P&G's new premium hair line boasts new technology

Drug Store News,  August 3, 1998  

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                    Growth in hair care mixed

                     1993     1997

Hair care        3-outlet 3-outlet Category

category          $ sales  $ sales   growth

                 millions millions 1993-'97

Shampoo            $1,726   $1,825     1.4%

Colorants             761    1,001      7.1

Conditioner           739      833      3.0

Haire spray           686      605     -3.1

Style agents          408      416      0.5

Home perms            100       71     -8.3

Ethnic hair care      465      525      3.1

Total               4,886    5,275      1.9

Source: Datamonitor

CINCINNATI -- Consumers in Wichita, Kan., and Little Rock, Ark., know something the rest of us don't. That's because they are the first to try Procter & Gamble's new line of shampoos, conditioners and styling products under the brand name Physique.

The new high-priced line is being test marketed there and is out to capture female and male consumers, as well as some of P&G's diminished market share due to competition. Though Pantene, P&G's star hair care brand, still dominates the hair care segment and has recently introduced an antidandruff shampoo and a heat-activated conditioner, "a new brand with new technology was needed in the marketplace," said one industry analyst.

Enter Physique, the "first line that offers styling with every product," said Mindy Patton, a company spokesperson. Physique targets style-savvy men and women between the ages of 18 and 49 and will retail for approximately $7. As for the high price point, Patton said, "The line will complement our existing lineup and grow the hair care category because it is answering a consumer need for advanced cutting-edge technology." She cannot estimate how long test marketing will continue, but the company will make a decision when data is complete.

The brand promises styling as soon as the user lathers up in the shower, as its formula works on every hair strand, "making styling easier." After a shower, the user can turn to a gel, which the company said is "less sticky, therefore creating real-looking hair." A flexible-hold hair spray and bodifying mousse will also offer "hold throughout the whole day.

So far, the company has been tracking sales. Patton noted, "Consumers have been receptive to Physique based on pre-market screening, which also has a strong retailer backing."

P&G had been spreading the word about Physique in the two test markets before it landed on store shelves in June. According to the company, television, billboard and print media were saturated with the name [Physique], the logo [ellipse and a sigma] and the slogan ["The new law of Physique, the formula for phenomenal style."]

The product is packaged in a sleek silver bottle, which features an ellipse and a sigma, which the company said "communicates the essence of Physique, the marriage of style and science."

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