extension experimented

by Reckitt. It was launched keeping in mind the strong health
association of the Dettol brand. The company assumed that
Dettol mouthwash would portray the image of a product
fighting germs in the mouth. However, it found no taker and
was withdrawn soon.
Many market analysts felt that mouthwash usage was
more about fighting foul breath rather than germs. People
used mouthwash after meals to get back fresh breath. Fresh
fragrance and taste were the attributes intrinsically associated
with a quality mouthwash. Also, although mouthwash was
not consumed internally, it could not be categorized as a
product for external use. Dettol antiseptic liquid with its
characteristic sting, colour and smell was considered totally
for outside application.46

Dettol Floor Cleaner

Dettol Gold floor cleaner was another brand extension that

Reckitt tried. It was test marketed in Kolkata and Chennai in
2002.47 The germ killing proposition was the main fit which

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the company hoped to realize with the mother brand’s

core proposition. Many households used water with Dettol
antiseptic liquid added in it for cleaning floor. It was thus
believed that Dettol Gold would become a branded substitute
for Dettol antiseptic liquid.
The company backed the product with adequate
marketing support. The floor cleaner was presented as a
“double-action purpose product which kills germs while
cleaning”.48 The need to prevent the frequency of illness
within the family was a central theme in the marketing
communication for the product. For instance, one of the
advertisement campaigns mentioned that the housewife
had a major role in monitoring the health aspects of family.
However, this product too failed to get adequate consumers’
attention.

Extension into the Personal Care Products

In 2006 Reckitt was planning to launch a range of personal

care products such as deodorants and creams.49 Entry into
personal care categories was planned to get a larger role
for Dettol in the consumer’s everyday life. The aim was to
leverage the parent brand for rapid growth. By tapping into
Dettol brand equity, the company wished to address emerging
needs of consumers and gain a greater share of their spending
on personal care products. The idea was to move away from
Dettol’s image of offering functional benefit of killing germs
and make the brand more versatile.

ROAD AHEAD

Looking at the perceptual mapsg of Dettol liquid soap

(Exhibits 13–18), Khanna realized that the image of the
parent brand played a key role in creating consumers’

gDerived from a study conducted by a group of Executive MBA programme

participants at XLRI, Jamshedpur, in year 2000 under the guidance of Professor P.

Venugopal.

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perception about extensions. He was uncertain regarding his

recommendation on the future course of action the company
should take in regard to these extensions.
He carefully looked at the BCG matrix for different
extensions of Dettol. In the BCG matrix, the position of
each brand extension was indicated based on the industry
growth and relative market share. He was trying to analyse
the competitive position of each extension. For instance,
in the case of extension such as medicated plaster, though
there were few competitors in the market yet the industry
growth rate was so low that he did not feel confident of
pushing them up. In the case of soaps, the category had
high brand proliferation. The market was very competitive
and the industry growth was low. He remained unsure
about how various extensions would perform in future. He
was wondering what were the options the company had
concerning brand extension strategy. He was trying to find
answer to the following questions:
1. What exactly is the true brand identity of the Dettol brand?
How did it affect the success or failure of various brand
extensions of Dettol?
2. Dettol soap launched originally in 1981 as a premium
cosmetic soap failed. However, when the company re-
launched it as a “100% germ fighter” it was successful in
gaining sizable market share. What exactly made it work?
Did the difference in positioning affect their performance
in the market place?
3. How is Dettol liquid soap positioned in the market along
with other competing brands? Is there any consistency in
the image of the parent brand and positioning of Dettol
liquid soap and whether this has played a role in the
success of the latter?
4. Dettol soap bar and liquid soap seemed to be the only
proven winners in the entire lot of brand extensions. Why
did other extensions such as shaving cream, talcum powder
and mouth wash fail to gain consumers’ acceptance?
5. Why was Dettol floor cleaner not acceptable to consumers?
Apparently its germ killing proposition was consistent with
the core benefit offered by the mother brand.

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6. What is the impact, positive and negative, that these

numerous extensions have had on the parent brand?
7. Which extensions should the company keep and which
extensions should it delete from its portfolio?

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors are thankful to Prof. P. Venugopal of XLRI

Jamshedpur for the help and valuable suggestions in
preparing this case. The authors also wish to thank Ms.
Sophie V. Joseph, Mr. N. Muthukumaran and Ms. Bijal
Jadav of ACNielsen for their support and cooperation in the
preparation of this case.

REFERENCES

1. Presentation given by RBIL executive at XLRI Jamshedpur, 2005.

2. Company Web site, http://www.reckittbenckiser.com/documentlib/
normal/annualresults2004 presentationtoinvestors-powerpoint.
pdf. Accessed on August 28, 2006.
3. Business Standard 2001.The Smart Investor — Reckitt Benckiser.
November 19.
4. Business Standard 2001. op. cit.
5. Business Standard 2001. op. cit.
6. India Infoline.com Ltd. 2002. Company Reports — Reckitt Benck-
iser India Ltd, August 9.
7. Bhanu Pande, 2002. Stretching brands to the limit. Indian Manage-
ment, 41(1): 46–50.
8. Chowdhury, Pran K 2000. Brand extension — The key to volume
sale. Successful branding, 101–104.
9. Rediff.com 2006. Will the new Dettol strategy work? http://www.
rediff.com/money/2006/apr/11dettol.htm. Accessed on August
11, 2006.
10. Economic Times 2000. Brand Equity — The 100% brand, March
15.
11. Rediff.com 2006. Will the new Dettol strategy work?
12. Economic Times 2000. Brand Equity — The 100% brand, March
15.
13. Business Today 1998. Strategy — How can Reckitt Cherry blossom
its future? October 22.

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 DETTOL: MANAGING BRAND EXTENSIONS 119

14. Business Standard 2001.The Strategist — Dettol’s cuts and bruises,

October 23.
15. India Infoline.Com 2006. India Infoline Company Reports,
Accessed on August 24, 2006.
16. Pran K Chowdhury, 2000. op. cit.
17. Financial Express 2001. Reckitt plans to extend Dettol, Mortein
brand range, December 10.
18. Detergents & Toiletries Review 1999. Wadhera Soaps,Wadhera Pub-
lications, October 31.
19. Bhanu Pande, 2002. op. cit.
20. Soaps, Detergents & Toiletries Review 2006. Make him pick your
brand, 21.
21. Exchange4media.com 2004. New variant of Dettol goes at a high
share of voice, http://www.exchange4media.com/e4m/news/
newfullstory.asp?section_id=3&news_id=10639&tag=5272&
search=y Accessed on July 25, 2006.
22. Chowdhury, Pran K, 2000. op. cit.
23. India Infoline.com 1999. India Infoline Company Reports, August
15.
24. Financial Express 1999. op. cit.
25. Financial Express 1999. Corporate — Lever, Reckitt & Colman
wage war for medicated soap share, July 23.
26. Business Standard 2001. The Strategist — Dettol’s cuts and bruises,
October 23.
27. Exchange 4 Media.com 2004. New variant of Dettol goes at a high
share of voice, http://www.exchange4media.com/e4m/news/
newfullstory.asp?section_id=3&news_id=10639&tag=5272&
search=y Accessed on July 20, 2006.
28. Business Line 2006. Cool & Clean, March 2.
29. Exchange 4 Media.com 2003. Reckitt Benckiser to promote Dettol
Skincare through innovative campaign branding, Accessed from
Site.Securities.com on August 24, 2006.
30. Business Line 2006. Safe Hands, May 11.
31. Business Line 2005. Freshen Up. June 9.
32. Business Today 1998. Strategy — How can Reckitt Cherry blossom
its future? October 22.
33. Pran K Chowdhury, 2000. op. cit.
34. Business Standard 2001. The Strategist — Dettol’s cuts and
bruises, October 23. Business Standard 2001. The Strategist —
Dettol’s cuts and bruises, October 23.
35. Bhanu Pande, 2002. op. cit.
36. Business Standard 2001. The Strategist — Dettol’s cuts and bruises,
October 23.

00122.indd 119 7/30/2009 5:42:58 PM

 120 ACRJ

37. Pran K Chowdhury, 2000. op. cit.

38. Business Standard 2001. The Strategist — Dettol’s cuts and bruises,
October 23.
39. Magindia.com 2000. Category: Marketing Rejuvenating Reckitt
(November ‘30, 2000, HBL), http://www.magindia.com/
manarch/news/man3309.html, Accessed on August 30, 2006.
40. Business Standard 2001. Reckitt junks prickly Dettol powder,
July 9.
41. Business Standard 2000. Reckitt to launch Dettol prickly heat
powder, May 5.
42. Business Line 2000. Marketing — New products under Dettol
banner, May 20.
43. Financial Express 2001. News — Reckitt plans to extend Dettol,
Mortein brand range, December 10.
44. Business Standard 2001.The Strategist — Dettol’s cuts and bruises,
October 23.
45. Business Standard 2001. Reckitt junks prickly Dettol powder,
July 9.
46. Pran K Chowdhury, 2000. op. cit.
47. Economic Times 2002. Brand Equity, Survey of India’s most
trusted brands. August 14.
48. Business Standard 2001. Reckitt launches Dettol floor cleaner.
July 30.
49. Economic Times 2006. Reckitt Benckiser to expand Dettol range,
May 15.

00122.indd 120 7/30/2009 5:42:58 PM

 DETTOL: MANAGING BRAND EXTENSIONS 121

Exhibit 1
Exhibit 1: BCG Matrix for the Brand extensions of Dettol
BCG Matrix for the Brand Extensions of Dettol

Source: Developed by authors based on variety of published sources.

Source: Developed by authors based on variety of published sources

Exhibit 2

Sales of Dettol Bar Soaps, Talc and Liquid Soaps

Source: ACNielsen. Copyright © 200717

ACNielsen.

00122.indd 121 7/30/2009 5:42:59 PM

 122 ACRJ

Exhibit 3

Sales Break Up for Reckitt Benckiser India Limited

Period Ended Dec-98 Dec-99 12/00 12-Jan

No. of Months 12 12 12 12
Sales value(Rs mn)
Bulk drugs 70 76.6 65.7 36.4
Food products 46.6 48 36.3 42.6
Household products 1,924.30 2,607.20 3,332.30 3,291.20
Laundry products 649.2 567.5 600.1 594.8
Liquids 413.3 437.2 428.7 474
Ointments 3.3 4.5 2.1 31.1
Tablets 194.9 134.2 162.7 187
Toiletries 955.6 1,045.30 1,219.30 1,215.60
Others 96 119.6 2 11.3

Sales volume(unit)
Bulk drugs (Ton) 109.5 140 111.7 99.5
Food products (Ton) 590.2 563 485.7 446.8
Household products (Ton) 20,028.90 27,349.80 30,358.30 33,624.20
Laundry products (Ton) 8,149.10 7,353.30 7,556.10 7,124.00
Liquids (Litres) 3,892.70 4,171.60 4,088.00 4,043.80
Ointments (Ton) 22.2 29.3 10.5 33.2
Tablets (Ton) 559.7 429.8 511.3 274.5
Toiletries (Ton) 9,446.40 10,853.20 11,588.30 9,898.30

Unit realisation (Rs/unit)

Bulk drugs (Ton) 639,543 547,207 588,192 365,829
Food products (Ton) 79,017 85,201 74,645 95,349
Household products (Ton) 96,077 95,327 109,765 97,883
Laundry products (Ton) 79,668 77,174 79,421 83,495
Liquids (Litres) 106,184 104,808 104,871 117,210
Ointments (Ton) 150,450 152,935 197,429 935,994
Tablets (Ton) 348,188 312,299 318,244 681,290
Toiletries (Ton) 101,160 96,315 105,220 122,810
Source: http://www.indiainfoline.com/comp/reck/sc00.html.

00122.indd 122 7/30/2009 5:42:59 PM

 DETTOL: MANAGING BRAND EXTENSIONS 123

Exhibit 4

Product Portfolio of Reckitt Benckiser India Limited

Brands

Segments

Fabric care Robin Blue Vanish

(post wash) (pre wash)

Surface care Harpic Lizol Colin Brasso & Mansion,

(lavatory (floor (glass Silvo Mincream
care) cleaner) cleaner) (metal (furniture
polish) polish)

Health & Disprin Dettol Detol Dettol Dettol bar Dettol Dettol Dettol Dettol Dettol Dettol
personal care mouthwash floor antiseptic soap antiseptic antiseptic antiseptic liquid shaving talc
cleaner liquid cream pain relief adhesive hand cream
(Dettol spray bandage wash
Gold )
Home care Mortein Mortein
(household Mosquito Rat Kill
insecticides) coils & mat

Air care Haze incense

Shoe care Cherry

Dish washing Calgonit

Source: Based on company Web site and SHCIL Research.

00122.indd 123 7/30/2009 5:43:00 PM

 124 ACRJ

Exhibit 5

Brand Logo of Dettol

Exhibit 6

Bottle of Dettol Antiseptic Liquid

00122.indd 124 7/30/2009 5:43:02 PM

 DETTOL: MANAGING BRAND EXTENSIONS 125

Exhibit 7: Brand Identity of Dettol: Kapferer Six-Sided Prism

Exhibit 7

Dettol’s brand identity

Brandcan be understood
Identity throughSix-Sided
of Dettol: Kapferer Kapferer six-sided prism where each
Prism
face represents different aspects of brand identity. The six faces of the prism are:
Dettol’s brand identity can be understood through Kapferer six-sided prism where each
physique, personality, culture, relationship, reflection, and self-image. Physique
face represents different aspects of brand identity. The six faces of the prism are: physique,
symbolizes
personality, therelationship,
culture, basis of the brand.andPersonality
reflection, is brandsymbolizes
self-image. Physique as a person. Culture
the basis of the is
brand. Personality is brand as a person. Culture is synonymous with the organization, i.e. the it
synonymous with the organization, i.e. the origin of the organization and the values
represents.
origin Relationship
of the organization is values
and the the level of trustRelationship
it represents. between customers and
is the level of organization.
trust between
Reflection
customers is the perception
and organization. of consumers
Reflection with respect
is the perception to brand,with
of consumers i.e. respect
what the
to brand
brand, stands
i.e.
what the brand stands for. Self-image is the perception consumer
for. Self-image is the perception consumer has about himself. has about himself.

00122.indd 125
23 7/30/2009 5:43:03 PM
 126 ACRJ

Exhibit 8

The Brand Positioning in the Soap Industry

00122.indd 126 7/30/2009 5:43:04 PM

00122.indd 127
Exhibit 9

Market Share of Bar Soap Brands during 2001–2006

Brands 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006**

Value Volume Value Volume Value Volume Value Volume Value Volume Value Volume
Dove 0.6 0.1 0.6 0.1 0.5 0.1 0.7 0.2 0.9 0.3 0.9 0.3
Liril 2.7 1.4 2.7 1.4 2.4 1.2 2.2 1.1 1.8 1.0 1.3 0.7
Lux 12.9 11.3 14.8 13.1 16.1 14.2 15.8 14.0 14.7 12.9 16.5 14.7
Pears* 2.4 0.9 2.7 1.1 2.9 1.2 3.4 1.4 3.6 1.6 3.5 1.5
Rexona 4.9 4.4 4.6 4.3 4.0 3.6 3.5 3.0 3.2 2.8 2.9 2.7
Mysore Sandal 2.0 0.9 1.9 0.9 2.0 0.9 1.8 0.8 1.7 0.8 1.5 0.7
Cinthol* 2.9 1.9 2.5 1.7 2.2 1.6 2.4 1.8 2.6 2.0 2.4 1.8
Santoor* 3.6 3.1 4.0 3.5 4.5 3.8 4.3 3.7 5.0 4.5 5.8 5.3
Dettol* 3.3 1.7 3.4 1.9 3.4 1.9 4.0 2.2 4.2 2.5 4.4 2.6
(a) Dettol Original 3.0 1.5 3.3 1.9 3.3 1.9 3.4 1.9 3.6 2.1 3.5 2.2
(b) Dettol Variants 0.3 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.0 0.6 0.3 0.6 0.4 0.8 0.5
Nirma* 7.1 11.9 6.8 9.6 6.7 9.7 6.3 9.5 5.5 8.3 4.9 7.4
Margo* 1.8 1.3 1.7 1.3 1.6 1.3 1.4 1.2 1.3 1.1 1.1 0.9
Medimix* 3.2 2.2 3.3 2.6 3.2 2.5 3.1 2.3 3.4 2.6 3.0 2.2
Hamam 4.0 3.8 4.0 3.8 3.8 3.6 3.8 3.4 4.0 3.5 3.6 3.2
Lifebuoy* 15.8 22.8 16.1 21.7 17.3 21.1 17.7 21.5 18.2 22.1 18.3 21.6
*Combined market share of original brand and its various variants.
**Till
November 2006.
Source: ACNielsen. Copyright © 2007 ACNielsen.
DETTOL: MANAGING BRAND EXTENSIONS 127

7/30/2009 5:43:05 PM
00122.indd 128
128
ACRJ

Exhibit 10

Sales of Dettol Bar Soaps, Talc and Liquid Soaps (Original and Variants — in Rs Million)

1994 1995 1996 1997 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006*
Soaps
Dettol Original 210.5 604.3 907.9 1424.4 1536.7 1590.1 1679.6 1849.4 2095.7
Dettol Extra 123.4 36.7 6.8 3.3 0.9 1.4
Dettol Fresh Fragrance 23.4 3.3 0.9 0.3 0.1 3.7
Dettol Junior 10.7 27.0 15.4 4.4 2.1 1.2
Dettol Skincare 15.6 280.9 299.2 312.6
Dettol Cool 0.4 11.2 172.6
Dettol Deo 0.4 12.1 3.1

Talc
Dettol Citrus Fresh 3.6 4.7 2.3 1.0 0.9 0.7
Dettol Fresh Fragrance 39.5 22.8 8.8 4.8 3.3 3.2

Liquid Soaps
Dettol Original Hand Wash 6.8 25.3 40.6 47.7 40.1 55.1 65.8 97.8 104.0 129.0
Dettol Skincare Hand Wash 10.0 43.5 59.9 66.5
Dettol Sensitive Hand Wash 14.0
Dettol Original Body Wash 1.4 3.2
Dettol Skincare Body Wash 1.3 2.2
Dettol Body Wash 0.6 2.7
*Till November 2006.

Sales figures for 1998–2000 not available.

Source: ACNielsen. Copyright © 2007 ACNielsen.

7/30/2009 5:43:05 PM
00122.indd 129
Exhibit 11

Market Share of Liquid Soap Brands during 2001–2006

E
Brands 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006**
Value Volume Value Volume Value Volume Value Volume Value Volume Value Volume
Lifebuoy* 5.0 4.4 2.5 2.5 0.5 0.5 0.1 0.1 2.9 3.5 7.4 9.1
Liril 0.1 0.1 3.6 1.8 3.6 1.9 0.9 0.5 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.1
Lux* 9.3 10.7 12.7 7.4 5.3 3.0 6.7 4.0 10.2 6.1 10.6 7.5
Dettol* 40.3 31.5 36.7 34.6 39.8 40.5 41.9 47.4 44.5 49.9 43.0 46.6
(a) Dettol Original 40.3 31.5 36.7 34.6 34.5 35.2 29.0 32.9 27.7 31.0 25.5 28.1
(b) Dettol Variants 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 5.2 5.3 12.9 14.5 16.8 18.9 17.5 18.5
Fem 38.5 35.3 37.9 37.1 37.3 38.6 24.9 28.5 21.5 24.4 20.2 22.7
*Combined market share of original brand and its various variants.
**Till
November 2006.
Source: ACNielsen. Copyright © 2007 ACNielsen.

Exhibit 12

Market Share of Talcum Powder Brands during 2001–2006

Brands 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006***

Value Volume Value Volume Value Volume Value Volume Value Volume Value Volume
Cinthol 1.3 1.7 1.4 1.6 1.0 1.1 1.6 2.7 2.2 4.3 2.5 4.9
Liril 1.5 1.9 1.3 1.7 1.0 1.1 0.8 0.9 0.3 0.4 0.1 0.1
Mysore Sandal 1.3 1.1 1.0 0.8 0.6 0.9 0.4 0.4 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.2
Ponds Dreamflower 30.2 32.2 32.3 33.4 32.1 32.2 32.2 32.3 30.8 30.8 29.3 29.1
Ponds Magic 18.5 17.9 17.3 16.8 16.4 15.9 16.1 15.3 16.4 15.5 16.7 16.0
Ponds Sandal 6.1 4.6 5.9 4.3 5.2 4.2 6.6 5.1 7.2 5.7 8.0 6.7
Dettol 0.6 0.6 0.4 0.4 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.0 0.0
*Combined market share of original brand and its various variants.
**Combined market share of Dettol Citrus Fragrance and Dettol Fresh Fragrance.
***Till November 2006.

Source: ACNielsen. Copyright © 2007 ACNielsen.

DETTOL: MANAGING BRAND EXTENSIONS 129

7/30/2009 5:43:06 PM
 130 ACRJ

Exhibit 13
Exhibit 13: Perceptual Map 1 for
Perceptual MapLiquid SoapSoap
1 for Liquid Brands
Brands

Price

Lux

Lifebuoy Fa Liril

Hygiene

Dettol Fem

Ideal

00122.indd 130 7/30/2009 5:43:06 PM

 DETTOL: MANAGING BRAND EXTENSIONS 131

Exhibit 14
Exhibit 14: Perceptual Map 2 for Liquid Soap Brands
Perceptual Map 2 for Liquid Soap Brands

Fragrance

Fa Fem

Dettol Lifebuoy Liril

Hygiene

Lux

Ideal

00122.indd 131 7/30/2009 5:43:06 PM

 132 ACRJ

Exhibit 15
Exhibit 15: Perceptual Map 3 for Liquid Soap Brands
Perceptual Map 3 for Liquid Soap Brands

Fragrance

Fem Fa

Dettol Lifebuoy Liril

Price

Lux

Ideal

00122.indd 132 7/30/2009 5:43:06 PM

 DETTOL: MANAGING BRAND EXTENSIONS 133

Exhibit 16
Exhibit 16: Perceptual Map 4 for Liquid Soap Brands
Perceptual Map 4 for Liquid Soap Brands

Freshness

Fa Liril
Lifebuoy

Ideal
Hygiene
Fem
Dettol

Lux

00122.indd 133 7/30/2009 5:43:06 PM

 134 ACRJ

Exhibit 17
Exhibit 17: Perceptual Map 5 for Liquid Soap Brands
Perceptual Map 5 for Liquid Soap Brands

Freshness

Fa Liril

Ideal Lifebuoy

Price

Fem Dettol

Lux

00122.indd 134 7/30/2009 5:43:07 PM

 DETTOL: MANAGING BRAND EXTENSIONS 135

Exhibit 18
Exhibit 18: Perceptual Map 6 for Liquid Soap Brands
Perceptual Map 6 for Liquid Soap Brands

Freshness

Liril Fa

Ideal Lifebuoy

Fragrance

Dettol

Lux Fem

00122.indd 135 7/30/2009 5:43:07 PM

 136 ACRJ

Exhibit 19

Advertisement for Dettol Soap

Source: http://magindia.com.

00122.indd 136 7/30/2009 5:43:08 PM

 DETTOL: MANAGING BRAND EXTENSIONS 137

Exhibit 20

Advertisement for Dettol Liquid Soap

Source: http://magindia.com.

00122.indd 137 7/30/2009 5:43:09 PM

 138 ACRJ

Exhibit 21

Advertisement for Dettol Junior Soap

What kind of
a mother are you?
□ Caring
□ Protective
□ Gentle
□ All of the above

Given a choice, you’d want to be

everything. Introducing New Dettol
Juniors. A soap formulated specially
for your child’s special needs. Its
glycerine formulation helps nourish
your child’s tender skin while keeping
him protected from dirt and germs.
Making sure that it gives him exactly
what you would. All of the above.

Source: http://magindia.com.

00122.indd 138 7/30/2009 5:43:11 PM

 DETTOL: MANAGING BRAND EXTENSIONS 139

Exhibit 22

Advertisement for Dettol Skincare Soap

Source: http://magindia.com.

00122.indd 139 7/30/2009 5:43:12 PM

 140 ACRJ

Exhibit 23

Advertisement for Dettol Shaving Cream

Source: http://magindia.com.

00122.indd 140 7/30/2009 5:43:13 PM

 DETTOL: MANAGING BRAND EXTENSIONS 141

Exhibit 24

Advertisement for Dettol Talc

Feeling
the itch?

Introducing the new Dettol odour and itching. While its

Talcum Power. Its special refreshing fragrance keeps
formula fights germs that cause you smelling great all day.

When no ordinary power will do.

Source: http://magindia.com.

00122.indd 141 7/30/2009 5:43:15 PM

 142 ACRJ

Exhibit 25

Dettol: Parent Brand and Different Extensions

Source: http://dettol.co.in/.

00122.indd 142 7/30/2009 5:43:16 PM

 DETTOL: MANAGING BRAND EXTENSIONS 143

Exhibit 26

Advertisement for Dettol

The shot of a packed school auditorium. ...but this year Ravi Mehta has not been
The teacher announces, “For the last four absent for a single day. He is getting the
years nobody has won this prize... award for 100% attendance..” The boy
boards the stage...

...as some parents in the audience MVO: “Homes where Dettol is used daily,
wonder, “Nowadays kids are falling sick so here is less chances of people falling sick.”
often, wonder how Ravi managed.” The boy accepts his award and proudly...

...holds it up, as the audience applauds The Dettol logo appears as the MVO adds,
his achievement. “Dettol. Be 100% sure.”

Source: http://www.agencyfaqs.com/advertising/storyboard/Dettol/957.html.

00122.indd 143 7/30/2009 5:43:21 PM