There is a good chance you used a P&G product before leaving home this morning without thinking much about it. Shampoo, toothpaste, laundry detergent, period care and deodorant are hardly purchases we spend hours analysing. Most of us find something that works and keep buying it. So, when HT Shop Now attended P&G Loop, The Creator Collective, at Dome @ NSCI SVP in Mumbai, we were less interested in hearing what was simply new and more interested in what might actually be useful.
Held on October 22 and 23, the event brought several P&G brands into one space, with product demonstrations, conversations with scientists and sessions around consumer habits. Among all the information coming our way, five launches and campaigns caught our attention because each connects with a fairly common problem. Here is what shoppers may actually want to know about them.
Head & Shoulders Clinical Strength could be one to note if regular dandruff shampoos are not enough
There is occasional flaking, and then there is the stubborn dandruff that seems to return soon after a wash. Head & Shoulders Clinical Strength Shampoo is aimed at the latter.
The new shampoo contains 1% selenium sulfide and, according to the brand, is designed to target persistent flakes while maintaining scalp moisture.
- For shoppers, the important distinction is that this is not positioned as another everyday shampoo for someone who occasionally notices a few flakes. It is being introduced as a more focused option for persistent dandruff.
- It also points to something we are seeing more often in hair care. People are shopping according to scalp concerns now, rather than choosing products purely for dry, oily or damaged hair.
Old Spice Deodorant Stick could make sense if your spray disappears by lunchtime
Deodorant sticks have never had quite the same presence in Indian bathrooms as sprays, but this format could be worth considering if you find yourself reapplying deodorant through the day.
{{/usCountry}}Deodorant sticks have never had quite the same presence in Indian bathrooms as sprays, but this format could be worth considering if you find yourself reapplying deodorant through the day.
{{/usCountry}}Old Spice says its research found that 50% of men dislike deodorant sprays fading within one to two hours. Its new Deodorant Stick is positioned as a longer-lasting option.
- There is another practical reason sticks can be useful. They are compact; there is no aerosol can to deal with, and you are applying the product directly rather than spraying it into the air. A stick can also slip easily into a gym bag or work bag if you prefer carrying deodorant with you.
The brand is promoting it with the line “Spray Udega, Stick Tikega”, but the more useful question for shoppers is simpler. Could a stick be a better fit for long office days, workouts and daily commutes than the spray you currently use?
Vicks VapoSteam Tabs immediately made us think of travel
This was one of the products we could immediately see ourselves packing.
Steam inhalation itself is hardly unfamiliar in Indian homes. The trouble starts when you are travelling. Carrying bottles or jars specifically for steam inhalation is not particularly convenient, especially if you are trying to pack light.
- Vicks VapoSteam Tabs put Nilgiri or eucalyptus, menthol and camphor into individual tablets intended for steam inhalation to help adults with congestion associated with cough and cold.
The tablet format is what makes this interesting. A few tablets should take up very little luggage space, making them particularly handy for work trips, holidays or even keeping in a travel essentials pouch. Anyone who has developed a blocked nose halfway through a trip and then tried to recreate their usual home steam routine in a hotel room will probably understand the appeal immediately.
Whisper is giving women more choices for different days and routines
Period care has gradually moved beyond buying the same pack of sanitary pads every month. Flow changes, nights are different from days, and some women simply want alternatives to conventional pads. At P&G Loop, Whisper spoke about products including Choice Ultra, Period Panty and BindazzZ Nights as part of its “Bindaas” campaign.
- The useful part for shoppers is the range of formats. Period panties can offer another option for particular days or situations, while products designed specifically for nights address a different concern from something you might wear during the day.
Instead of looking for one product to handle every situation, it may make more sense to build a small period care kit around your own routine, particularly for travel, long workdays and overnight use.
Ariel Power Gel aims to reduce the extra work we do before washing clothes
Ariel's #FreeTheLemon campaign is based on a habit many Indian households will recognise. A difficult stain appears and out come the home remedies, followed by soaking, rubbing and scrubbing before the garment even reaches the washing machine. Ariel says its Power Gel is designed to remove tough stains in one wash, reducing the need for those additional steps.
- We would still look at the fabric and care instructions before treating any difficult stain, but the larger idea is useful. Laundry products are increasingly being sold not simply on how well they clean, but on how much effort they can remove from the process.
For anyone doing several loads of laundry every week, saving ten minutes of scrubbing here and another ten there can matter far more than an impressive-sounding product claim.
What we took away from P&G Loop
The interesting part of attending P&G Loop was not seeing five more things to add to a shopping basket. It was getting a closer look at where familiar product categories are heading.
Some changes are surprisingly small.
- Deodorant moves from a spray to a stick. Steam inhalation ingredients move into a tablet.
- Shampoo becomes more specific to a particular scalp concern.
- Period care expands into formats for different parts of the day.
Not every new launch needs to replace what you already use, and not every product will make sense for every household. The useful ones are those that solve a problem you already have.
For us, the Vicks tablets immediately looked like something frequent travellers might appreciate. The Old Spice stick makes more sense for someone frustrated with frequently reapplying spray, while the Head & Shoulders Clinical Strength Shampoo is aimed at a much more specific scalp concern.
And that is probably the best way to look at the latest launches or reminders of previous ones we saw at P&G Loop. Not as a list of things you need to buy, but as new options worth knowing about when something already sitting in your bathroom, suitcase or laundry cupboard is no longer doing quite enough.
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