HLL extends the Pears brand to hair care  ( October '25,2000, FE)

It's time for Pears - a hundred year-old brand - to foray into the hair care segment. In an attempt to extend the equity of Pears into a new category of hair care, consumer products major Hindustan Lever Ltd (HLL) is planning to launch a new range of hair care products in shampoos and hair conditioners under the Pears brand name in the near future. Industry sources say that the company has already initiated an extensive research programme to gauge consumers' response to new Pears hair care products in the southern states of India. According to sources, HLL recently sent a research team armed with concept cards to southern cities like Coimbatore.

``After knowing the research findings, the company will be formally launching the new range of Pears hair care products across the nation,'' add sources.

On the future plans for the Pears brand, HLL is reluctant to divulge details. In response to a questionnaire, an HLL spokesperson said: ``We believe that the Pears brand enjoys an equity which exceeds its current turnover. We are looking at future plans which would aim to fully utilise the brand's equity in the area of skin care.'' In the Rs 4,500-crore toilet soaps market, HLL has positioned the Pears brand as "a translucent, brown glycerine soap which is ideal for young and tender skin".

The brand has stayed with its core positioning over the years, only seeing changes in packaging now and then. At present, the marketshare of Pears in the premium segment of the soaps market (ORG-MARG All India, Urban & Rural) is 8.9 per cent. According to sources, the company plans to foray into the Rs 700-crore shampoo markets with the same brand proposition.

In the last two years, HLL has extended the Pears portfolio by launching Pears Face Wash and Pear Naturals range which includes a fairness cream, in a bid to reach out to a wider consumer base. Pears Face Wash targets consumers already using Pears as also evolving consumers looking for specific-need products. ``Which is why, HLL has forayed into the Indian shampoo market,'' opines a leading marketing consultant in Mumbai. HLL is the market leader in the shampoo market with a share of 70 per cent. HLL's shampoo brand portfolio includes leading brands like Clinic Plus and Sunsilk.