Tell It Like It Is
The direct approach pervades marketing campaigns for feminine care products aimed at teens and adult women alike.
Feminine care is no longer something to whisper about, if current marketing campaigns are any indication. A disarmingly frank attitude, supported by fresh designs and marketing methods, is front and center in launches from Procter & Gamble (P&G) and Kimberly-Clark Corp.
Case in point: For the first time, P&G's top feminine protection brands, Tampax and Always, have teamed up, and the result is the Radiant Collection, a complete line of premium tampons, pads, liners and wipes. The chic new group features designer packaging and wrappers crafted to pop on store shelves and appeal to target consumers as must-have accessories.
"The Radiant Collection was designed with girls' unique style and feminine care needs in mind," explains Gaby Tartaret, Tampax marketing at Cincinnati-based P&G. "Combining a stylish new look with a full lineup of premium products women have grown to trust from Tampax and Always, the Radiant Collection stands out among competitive feminine care brands."
As P&G Fem Care's first — and biggest-ever — cross-category product initiative to date, the comprehensive collection encompasses Tampax Radiant tampons, which feature a revolutionary resealable wrapper for discreet disposal, and the new CleanGrip applicator for comfortable insertion; Always Radiant Infinity pads, with a unique technology that conforms to each individual shape, delivering premium protection; Always Radiant Incredibly Thin Liners, the thinnest and most flexible protection from the brand, with flexible edges that fit any panty style; and Always Radiant Wipes-to-Go, which provide enhanced everyday freshness.
The launch also marks the first time the company is using real girls in its ads, featuring such unusual true-life characters as a street artist, a yarn bomber and a self-proclaimed "balloonatic."
Further, to help girls stand out for their style and talents — not their periods — Radiant is joining with entertainment, style and living website PopSugar for a competition encouraging girls to share what makes them special. The Stand Out & Win Contest on Tampax's Facebook page invites girls to upload photos and describe their passion for the chance to receive a profile on PopSugar TV and $5,000.
'Changing the Conversation'
Recently featured as one of SymphonyIRI's 2011 New Product Pacesetters, with sales of $74.6 million, the U by Kotex line, introduced in 2010, continues to evolve this year with the debut of Sleek Tampons and CleanWear Pads. The newest additions to the product line aimed at young women offer such performance-enhancing designs as the tampons' unprecedented "Perfect Touch Grip" applicator and the pads' MemoryFlex core that keeps its shape and fits closely with a woman's curves for improved flexibility.
According to Claire Miller, marketing director, Kotex North America at Dallas-based Kimberly-Clark: "U by Kotex challenges accepted norms by delivering premium products that combine innovative design, outstanding performance and a bold, straight-talking approach to marketing that is changing the conversation around feminine care. New U by Kotex Sleek tampons and U by Kotex CleanWear pads are the latest step in our ongoing mission to break through the sea of sameness in the category, accelerate sales and continue to build the Kotex brand into a powerhouse."
The new products are being backed by an integrated marketing program including television and print advertising, direct-to-consumer online communications, consumer sampling and in-store support.
Meanwhile, for its Natural Balance line, which consists of pads, liners and tampons made with real materials such as cotton and featuring a hint of aloe and vitamin E, Kotex has recruited comedian Heather McDonald to discuss what's real and what's not regarding the claims, innovations and storylines in feminine care advertisements. McDonald stars in a Web video series on the product line's Facebook page and YouTube channel that questions the category's sometimes impenetrable jargon and allows women to post their own opinions.
Consumer submissions will help inspire five further videos starring McDonald and influence material for a live Stand Up For What's Real comedy tour that will visit major cities later this year and during which McDonald will perform live at select stops.
"Combining a stylish new look with a full lineup of premium products women have grown to trust from Tampax and Always, the Radiant Collection stands out among competitive feminine care brands."
—Gaby Tartaret, Procter & Gamble