Cadbury eyes bigger share of gum market

Krit Chamapisit, group brand manager, Cadbury Adams (Thailand), said: "From our extensive research and clinical studies, we found that consumers in Thailand now choose to chew gum not just because of emotional reasons but also for the beneficial features of the product." The brand, which will see its new variant compete against Wrigley's Extra and Lotte in the sugar-free segment, also has a presence in the sugar-coated segment with Dentyne Ice, an intense flavoured gum, as well as Clorets. The total gum market in Thailand is worth 1.6 billion baht (US$38,594), with tab/stick gum making up 68 per cent, coated gum 28 per cent and chunky gum four per cent. Over the past five years, the share of sugar-coated gum has dropped from 50 per cent to less than 10 per cent of the country's total chewing gum market, according to Cadbury Adams marketing director, Somchai Ketchaikosol, who added that sugar-free gum (using artifical sweetners) had gained 10 per cent share. Trident gum has captured 10 per cent of the market since its launch last year, according to ACNielsen. "We, however, wanted to be a step ahead of the other sugar-free gum manufacturers and thus introduced Trident with Recaldent, which not only prevents but also strengthens the tooth structure," said Krit. Trident Recaldent is priced at 15 baht for a pack of nine gums. Available in pellet gum format in a blister pack with two flavors -- Spearmint and Freshmint -- the company is seeking to strengthen the positioning of Trident as a dental care gum. The gum has been endorsed by the Private Dental Association of Thailand, with the endorsement displayed on the packaging. The packaging also recommends "Chewing 2 pieces, 20 minutes, 4 times a day", with the information featured on the back panel. In a bid to educate consumers about the benefits of the new product, Cadbury Adams has earmarked a promotional budget of 40 baht million. The brand will soon kick off extensive below-the-line promotional activities, including low-price promotions to induce trials and trade promotions to strengthen distribution. A tooth-shaped mascot has also been developed to increase visibility at display points in retail outlets across the country. An aggressive above-the-line campaign is also being developed by J. Walter Thompson Thailand. Krit declined to provide details of the campaign but said: "Due to strict FDA restrictions preventing us from making strong product claims, we used an analogy for our previous commercial. "This time too we will try our best to add on production value and smart way of communication."