The Campaign

To help launch Colgate’s new and revolutionary toothpaste that fights sugar acids, Colgate initiated a partnership with a local retailer in India. We educated shoppers about the hidden sugar content in regular foods by transforming a piece of ordinary proof of purchase (the till receipt) into an educational discount coupon. The activation offers a cash discount for Colgate Sugar Acid Neutralizer toothpaste, with tiered savings based on the tabulated amount of hidden sugar on each grocery receipt at checkout. The higher the sugar content, the greater the need for Colgate’s new sugar-fighting cavity protection, and therefore a bigger discount to entice shoppers to try the product. The product was merchandized at checkout to convert immediate impulse purchases. By making the shopper aware of the surprising sugar content in their basket, we encouraged them to continue enjoying the foods they love, while getting protection from the hidden sugar that causes cavities.

The Brief

Colgate is a well-known and trusted brand in India, and we are targeting primary grocery shoppers (both men and women) who have purchased Colgate in the past. Although they know Colgate, as the toothpaste category has matured they tend to think all toothpastes prevent cavities equally well, a category cost of entry. Our objectives were to educate shoppers on the real threat of cavities from everyday foods, by revealing the amount of hidden sugar hiding in their grocery basket, and to drive trial of Colgate’s new Sugar Acid Neutralizer product.

Creative Execution

Using the sugar content listed on either the packaging nutritional labels or on the brand's website, we derived categorical sugar averages for food items and beverages found in a supermarket. This special database was synced to the retailer’s POS system and receipt printing program. Every item scanned at the cashier was assigned a sugar content amount for that category, and the receipt was printed with this information, along with an immediately redeemable discount coupon whose value was linked to the total level of sugar content per shopping basket. We piloted this campaign in Mumbai to test the concept and technology, and it ran for a duration of one month. The results are now being evaluated for a national roll-out, and we are investigating how the technology would need to be adapted to different retailer POS and receipt printing systems.

As a pilot we do not yet have full results. But early data indicates the activation is very effective at communicating the message, and was able to successfully shift the perception of sugar from something only in sweets to a threat hidden in everyday foods. It has helped to establish a strong and differentiated proposition of Colgate Sugar Acid Neutralizer against other toothpastes. Importantly, during the campaign period, we have seen strong trade-up from regular toothpaste brands, and even conversion of a healthy percentage of shoppers to immediate impulse purchases at the register. Even before full results are available, Colgate sees the potential of the idea, and Colgate-Palmolive Malaysia is investigating how to adapt this campaign later this year.

The campaign is designed to break the common misconception that only sweets and candy cause cavities. Our strategy was to target shoppers in-store, at the moment of purchase, when food choices were top of mind. We generated an immediate response by surprising them with the sugar content of foods in their baskets, and incentivized immediate trial of the new product. The activation offers a cash discount for Colgate Sugar Acid Neutralizer toothpaste with tiered savings based on the tabulated amount of hidden sugar on each grocery receipt at checkout. The higher the sugar content, the greater the need for Colgate’s new sugar-fighting cavity protection, and therefore a bigger discount to entice shoppers to try the product. The product was merchandized at checkout to convert immediate impulse purchases. Awareness of sugar content encouraged shoppers to continue enjoying the foods they love while getting protection from the hidden sugar that causes cavities.