EXPLORING POTENTIAL CHANNELS TO INTERCEPT CUSTOMERS IN BABY DIAPER MARKET

Abstract

In Pakistan, Proctor and Gamble enjoys the leading position in diapers category by claiming 73% of the market share. Such statistics do not only reveal the strength of a brand in a market but also suggest an opportunity for other global and local competitors to introduce themselves and claim a significant share using different advertising and positioning strategies. Upon these lines, Canbebe was introduced in Pakistan in 2011, with a price lower than that of Pampers and packaging having more colors and appeal for the consumer. Trade promotions, trade marketing effectiveness and price are important factors contributing to the success of this brand in the most populated city of Pakistan. While there are many other local and global players in the Pakistani market, there seems to only two leading brands in the market (Canbebe and Pampers), fighting head on to grab more market share. As Pampers is the only diapers brand advertised heavily on the television, trade channels are proving to be more critical for awareness and trial of diapers brands in the Pakistani market. Therefore, companies need to explore innovative strategies and formulate new channels in order to reach out to the consumer and increase their share in the market. This research aims to explore in detail the validity of Hypothesis that “Parents and Parents-to-be can be influenced to purchase a diaper brand by medical experts opinion and web-marketing/selling techniques, and can be targeted through an alternative channel i.e. Hospital pharmacies and nurseries”, based on the assumption that if you lock the consumers at birth, you can lock them for life. It has been proven through research that mothers do not like to experiment and are very cautious to try different products with their babies. So, if a mother tries a certain brand of diapers and is satisfied, she’s very unlikely to switch to another brand. For primary research, questionnaires are designed to take key insights of the hospital/nursery staff as well as of parents and newly married couples (prospects). The results of primary research reveal that parents/families usually prepare baby bags before the birth of a baby in order to avoid hassle at the last moment. So, in case of any unforeseen emergency, these prospects can be targeted. However, the research reveals new channels and strategies to intercept the target audience as early as possible before the birth of a baby, which are mentioned in detail in the recommendations section.