Mktg - India;Colgate takes oral health camp to 200 cities

Tarana Khan

Colgate, the toothpaste brand which has been active in promoting oral health, has announced October as Oral Health Month (OHM), in association with the Indian Dental Association (IDA). During OHM, Colgate intends to cover 200 cities, where 10,000 dentists associated with the programme will provide free dental checkups and promote oral health. Colgate has also partnered with 46 dental colleges for this exercise.OHM was originally launched in 2004, when it was limited to six cities and 70 dentists. In an email interview with afaqs!, a Colgate spokesperson says, “At the core of this programme are the free dental check-ups. According to consumer usage and attitude survey supported by Colgate, 60 per cent of people surveyed have never visited a dentist.” In order to make an appointment, people can SMS their pin code to a number and receive details of the dentist in their area. They can also call a helpline or log on to the site, www.oralhealthmonth.co.in. This year, Colgate is introducing mobile dental vans, which will contain all the facilities for a dental check-up. Twenty of these vans will be deployed in six cities. RC&M, an experiential marketing agency, is behind the mobile van concept and implementation. The agency aims to facilitate two million dental check-ups during 600 days of the programme in 1,500 locations. Speaking to afaqs!, Priya Monga, business head, RC&M says, “We have created the mobile clinic to facilitate the doctors and create a sanitary environment for the check-up to take place. We spend about three hours at a location, where around 50-70 people are attended to.” The agency will also promote these visits by distributing leaflets at the concerned locations. “This is a CSR initiative by Colgate, which also creates a top-of-mind recall for the brand,” remarks Monga.She adds that the challenge is to meet the deadline and ensure that the targeted 1.500 locations are visited in a month, and also collect feedback from the visitors. Colgate's OHM initiative will also reach schools, where activities will be undertaken to educate children on oral hygiene. The same programme is also being organised in factories and 500 ITC e-choupal kiosks. Colgate has a 48 per cent share of the toothpaste market in India and a 45 per cent share of the toothpowder market.