Date:13/02/2004 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2004/02/13/stories/2004021301890600.htm

Back Godrej brings out `deo' variant of Cinthol soap

Our Bureau

Hyderabad , Feb. 12

GODREJ Consumer Products Ltd (GCPL) has chalked out a long-term strategy aimed at improving its share in the Rs 4,500-crore domestic toilet soaps market through a new variant of its Cinthol brand.

As a part of this, GCPL has unveiled `Cinthol Deo Soap' in the market, which is being claimed as an offer of premium benefit. At present, GCPL enjoys a share of around 10 per cent in volume and over 7 per cent in value.

Addressing a press conference here on Thursday, the GCPL Vice-President (Soap), Dr Rakesh Kumar Sinha, said the target was to achieve a market share of 5 per cent through Cinthol Deo alone during the next three years.

"In the first year, we expect to capture nearly 2 per cent share of the market with a value of around Rs 90 crore," Dr Sinha said. The Cinthol brand, with all its variants, has a market share of around 3.5 per cent.

Stating that there has been a positive response from the trade for the Cinthol Deo brand and that the distribution targets were already exceeded in the initial launch period, Dr Sinha said, "The expectation from the Cinthol Deo brand is to strengthen the `confidence' and `Deo' positioning of Cinthol."

On the rationale for the launch of the deodorant range of toilet soap, Dr Sinha said deo soaps now occupied a large category worldwide, especially in the developed nations with a market share of around 10 per cent. The deo segment in the Indian toilet soaps market was still underdeveloped and thereby provided much scope, he said.