Dettol's Antiseptic-Association Problem

Do I think it was brilliant on the part of Dettol Body Wash to run a scented print Ad. in the TOI?

You bet!

I can tell you, for me the stimuli selection that led to reading of the Ad content was via the scent. The visual content didn't catch my eye. In fact the scent is what got me to investigate, leading me the Ad. Now that's a lesson to other marketers who are failing to even get consumers to select stimuli!

But then, what about Dettol's extension into Body Washes? Smart move?

I am not sure.

I can see that Dettol Body Wash comes in different scents, but is that good enough to have consumers take to the product? You see, its a question of stimulus generalization and discrimination. Dettol without a doubt owns the antiseptic space, one that has paved way to a solid association-based identity. That which can't be claimed by any other brand, which ironically is why Dettol has a problem on its hands. The problem of the associative identity limiting extensions, especially those of line expansions.

Dettol Hand Wash is more feasible in terms of an extended Dettol identity, than Body Wash. What will make it worse is that women take to Body Washes more than men. The lingering antiseptic association is a killer if its women who are making Body Wash purchase decisions.

I know its too early to tell, but I sure am not putting my money on Dettol Body Wash.