Duke University: The Fuqua School of Business FUQ-08-0700

Rev. November 29, 2010

Colgate Oral Care Focus Group Assignment1

Overview This is an assignment to give you practice applying the focus group framework you learned to the analysis of focus group discussions of new product concepts. You should have received a DVD of the Colgate oral care focus groups. The DVD has two hours and twenty five minutes of material on it: a full, 2-hour focus group covering seven new product concepts and a 25-minute segment of a second focus group discussing two of those concepts. You should view the first segment, which is approximately one hour long (the first three tracks), from this DVD showing introductions and discussion of two product concepts. Before watching it, read Using Focus Groups for New Product Screening. Pay careful attention to the Framework for Analyzing Focus Groups for New Product Screening (pp. 5-8). Your assignment is to watch the focus group 1 discussion of the Colgate Combo and Colgate Dental Spray and determine how the concepts should be modified to be a better fit with customer needs. 1. Identify the usage situations mentioned by focus group participants for both product concepts and the kinds of users who encounter those usage situations where the product may have value. 2. Identify the competitors or alternative ways of solving the same problem in the specified usage situations. If you have identified more than one usage situation, be sure to tie the competition to the correct specific usage situation. 3. Identify the perceived benefit, if any, of the product concept versus those competitors in a given usage situation for those types of users. Be sure to frame your analysis around usage situations (e.g., travel, at work, camping, etc.) as these situations make certain product benefits more or less important. Since the benefits of a new product concept are primarily relevant for the segment of consumers that is most likely to encounter a given usage situation, be sure to highlight the benefits or drawbacks raised by focus group participants that are most likely to encounter that usage situation. You should deemphasize comments by people who are unlikely users because they do not regularly encounter the situations in which the new product might have value. Next, use your findings above to revise/rewrite one of the product concepts. Your revised product concept should be roughly the same length (in word count) as the current product concept. What and When to Submit Choose one of the two concepts to analyze. The first of your two slides should provide an analysis of your findings for one concept using the Using Focus Groups framework. The
This case was modified by Professors Tanya Chartrand and Russ Morgan, based on a case by Professors John Lynch and Kurt Carlson. The materials used in this case were initially provided by Professor Praveen Kopalle of the Tuck School of Business. Copyright 2000 by John Lynch and Kurt Carlson and the Fuqua School of Business, Duke University. No part of this case may be reproduced, stored in an electronic retrieval system, used in a spreadsheet, or transmitted in any form or in any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the permission of the Fuqua School of Business.
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second should present your revised product concept. If called upon, you will be asked to lead a 510 minute discussion of your findings, and your slides will help your audience grasp your results. Colgate Focus Group Concepts Colgate Combo combines the best in Colgate toothpaste and toothbrush technology in one product to make brushing on the go more convenient. With the Colgate Combo, you don't need to pack a separate toothbrush and bulky tube of toothpaste. The Combo's clear cartridge toothbrush handle holds enough toothpaste for 10 brushes and can be easily refilled with any Colgate toothpaste. Holding the Combo like a regular toothbrush, use your thumb to slide the lever on the handle to release just the right amount of toothpaste directly onto the toothbrush bristles. Simply cap the toothbrush head when not in use. The Colgate Combo is ideal for travel, work, or anytime you need a convenient, portable, and compact tooth-brushing solution. Colgate Dental Spray is a new way to fight tartar and bad breath without the hassle of brushing. This pocket spray has powerful anti-plaque and tartar-fighting ingredients that act fast to clean teeth in the middle of the day. Just use the specially designed applicator to get to those hard to reach places in your mouth. Colgate Dental Spray is conveniently sized to fit in pockets and purses. It can be used in the office, on the road, or at home for clean teeth and fresh breath.

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Appendix: Colgate Focus Group Concepts

Below are the concepts that were tested in the focus groups (there are 8 of them but the focus groups used only 7). Colgate Liquid Toothpaste New Colgate Liquid Toothpaste is mess-free and easier to carry with you on the go than traditional toothpaste. Colgate Liquid's low foaming formulation makes brushing less messy for both adults and children. Plus, it won't leave ugly globs of toothpaste in the sink! Colgate Liquid Toothpaste comes in a small, portable bottle to make brushing on the go more convenient than ever. The bottle's no-mess dropper ensures you get the right amount of liquid toothpaste every time. Colgate Liquid is specially formulated to get at hard to reach areas to provide superior cavity and tartar fighting ability and long lasting fresh breath. Colgate Combo New Colgate Combo combines the best in Colgate toothpaste and toothbrush technology in one product to make brushing on the go more convenient. With the Colgate Combo, you don't need to pack a separate toothbrush and bulky tube of toothpaste. The Combo's clear cartridge toothbrush handle holds enough toothpaste for 10 brushes and can be easily refilled with any Colgate toothpaste. Holding the Combo like a regular toothbrush, use your thumb to slide the lever on the handle to release just the right amount of toothpaste directly onto the toothbrush bristles. Simply cap the toothbrush head when not in use. The Colgate Combo is ideal for travel, work, or anytime you need a convenient, portable, and compact tooth-brushing solution.

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Colgate Everywhere New Colgate Everywhere makes it easier than ever to brush your teeth when away from home. The compact Colgate Everywhere combines toothbrush and toothpaste in one highly portable product. The toothbrush has high quality bristles coated with a solution of Colgate toothpaste. Simply wet the bristles to activate the solution, then brush as you would normally. Colgate Everywhere's toothpaste coating is specially designed to not wash off for at least three brushes. The brush handle folds in half, creating a tight cover over the toothbrush head for easy, no-mess storage. You can use Colgate Everywhere at least three times before disposal. It is ideal for travel, work, or anytime you need a convenient, portable, and compact tooth-brushing solution.
Colgate UltraGum

New Colgate UltraGum is a revolutionary product that cleans your teeth and freshens your breath without the hassle of brushing. Chewing Colgate UltraGum is the perfect way to ensure good oral hygiene after meals, at work, or whenever it is inconvenient to brush. It's not just any gum - Colgate UltraGum actually prevents cavities and tartar build-up, freshens your breath, whitens teeth, and has long lasting antibacterial power. Plus, it has a unique Liqui-Gel center that bursts in your mouth, releasing extra cleaning and freshening power. Colgate UltraGum comes in several great tasting, refreshing mint flavors. Oral hygiene has never been as convenient and effective! Vitacare from Colgate Now Colgate, the oral care experts, gives you Vitacare, a premium toothpaste made from all natural ingredients. Enriched with the power of the exotic Neem plant, Vitacare cleans and protects your teeth the natural way. Found in tropical rainforests, the Neem plant contains natural antibacterial properties and has been used as an effective dental care ingredient for centuries. Vitacare comes in an attractive brushed foil tube that is recyclable. Vitacare combines the power of nature with today's proven technology to create a truly revolutionary toothpaste that prevents cavities and tartar build-up, whitens, and protects against bacteria and gum disease. Toothcare the way nature intended, only better. The Metro Dispenser by Colgate (Skip discussion of this concept) The sleek, refillable Metro Dispenser is ergonomically designed and lets you finally have a toothpaste you would be happy to see in your bathroom. Colgate Metro lets you express your personality by offering a multitude of colors and decorative options. This dispenser greatly reduces waste and eliminates mess. Just drop in any refill package of your favorite Colgate toothpaste - the specially designed pump with portion control will

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deliver exactly the amount of toothpaste dentists recommend. Metro Dispenser - Express Yourself! Colgate Dental Spray Colgate Dental Spray is a new way to fight tartar and bad breath without the hassle of brushing. This pocket spray has powerful anti-plaque and tartar-fighting ingredients that act fast to clean teeth in the middle of the day. Just use the specially designed applicator to get to those hard to reach places in your mouth. Colgate Dental Spray is conveniently sized to fit in pockets and purses. It can be used in the office, on the road, or at home for clean teeth and fresh breath.

Colgate Multi-System (Skip discussion of this concept) The revolutionary Colgate Multi-System pump dispenser allows you to combine the toothpaste ingredients that are right for you! The pump has space for four different messfree refill packs, so you can create many combinations of flavor and active ingredients such as tartar control, cavity protection, anti-bacterial protection, baking soda and peroxide whitening - in a way that's both easy and fun. Just select the toothpaste combination you want. Then, press the specially designed portion-control pump. Colgate Multi-System will deliver exactly the amount of toothpaste dentists recommend. Colgate Multi-System - the toothpaste for the next millenium.

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COLGATE MODERATORS NOTES

For each concept, seek feedback on the following topics: 1. Target Customer: Who would be most likely to buy the new dental care product 2. Product Diagnostics Uniqueness or differentiation from other products Believability Importance in solving a consumer's problem Inherent interest in product Is it useful How much they like the concept Problems they see in use 3. Attribute Diagnostics Perceptions on specific attributes - what's special about it Importance of attributes - are the special features important / do they help solve a problem How would you improve/change product For each concept the focus group participants were shown a written concept statement. In addition to this, participants were shown visual cues for three of the concepts: 1. Multi-System: black and white Microsoft Powerpoint drawing 2. Metro Dispenser: black and white picture of a seltzer dispenser downloaded from Williams-Sonoma web site 3. Liquid Toothpaste: bottle of TheraMed liquid toothpaste with labels ripped off (TheraMed is available in the U.K.)