Marketing ManagementCIA-3

BAND AID

BY,

AYUSHI SINGHANIA 08D1164PRIYANKA.M.A. 08D1175

INTRODUCTION:

Johnson & Johnson embraces research and science - bringing innovative ideas, products and services to advance the health and well-being of people. Employees of the Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies work with partners in health care to touch the lives of over a billion people every day, throughout the world.

Their Family of Companies comprises:

The world’s premier consumer health company The world’s largest and most diverse medical devices and

diagnostics company

The world’s fourth-largest biologics company

And the world’s seventh-largest pharmaceuticals company

We have more than 250 operating companies in 57 countries employing 117,000 people. Our worldwide headquarters is in New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA.

Band-Aid is brand name for Johnson & Johnson's line of adhesive bandages and related products. It has also become something of genericized trademark for any adhesive bandage among consuming public in United States, India, Canada, Brazil and Australia.

[ A genericized trademark also known as a generic trademark is a trademark or brand name that has become the colloquial or generic description for (or synonymous with) a general class of product or service, rather than the specific meaning intended by the trademark's holder. A trademark typically becomes "genericized" when the products or services with which it is associated have acquired substantial market dominance or mind share.] Source: Wikipedia

Origin of the brand:

The brand came into existence in 1920. The person behind this innovation was Ms Josphene Dickson, a homemaker and wife of Mr Eric Dickson who was cotton buyer at Johnson & Johnson. Josphene during her daily chores inevitably encounters numerous minor cuts and bruises, wanted an easy solution to cover the cuts to prevent it from worsening while continuing her work. Eric prepared a readymade bandage using cotton gauze and adhesive tape so that Josphene can cut from the readymade bandage and use it when in need.

Finally, after several weeks of kitchen accidents, Earle hit upon an idea. Earle sat down and prepared some ready-made bandages by placing squares of cotton gauze at intervals along an adhesive strip and covering them with removable crinoline fabric. Now all Josephine had to do was cut off a length of the strip and wrap it over her bruise. This was the proto Band-Aid bandage.

His employer, Johnson and Johnson, a company launched by pharmacist Robert Johnson and his two brothers, produced large, dry, cotton and gauze dressings, which remained sterile in germ-resistant packaging until opened. They formed their Company upon the premise set forth by Sir Joseph Lister, of Listerine fame, at a speech given in Philadelphia in 1876, that surgical procedures should be sterile, to reduce the alarmingly high post-operative mortality rates, which were 90% in Britain at the time.

Earle attached small pieces of this sterile gauze, produced by his employer, to the center of strips of surgical tape to bandage Josephine's wounds. A colleague of his encouraged him to pitch his invention to Management, which he did. Management initially dismissed his idea, but later reversed its position when Earle demonstrated how easily the bandage could easily be applied by oneself.

The original bandages Johnson and Johnson produced, were not only handmade, but were rather large in size at 2 1/2" in width,

and 18" in length. The Band-Aid sales were slower than the company expected. Only $3,000 worth were sold the first year. So Johnson and Johnson gave unlimited numbers of free Band-Aids to Boy Scouts. By 1924, Johnson and Johnson revamped the production process of the Band-Aid, product advances included machine manufacturing, a shift from cloth to plastic tape, sterile packages with the little red thread for opening, lots of different sizes, clear strips, medicated strips, rugged strips, waterproof strips and decorated Band-Aids for kids. Sales skyrocketed, and Earle's vision became a reality.

So by 1924, Johnson & Johnson introduced the first machine that produced sterilized Band-Aids. In World War II, millions of Band-Aid bandages were shipped overseas.

In 1951 the first decorative Band-Aids were introduced to the market. They continue to be a commercial success today with decorative themes such as Superman, Spider-Man, SpongeBob SquarePants, Smiley Faces, and Batman.

Earle was eventually rewarded with a position as Vice President in the company, where he stayed until his retirement.

By the time of his death in 1961, after being rewarded by Johnson and Johnson with a token vice-presidency and later with a seat on the Board of Directors, sales of the Band-Aid® exceeded $30,000,000, and production to date exceeds one hundred billion.

History of innovation:

1920

BAND-AID® Brand Adhesive Bandages make their first appearance on the market. They are made by hand and are not a big hit. They were three inches wide and eighteen inches long. Only $3,000 worth were sold the first year.

1924

The little red string used to open BAND-AID® Brand Adhesive Bandages wrappers makes its first appearance.

1938

Completely sterile bandages are introduced.

1942

Millions of adhesive bandages go overseas as part of the war effort

1951

Plastic strips are introduced.

1956

Decorative bandages are introduced - "Stars and Strips" (not Stripes).

1957

Clear Strips bandages are introduced.

1958

BAND-AID® Brand Adhesive Bandages are first produced in sheer vinyl.

1963

Adhesive bandages go into space with Mercury astronauts.

1971

Brooke Shields appears in a BAND-AID® Brand television commercial.

1975

Terri Garr appears in a BAND-AID® Brand television commercial

1975

John Travolta appears in a BAND-AID® Brand television commercial

1982

Chris Evert appears in a BAND-AID® Brand television commercial

1988

Perestroika arrives in Eastern Europe and so does BAND-AID® Brand.

1994

BAND-AID® Brand SPORT STRIP® Adhesive Bandages are introduced

1995

75th Anniversary

1997

Introduction of BAND-AID® Brand Antibiotic Adhesive Bandages, the first ever adhesive bandage to have specially formulated antibiotic ointment right on the pad.

2000

BAND-AID® Brand Advanced Healing is the latest generation in wound care available to consumers.

2001

Over 100 billion BAND-AID® Brand Adhesive Bandages have been made to date... and band-aid.com is launched!

2002

Introduction of a revolutionary new concept from BAND-AID® Brand – the Liquid Bandage that promotes fast healing on contact.

2005

BAND-AID® Brand celebrates its 85th Anniversary and re-launches limited edition tins.

2006

Re-launch of plus Antibiotic with new look and more line extensions.

2007

BAND-AID® Brand brings back "I am stuck on BAND-AID Brand" jingle with new commercial.

In India, Band-Aid was launched in the year 1978

USP and POSITIONING strategy (in India):

Band-Aid was successful because it identified the need in the households for wound care. But to reach the dominant position in India was not easy. Band-Aid had to fight the tradition rather than the competitors to succeed. Traditionally, Indians prefer not to cover the cuts and bruises because there is a feeling that wounds should be kept open in order to heal faster. Further, Indian consumers typically used traditional methods to heal wounds. In earlier days most of the households had the bottle of tincture iodine which was considered as the best solution for cuts and

bruises. Kids used to hate this because the pain will be

excruciating when tincture iodine is

applied to cuts. Band-Aid comes with red coloured medicine inside (Benzalkonium) which resembled Iodine. This had enabled early adoption of this brand and Band-Aid was called " Lal Dhawa Wali Patti" which became the USP . Had the medicine color was not red, Band-Aid would have tough time convincing mothers. The Kids also loved the brand since they were relieved of the pain of Tincture iodine.

Band-Aid also tried to educate mothers about the possible problems in keeping the wounds open because of dust infections caused by it. This also boosted the brand acceptability.

Band-Aid was a brand that changed with time and it keenly watched the consumers and tried to identify their needs. The company had valuable consumer insights that created the first water proof band-aid in India. The main weakness for bandages was that it used to come off easily when wet. This prevented the category usage to certain extent. The waterproof band aid made the brand usable in any condition. This innovation catapulted the brand popularity to newer heights. Band Aid focused on the area of application and was clever enough to come out with various size and shapes. This come from the insight that different wounds in different parts of the body needs different shapes. For example, a small cut in the forehead needs a round band-aid .These insights made the brand a market leader in the category with a

market share of over 60%.

Johnson& Johnson also saw an opportunity for the brand in the traditional cure for cuts. In India, turmeric is used as a medicine for cuts and blemishes. Band-Aid launched a turmeric variant of the plaster much to the delight of the Indian consumers.

Initially positioned as a wound care brand, Band-Aid was repositioned as a product that encourages kids to be active. Kids have the innate desire to be active and Band-Aid makes sure that cuts and bruises will not be hinder that desire.

One of the major factors that aided the success of this brand was the distribution strength of J&J. Band-Aid was a mass market product and hence it has to be there at every shop in the market.

RECENT DEVELOPMENT

The brand is currently being positioned on " Continuous Care". The positioning is pitting this brand against the ointments and other external applications. The concept is to educate the customers that use of plasters will heal wounds better than the use of ointments.The theme of 'Continuous Care', underlines the fact that unlike other treatments medicated dressing continues to work on your wound and stays on till it is healed.

Promotion Mix:

The brand was promoted heavily. According to Superbrands.org, Band-Aid was the first product endorsement of Sachin Tendulkar. Launched in India in 1978, Band-Aid was the first player in the adhesive bandages category to air a TV commercial. The

challenge was to grow the brand as well as lead in category

development.

The initial communication was aimed at mothers, with the promise of a 'superior and convenient protection for wounds'. It focused on the red pad and the J&J heritage. In an attempt to heighten the emotional appeal of the brand across the children's segment - its largest user base - Band-Aid developed a new communication in the mid 1990s, stressing on the innate desire of the child to be active. In essence, Band-Aid was the child's supporter of non-stop fun.

TV Commercials

Band-Aid with new Super Stick can pick up an egg!

New color Band-Aids (in a black-and-white commecial.)

2003 was also the year of the Cricket World Cup and for a nation obsessed with cricket, having a brand endorsed by a leading cricketer was a tactical advantage. Virender Sehwag, chosen as Band-Aid's brand ambassador, symbolized the very essence of what the product stood for: solid, gritty and with a never-say-die attitude under any circumstance. This tie-up kicked off a series of contests and promotions that included a special edition pack featuring the explosive cricketer.

Over the years, the challenge for communication has been to shift from passive protection to active healing. Band-Aid needed to signal efficacy, demonstrate its 'medicinal side' and shift its discourse without losing its core values.

The Band-Aid Goldfish campaign, launched in 2000, was a real clutter-breaking advertisement, which elevated the awareness of washproof to new heights. Since early 2003, the brand, with its new campaign of ‘Continuous Care’, has tried to reposition itself among the target audience. The simple theme is that unlike antiseptic liquids and creams, which wear off after the initial effect, Band-Aid works on the wound non-stop. Therefore, the core value of the brand – ceaseless supervision – is emphatically stated in the baseline “Iska asar lagatar”. The Kids Snapshot film is based on this thought.

Catch phrases...

New Super-StickNew Overall Air-Vents help keep skin freshFlesh colorA Speed Bandage for Minor Injuries

Target customers: Basically the target was the mothers and children.

Competitors:

The brand has already become generic to the category. Being generic has its share of problems also. When the customer uses the brand as a generic name for the category , the retailer can offer him any brand in the category. There are many local players in the market who gain by a brand major becoming generic. Competition is also from players like Handyplast and Dettol. Although the Indian wound care market is estimated to be around

Rs 512 crore, the domestic adhesive bandage category is small at Rs 25 crore. The brand equity of Band-Aid still going strong is a an entry barrier for any one looking to enter this category.

PRODUCT

BASIC CARE

COMFORT-FLEX Clear Bandages-

COMFORT-FLEX Sheer Bandages-

Durable Protection

Advance Protection

Active Lifestyle

Just for Kids

Basic Care

Products

width

COMFORT-FLEX® Clear, All One Size

COMFORT-FLEX® Clear, Spots

COMFORT-FLEX® Sheer, All One Size

COMFORT-FLEX® Sheer, Assorted 40’s

COMFORT-FLEX® Sheer, Assorted 60’s

COMFORT-FLEX® Sheer, Assorted 80’s

COMFORT-FLEX® Sheer, Extra Large

COMFORT-Flex Plastic bandages-

COMFORT-FLEX® Plastic, All One Size 60s

COMFORT-FLEX® Adhesive Pads, Medium

COMFORT-FLEX® Adhesive Pads, Large

HURT-FREE® Antiseptic Wash

JUST FOR KIDS

Transformers Animated™

Littlest PetShop™

Dora the Explorer™

SpongeBob SquarePants™

Barbie™

Spider-Man®

Go Diego Go!™

Scooby-Doo™

Hello Kitty®

ACTIVE LIFESTYLES

Flexible Fabric Bandages-

Flexible Fabric Assorted Flexible Fabric All One Size

Flexible Fabric Knuckle and Fingertip

Flexible Fabric Extra Large

Flexible Fabric Travel Pack

WATER BLOCK PLUS Bandages-

WATER BLOCK PLUS® FINGER-WRAP®

WATER BLOCK PLUS® FINGER-CARE®

WATER BLOCK PLUS® Clear, All One Size

WATER BLOCK PLUS® Clear, Assorted

WATER BLOCK PLUS® Large

ACTIV-Flex Bandages-

ACTIV-FLEX™ Large ACTIV-FLEX™ Regular

ACTIV-FLEX™ Finger-Wrap

SPORT STRIP Bandages-

SPORT STRIP® Extra Wide SPORT STRIP® Assorted

Varity Pack

Varity Pack, Assorted

Advanced Protection

Plus Antibiotic-

plus Antibiotic, All One Size

plus Antibiotic, Assorted

plus Antibiotic, Decorated

plus Antibiotic, Extra Large

plus Antibiotic Waterproof

FRICTION BLOCK stick-

FRICTION BLOCK™ Stick

Advanced healing blister-

Advanced Healing Blister for Fingers and Toes

Advanced Healing BlisterULTRA-STRIPS Bandages-

ULTRA-STRIPS™All One Size

ULTRA-STRIPS™Extra Large

SINGLE STEP-

SINGLE STEP™ Liquid Bandage

ULTRA-STRIPS™Assorted

DURABLE PROTECTION

TOUGH-STRIPS bandages-

TOUGH-STRIPS®, All One Size

TOUGH-STRIPS®, Finger-Care

TOUGH-STRIPS®, Extra Large

TOUGH-STRIPS Waterproof bandages-

TOUGH-STRIPS® Waterproof, All One Size

TOUGH-STRIPS® Waterproof, Assorted

TOUGH-STRIPS® Waterproof, Extra Large

Conclusion

Band-Aid is the world's first medicated dressing containing Benzalkonium, which kills germs and prevents their growth. It is gentle on the skin and acts as a cleansing agent. It is known to stay on firmly on the wound, enhancing notions of long-lasting protection. It is the only sterilised medicated dressing in India. Each Band-Aid strip comes in a unique easy peel packaging, which is the only one of its kind in the category.