Colgate – History, Brand Value, and Brand Strategies

One of the market giants in the contemporary world markets, Colgate-Palmolive has established itself as a household name. 

Colgate-Palmolive is a 200-year-old American consumer products brand that has been ranked as one of the best brands in the world. It Is based out of New York, USA.

Colgate -Palmolive is a leading maker in the consumer products and oral hygiene industry. It is one of the leaders in global household products and has dominated the market shares in those segments.

Colgate History

The Colgate story started in 1806 when William Colgate began a soap and candle business in New York City, USA. During the 1840s, the firm started selling singular cakes of cleanser in uniform loads.

In 1872, Samuel Colgate, the child of William, presented Cashmere Bouquet, a perfumed cleanser. In 1873, the firm presented its first toothpaste, a fragrant toothpaste sold in containers.

  • The Name Was Changed to Madison University in 1846 And, in 1890, to Colgate, Honouring the Philanthropy of Soapmaker William Colgate and His Family.

Palmolive

In 1898, the brand Palmolive was established when the B.J. Johnson Soap Co. built up a hand cleanser recipe comprising palm and olive oils. 

The cleanser turned out to be so famous in a short measure of time that B.J. Johnson Soap Organization changed its name to Palmolive. Palmolive, which contained both palm and olive oils, was the world’s top-of-the-line cleanser. 

A Missouri-based cleanser maker known as Peet Brothers collaborated with Palmolive to become Palmolive-Peet. 

Colgate-Palmolive

In 1928, Palmolive-Peet purchased the Colgate brand to make the Colgate-Palmolive-Peet Organization. Peet was removed from the name, and only the rest part was kept as the name of the brand. 

In 1966, Palmolive fluid cleanser hits the retail stores and turned into the new standard in dishwashing cleansers. 

Collaboration

In 1991 Colgate procured Murphy Oil Cleanser, the main wood cleaner in the U.S. Colgate’s brands include Ajax, Fabuloso, Palmolive, Softsoap, Murphy’s Oil Cleanser, and others.

Colgate Brand Value

In 1911, Colgate presented its first tooth bruising hygiene campaign by circulating nearly 2 million tubes of toothpaste and toothbrushes to schools for oral wellbeing. 

To spread the message of cleanliness around the world and mostly in developing countries, Colgate first targeted the Indian subcontinent. They joined hands with IDA and started the mission.

This program has effectively targeted nearly 162 million students between the age of 6-14 years across 4,11,000 schools in urban and provincial India the nation over since its inception. 

This has helped Coalgate build a concrete relationship with the consumers and has gradually gained their trust and loyalty. These two things are the greatest achievements of any FMCG brand.

The brand Colgate has been ranked number one in the Indian subcontinent and based on this ranking, Colgate has gained a massive following after this achievement.

Colgate has made it multiple times in succession by fixing the 2007 release of the Brand Value Study of India’s Most Confided in Brands. 

As per reports published in 2020, the net worth of Colgate-Palmolive is around $ 61 billion. Around 35,000 employees work under the umbrella of Colgate-Palmolive, and it has also successfully generated jobs in the process.

Colgate Brand Strategy

1 . The product marketing strategy

Colgate Palmolive has come up with a great variety of items in the market. Under the Colgate Palmolive organization, the Colgate brand has different oral hygiene items under it, while some items are sold under the brand Palmolive. 

Colgate has toothpaste, toothbrushes, and mouthwashes in addition to toothpowders and children’s items pointed predominantly for kids individually. 

Their product advantages go from brightening, oral hygiene, and breath freshness to germ care. Their products are either gel-based or glue based. The fundamental elements of toothpaste are fluoride and calcium which helps in cleaning the plaque, providing gum care, and making teeth more grounded. 

The Colgate toothbrush comes in different variations and is marketed separately for adults and kids. The primary items marketed under the brand Palmolive are shower gel, liquid hand wash, haircare, and bar soaps.

2 . Distributing strategy

Colgate Palmolive has a strong distribution framework. They targeted the remote areas of the country as well. Its oral hygiene items are not just present in general stores and supermarkets but at the same time, are accessible in small retail shops in remote provincial areas. 

The wide accessibility of its item is one of the explanations that are answerable for keeping up its situation among the most confided in brands. 

Colgate Palmolive distributes products to its buyers through various medical stores, retail stores, and dentists as well. Colgate Palmolive items consume an immense rack space and are placed in such a manner that the customers will choose its products out of the entire lot.

Colgate Palmolive follows a serious evaluating strategy for its distribution system. Colgate-Palmolive items are evaluated at a comparable range or somewhat higher range than its rivals. 

3 . The Pricing Strategy

Colgate charges premium costs for its FMCG items as it is focused on a specialty classification. Colgate Palmolive focuses on all segments of society by giving items at all value ranges. A more significant expense is supported by additional fixings that give additional advantages to purchasers. 

The items are accessible in different SKUs with the goal that it can take into account a more extensive base. Their product pack sizes range from 50g to 500g. 

Colgate likewise packages its toothpaste with toothbrushes to make the offers look appealing to purchasers. You will find various offers around the year and those offers actually help the consumers to make the purchases.

4 . Marketing strategy

Colgate Palmolive markets its products to targeted customers through different channels. The brand is publicized through different TVCs, announcements, and hoardings. It is done through print media by different ads in papers and magazines. 

Colgate Palmolive is additionally gaining attention through internet advertising campaigns done on Facebook and YouTube. 

The brand Colgate positions its items as the ones that are suggested by dental specialists. It has assembled its advertising campaigns on the fact that its products are being suggested by dentists.

The brand Colgate Palmolive likewise promotes its items through different big-name supports. It has increased an immense customer base by propelling innovative promotional campaigns that pull in customers as well as instruct them.

5 . Digital marketing strategy

Colgate has come up with several digital marketing strategies to promote its brand. This has proved to be very efficient and successful in advertising their brand and their products.

Colgate-Palmolive joined hands with brand Apple and built up an intriguing application for iPhone clients called the Colgate Max White™ Photo Recharger. This application is utilized to brighten grins in photos. 

Colgate-Palmolive additionally stretches out incredible help to ladies and children. It sponsored the Colgate Women’s Games, the biggest US beginner sports event for young women in the country.

With the assistance of this program, Colgate helps highlight the achievements and hurdles faced by women in the nation. Colgate also came up with a program that has helped around 800 million kids in nearly 80 nations to give free dental screenings and suggestions.

  • Clogate Product line includes over 800 different products.

Conclusion

Colgate has come a long way since its inception and has penetrated the markets of nearly 200 countries in the world. It has successfully built customers’ trust and loyalty towards its brand and continues to be one of the leaders in oral health and hygiene.

In spite of the rivals in the market and the tough competition it faces from its rivals, Colgate Palmolive has set up a standard in its domain and has concreted its survival strategy in the global market.

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