Background

In 2020 Head & Shoulders (H&S) occupied a small share of the Japanese haircare market. The brand was positioned not as a specialized anti-dandruff (AD) agent, but instead, as a generic shampoo and conditioner with a proposition focusing on attributes like “shiny, bouncy hair” or “healthy scalp”. This meant that H&S was, at the time, competing against the entire haircare market in Japan, (including male and female audiences) amongst major brands like Pantene and Shiseido. With the launch of a new product line, H&S scalp, H&S wanted to reposition its whole brand image and product portfolio towards a male audience suffering from dandruff, by clearly communicating its AD properties. This would mean carving out a more distinct space in the category and limiting its competitors within the hair care market to only a few niche brands that were also positioned solely for the male demographic with its home-use AD solutions.