Procter & Gamble's plans for Pantene in fiscal 2002 includes a new ad campaign designed to build on the brand's success in the conditioning category, Pantene Director of Marketing Patrice Louvet said.

"Conditioner represents the largest area of potential growth" for the brand, Louvet said, pointing out Pantene Pro-V conditioning and wet-styling products each generated 45% sales increases in fiscal 2001 (ended June 30). The company plans to release sales and earnings results for the year on Aug. 7.

Breaking in September, ads will emphasize Pantene's positioning as a brand that "is all about transforming hair into its healthiest condition," according to Louvet. The campaign will include TV ads, as well as one- and two-page spreads in books such as Cosmopolitan, Elle and InStyle.

P&G spent just over $43 mil. on advertising for Pantene in 2000, according to measured media spending tracked by New York City-based Competitive Media Resources.

Additional ads will promote a new line of 2-in-1 shampoos and conditioners hitting stores now. The 2-in-1 line extensions consist of five SKUs with one product debuting under each of the brand's care collections - Smoothing, Volume, Color, Curl and Basic.

The 2-in-1 products, developed in an effort to simplify the product line, will be promoted in ads as going "beyond the typical 2-in-1 offerings by adding moisture," P&G said.

The new ad campaign will begin one year after Pantene was revamped with new formulations, streamlined pearlescent packaging and new styling products such as Get It Straight Smoothing Cream, Energy Boost Styling Tonic and four Settique hair sprays.

Following the "intense" transformation, the market-leading Pro-V line has garnered a 12% sales increase, Louvet said, noting brand sales are expected to grow by double digits in FY 2002.

Consumers also appear to be comfortable with the price increases that accompanied the revamp, according to the exec.

Reflecting P&G's "significant investment" in packaging and product technology, product prices are up approximately 50[cents] to between $3.50 and $4.50.

However, P&G has decided to lower the prices of its Pantene Pro-V Essentials products, which were introduced in February 2000 ("The Rose Sheet" Nov. 8, 1999, p. 6).

Originally ranging in price from $7-$11, Essentials items now will be line-priced at $6.99, Louvet said, explaining the perceived "value was not there."

Marketing efforts for Pantene also have included the Pro-Voice Summer Showcase concert competition, held July 19.

The Pro-Voice event, featuring five female finalists ranging from ages 19-21, originated this year as part of an effort to "build a relationship with this group of young women" and grow "brand equity over time," Louvet said.

The sponsorship, which P&G views as a "long-term" initiative, required "very little" of Pantene's overall ad spend, the exec noted, as event co-sponsors included Visa, Seventeen and Atlantic Records.

The company disseminated approximately 3,500 Pantene Pro-V samples to the audience during the event. The sampling program represents a fraction of P&G's typical campaigns where 10 mil.-15 mil. samples are distributed, Louvet noted.

Procter & Gamble plans to expand the Pantene line with "innovative" products every six months, according to the exec.

However, a nationwide introduction of Pantene Stylessence, which was being test-marketed in Evansville, Ind., has been put on the back burner, Louvet reported. Although the line "performed well" in test markets, it currently is "not a priority," he maintained.

The four-SKU collection was designed to "style as it cleans" and was promoted beginning in January with local TV and print ads (¹ Also see "Pantene Stylessence Test Market Extensions Clean, Style In One" - HBW Insight, 29 January, 2001.).

P&G Conditioning Pantene For Growth With New Ads, Extensions

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