Kimberly Clark to bring new brands
Güncelleme Tarihi:
by Fulya Çimen
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Mart 30, 2009 00:00
ISTANBUL - In 2008, Kimberly Clark posted an annual growth of more than 50 percent in Turkey. For the first three months of this year, there has been continuous growth with the Huggies and Kotex brands, the firm’s managing director says
One of the first things companies do during hard times is cut back on investments and advertisements. But heeding professionals who say this makes things worse, Kimberly Clark Turkey, a U.S.-based company with offices in 150 countries, continues to grow.
Kotex Young is a new product line that Kimberly Clark has launched under the Kotex brand. It’s the first feminine pad designed especially for teenagers. Even though it is not an easy product to communicate because of cultural issues, the company keeps launching new products and advertising while most rivals are standing still during the crisis.
"If you talk to girls between ages 12 and 16 in Turkey, we are close to 100 percent awareness of Kita, the three-dimensional character of Kotex Young. We are also planning to bring new categories to Turkey by the end of December 2009," said Ari Melamud, the 41-year-old managing director of Kimberly Clark Turkey, which entered the market three years ago. "We have no plans for cutting. We have plans for going forward."
Flexible strategy
The company launched Kotex Young in the last quarter of 2008 and started its campaign this year. Kimberly Clark Turkey is planning to launch more products like tampons in the Turkish market, too. "This global crisis requires us to be very flexible and creative about how we manage our business," Melamud said. "I think we have to evaluate our plans, but evaluation doesn’t mean stopping or cutting back. We are not stopping our plans of bringing new products to Turkey."
In 2008, Kimberly Clark posted an annual growth of more than 50 percent in Turkey, Melamud told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review. And for the first three months of 2009, there has been a continuous growth with the Huggies and Kotex brands.
"Kimberly Clark doesn’t compete on prices," he said. "In some categories, people do not compromise on quality even during the most difficult times."
According to Melamud, the global crisis has challenged short-term business results, but for the long term, it does not change the picture of Turkey as a strategic market for Kimberly Clark. The company manufactures most of its products in Turkey, using Istanbul as a "hot spot" for 22 countries, from Russia to South Africa.
Speaking on marketing feminine care products in predominantly Muslim countries, Melamud said Turkey is not very different from other markets. Kimberly Clark has launched its tampons in Indonesia and recorded a huge success. "Our marketing team is currently looking at launching this product in Turkey as a case study," he said. "That might be an interesting case. The tampon’s market share is only 1 percent for now in Turkey."
Whether there are economic crises or not, at the end of the day personal care products maintain high demand because they carry a high level of necessity. "The question is what brand do they use?" Melamud said.
Kotex Young is a new product line that Kimberly Clark has launched under the Kotex brand. It’s the first feminine pad designed especially for teenagers. Even though it is not an easy product to communicate because of cultural issues, the company keeps launching new products and advertising while most rivals are standing still during the crisis.
"If you talk to girls between ages 12 and 16 in Turkey, we are close to 100 percent awareness of Kita, the three-dimensional character of Kotex Young. We are also planning to bring new categories to Turkey by the end of December 2009," said Ari Melamud, the 41-year-old managing director of Kimberly Clark Turkey, which entered the market three years ago. "We have no plans for cutting. We have plans for going forward."
Flexible strategy
The company launched Kotex Young in the last quarter of 2008 and started its campaign this year. Kimberly Clark Turkey is planning to launch more products like tampons in the Turkish market, too. "This global crisis requires us to be very flexible and creative about how we manage our business," Melamud said. "I think we have to evaluate our plans, but evaluation doesn’t mean stopping or cutting back. We are not stopping our plans of bringing new products to Turkey."
In 2008, Kimberly Clark posted an annual growth of more than 50 percent in Turkey, Melamud told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review. And for the first three months of 2009, there has been a continuous growth with the Huggies and Kotex brands.
"Kimberly Clark doesn’t compete on prices," he said. "In some categories, people do not compromise on quality even during the most difficult times."
According to Melamud, the global crisis has challenged short-term business results, but for the long term, it does not change the picture of Turkey as a strategic market for Kimberly Clark. The company manufactures most of its products in Turkey, using Istanbul as a "hot spot" for 22 countries, from Russia to South Africa.
Speaking on marketing feminine care products in predominantly Muslim countries, Melamud said Turkey is not very different from other markets. Kimberly Clark has launched its tampons in Indonesia and recorded a huge success. "Our marketing team is currently looking at launching this product in Turkey as a case study," he said. "That might be an interesting case. The tampon’s market share is only 1 percent for now in Turkey."
Whether there are economic crises or not, at the end of the day personal care products maintain high demand because they carry a high level of necessity. "The question is what brand do they use?" Melamud said.