CLIENT
Tide
PROJECT
Building a platform for brand extension
DISCIPLINE
Competitor Analysis, Brand Architecture, Packaging Design
For 60-years Tide has been the Philippine’s leading mass-market detergent brand. Tide is also growing rapidly in India. In both markets the brand faces brutal competition from Unilever’s Surf.
Capitalising on Tide’s popularity and to compete effectively, P&G expanded the brand with multiple variants. As they proliferated they gradually diluted the brand’s core strength. Brand equity eroded as the Tide value proposition became unclear. This needed to be fixed.
To strengthen the Tide detergent franchise P&G acquired the popular Fab brand from Colgate Palmolive. Fab’s strength was in markets where Tide was unknown.
There was a significant design challenge here – Fab is a well known, predominantly ‘blue’ brand popular with a conservative, value-conscious segment. Tide, little known beyond India and the Philippines, is a distinctly ‘orange’ brand. Transitioning the Fab users to Tide and retaining their custom would require a series of sensitive design changes, over a number of years.
We built a comprehensive brand architecture to address the different tiers and segments, developing a clear packaging system to better manage future line extensions. We strengthened Tide’s visual assets and created a brand guide to manage both on and off pack communications.
To absorb Fab we created a brand design road map for the transition and a series of packaging changes that would bring the loyal Fab users to the Tide camp without missing a beat or leaving value behind.
The clarity of the differentiated value proposition has reinforced Tide as the leading mass-market detergent brand in the region. The number of variants has been rationalised and made more relevant to users’ needs.
New product innovation – scrubber bars for the Philippines – has created renewed brand interest. Brand links – Tide with Downy – creates co-branded convenience and novelty. Seasonal value packs – Tide ‘Tet’ for Vietnam creates heartwarming loyalty.
With the careful transition of Blue Fab to Orange Tide we retained Fab users and brought them into the Tide family without missing a beat. This has added volume and value and made Tide a household name across all of Asia.
