Consumer Behavior Analysis of Sensodyne Toothpaste Brand

This report analyzes the various factors that contribute to consumer purchasing decisions with special interest in consumer perception and attitude towards Sensodyne toothpaste brand. It suggests strategic recommendations such as change in advertising strategy, maintenance of high quality products, and sales promotions to maintain a wide customer base.

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CONSUMER BEHAVIOR
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Table of Contents
Executive Summery.........................................................................................................................3
Product Overview............................................................................................................................3
Critical Analysis..............................................................................................................................4
Role of Perception in shaping purchase decisions...........................................................................5
The role Attitude in shaping purchase decisions.............................................................................6
Role of motivation on consumer decisions......................................................................................7
Strategic Recommendations............................................................................................................8
Change in advertising Strategy....................................................................................................8
Maintenance of high quality products..........................................................................................9
Sales promotions..........................................................................................................................9
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................9
List of References..........................................................................................................................11

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Executive Summery
The consume taste and preference is among the key factors that should be given priority in the
manufacture of consumer products. It is expected that in a free market economy, consumers can
switch from one product to another based on a number of factors such as change in prices,
availability of alternative products and the consumer preference .The tooth paste brand
Sensodyne is known for its high quality. However, the recent advertisement of the brand only
focused on the products effectiveness in handling tooth sensitivity while most of the tooth pates
and mouth wash had teeth whitening and mouth refreshing qualities. In order to correct the
consumer perception and attitude towards the brand, the report suggest, change in advertisement
methods, sales promotion and maintenance of high quality products to ensure that the brand does
not lose its customer base. The report analyses the various factors that contribute to consumer
purchasing decisions with special interest in consumer perception and attitude. It analyses how
advice, societal norms, lifestyle, etc influence the consumer perception and attitude on the
products. The repot bases its analysis on the results of a recent research conducted among the
consumers of Sensodyne products
Product Overview
Sensodyne is a brand name for a tooth paste and mouth wash. The brand comes in with a wide
variety of products. The brand has enjoyed a wide market base for many years as most. It is
popular among consumers with dental problems due to the pain relieving g attributes attached to
the products. Some of the most common sensodyne products include ; rapid relief mint, Rapid

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Extra Fresh, extra whitening protection 24/7 , full protection 24/7 Protection and Fresh Mint
24/7 Protection. Other Sensodyn products include Sensodyne Repair and Protection and
Sensodyne Repair and Protect Extra Fresh. Despite all these product variety that bare the brand
of Sensodyne, the advertisement of the brand has been based on general qualities of the
toothpaste and mouth wash (Zeithaml 2011, p. 20). The advertisements by the company are
tailored to portray the product as the solution to the dilemma of tooth sensitivity. However, the
compact has been focusing on the production of tooth pates that aid in tooth whitening and
mouth refreshing. However, the marketing technique that the brand has adopted seam to mislead
the consumers. While the band advertisement focused on the pain relieving quality of the
product, the manufactures of the product focused producing tooth pastes and mouth washers that
refreshes the mouth and whitens the teeth. The advertisement therefore provides misleading
information about Sensodyne products (Madzharov, Block, and Morrin 2015, p. 86). As a result,
the customer base of the brand has declined the product does not meet the customer demands.
Since advertisements play a vital role in the promotion of the products and the brand, it is
therefore paramount essential to provide relevant information on the advertisements to attract the
right group of customers and to ensure that the product meets the customer preference.
Critical Analysis
According to the recent research conducted among the consumers of Sensodyne toothpaste, it is
evident that a wide range of factors influences the consumer behavior of the customers. These
factors influence the consumer taste and preference of a product. The manufacture of the product
operates in a free market economy and therefore it is vital to understand the consumer tastes and

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preferences to develop products that are in line with the tastes and preferences (Grewal, Monroe,
& Krishnan 2015, p. 193). While advertising is an important tool of marketing, it does very little
in terms of keeping the customers or making one customer come for the same product again. In
order to maintain a wide customer base, the company should consider changing the approach
they give in advertising the brand and ensure that the product is in line with consumer
preferences. Failure to reconsider changing the marketing technique might cost the brand a
number of loyal customers. Some of the factors that influence consumer preference are the
customers’ perception of the product, motivations, preference for healthy living, pear influence,
culture, family and life style.
Role of Perception in shaping purchase decisions
Perception of the consumer on the product has a major bearing on the final decision of the
customers (Ghose and Lowengart 2012, p. 56). This fact is confirmed by the research that shows
that a majority of consumers would go for high quality products irrespective of the price of the
product. It therefore means that customers who by Sensodyne products believe in the quality of
the product and they are likely to continue buying the product so long as they still believe that
the quality of the toothpaste is high. However, if the consumer perception of the quality of the
toothpaste change, the consumers of the products are likely to settle for the second best perceived
product in terms of quality. The advertisement used by the brand help in the creation of the first
perception of the product by portraying the toothpaste and mouth wash as pain tooth pain
relievers. However, the nature of the product and the customer experience plays key role in the
determination of the number of customers who will come for the product for the second time. It

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the perception of the customer on the product change after using the product, then chances are
that the brand will not maintain its customer base. It leads to lose of loyal customers and low
retaining rate of the new customers.
The interview points out that majority of consumer believe that high product prices are
associated with high quality products (Yin, Qian and Singhapakdi 2018 p. 332). It therefore
means that low priced products of similar nature are perceived to be of low quality by the
consumers. Lowering the price of a commodity therefore may have an impact in shaping the
perception of the consumers of the product. A great percentage of the participants in the research
also agree that the brand name of the tooth paste contributes to the perception that they hold on
the toothpaste. The perception of the consumers therefore does not only determine the consumer
preference by also impacts on the burr decisions of the consumers among different alternatives.
The role Attitude in shaping purchase decisions
Consumer’s attitude toward Sensodyne toothpaste was positive among users until the brand
chose to use an advertising strategy that portrayed the product to have a soothing effect on tooth
pains while it only whitened the teeth and kept the mouth fresh (Hee & Jieun 2016, p. 9). The
attitude to words the Sensodyne branded shifts and it led to decline in the sales of the products.
The brand made an effort to use tooth sensitivity awareness to create a positive perception of the
product (Holbrook 2013, p. 250). According to the research, a greater percentage of the
participants in the research agree that the camping had an impact in terms of influencing the
attitude of the consumers towards the product. Even though the attitude of the consumers is
changed by the advertisement, it does not translate into sales of the Sensodyne products directly.

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The nature of the campaigning matters too. Even though the campaign is aimed at raising
awareness about tooth sensitivity, it does very little when it comes to increasing the customer
base of Sensodyne products. The campaign creates a loop hole for the consumers to use other
products and methods handling tooth sensitivity. It is important to note that there exists a thin
line between consumer attitude and consumer perception.
Role of motivation on consumer decisions
A number of other product oriented factors might motivate consumed decisions (Grewal,
Monroe, & Krishnan 2016, p. 67). Some of these factors are pear influence, advertisement
motivations, and life style motivations. The people around a first time buyer may determine the
attitude and the perception of the buyer on the product. A number of consumers ask for their
peers opinions on the products that they have never used before (Özmete, 2012, p. 56). The
decisions they make majorly depend on the perception and the attitude of the informant on the
products. The larger portion of the participants in the research agrees the pear influence, lifestyle
and adverticement motivate their preferences and choice. It therefore means that the product
design must take into consideration the cultural believe in a community in order to bust its
preference among the possible customers in that society.
Advertisements on the other hand, help in spreading knowledge about the product. It is a vital
tool of getting new customers and creation of new markets (Ghose and Lowengart 2001, p. 26).
Also, a tool can help in the creation of the initial consumer perception and attitude on the
product. However, the perception and the attitude of the consumer after the first purchase rely on
the quality of the product and the consumer preference. The physiological approach of

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advertising the products using health benefits makes it easy for the brand to sale (Holbrook 2013,
p. 89). People are motivated by the desire of living a healthy life such that they are willing to buy
products that help them maintain their health. In the teeth sensitively awareness campaign, it is
vital for the company to not only inform the prospect customers about tooth sensitivity but make
use of the opportunity to provide the solution to tooth sensitivity using Sensodyne products as
well. However, the campaign without the mention of Sensodyn product does not translate into
sales and market dominance of the product.
Strategic Recommendations
Maintenance of a wide customer base by the Sensodyne requires use of a mix of strategic
methods. According to Yin, Qian, and Singhapakdi (2016), such methods will not only help in
spreading the knowledge about the product among the consumer population but also help in
shaping the perception and the first time customers as well as their attitude. This report
recommends a change in marketing strategy, maintenance of the high quality of the products and
sales promotions in order to gain more customers and also shape the consumer perception and
attitude.
Change in advertising Strategy
The current strategy that the brand uses involves tooth sensitivity awareness campaigns which
are aimed at educating the population about tooth sensitivity (Bhattacharjee and Wertenbroch,
2014, p. 89). Additionally, the brand creates a notion that the Sensodyne products help ease tooth
sensitivity in their adverts. While it is true that part of the Sensodyne, toothpastes and mouth
wash help with tooth sensitivity that is not the only function of the Sensodyne products. The

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brand should consider including information about teeth whitening and keeping the mouth fresh
in the adverts. Furthermore, the adverts should also clearly categories the Sensodyne products
according to the functions that they perform so that the consumers can make informed purchase
decisions depending on their preference or the purpose intended for the product.
Maintenance of high quality products
The quality of the product is in the perception of the consumer (Sorensen 2017, p. 9). The brand
should therefore focus in creating the perception that Sensodyn products are of high quality. This
can be achieved though maintenance of relatively high prices of the Sensodyne brand products.
Since the consumers believe that the higher the quality of a product the higher the prices, the
brand should maintains prices higher than that of similar products.
Sales promotions
Sales promotions are vital part of marketing that helps in the market domination and a way of
getting into new markets (Zeithaml 2011, p. 9). In the effort to create a positive attitude and to
shape the perception of prospect customers of the product, sales promotions are necessary. The
promotions may include giving offers such as by two get one free or including gifts on every
purchase made. The strategy fills any gap that may have been left by the advertisements.
Conclusion
Consumer preference is key factor to consider in product manufacture and branding. Consumer
preferences and tastes are majorly determined by the attitude and the perception that the
consumers have on a product. Some of the factors that determine the perception and attitude of a

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consumer are peer influence, societal norms, and advertisements. Sensodyn brand has made us
of tooth sensitivity awareness as part of the marketing strategy. This marketing strategy did not
address key factors such as invitation to purchase particular Sensodyne product. The other
advertisement used by the brand only emphasized on how Sensodyne products are good for
sanative teeth and failed to handle the teeth whitening and ability to keep mouth fresh in the
advertisements. Furthermore, the production majored on the production of teeth whitening and
mouth refreshing products hence giving contradicting information to the customers. To avoid
further disappointments, the brand should consider conducting sales promotions, maintenance of
the perceived high quality products and change the advertising strategy.

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List of References
Bhattacharjee, A. and Wertenbroch, K. (2014) ‘A Matter of Taste: Consumer Tastes and
Judgments of Artistic Quality’, Advances in Consumer Research, 42, pp. 189–193. Available at:
http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=buh&AN=100073001&site=ehost-live
(Accessed: 4 October 2018).
Ghose, S. and Lowengart, O. (2011) ‘Taste tests: Impacts of consumer perceptions and
preferences on brand positioning strategies’, Journal of Targeting, Measurement & Analysis for
Marketing, 10(1), p. 26. Available at: http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?
direct=true&db=buh&AN=6614036&site=ehost-live (Accessed: 4 October 2018).
Grewal, D, Monroe, KB & Krishnan, R 2016 ‘The Effects of Price-Comparison Advertising on
Buyers’ Perceptions of Acquisition Value, Transaction Value, and Behavioral Intentions,’
Journal of Marketing, vol. 62, no. 2, pp. 46–59, viewed 4 October 2018,
<http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ufh&AN=467988&site=ehost-live>.
Hee J. K. & Jieun, K (2015) ‘Stand-Alone Sale of a Free Gift: Is It Effective to Accentuate
Promotion Value?’, Social Behavior & Personality: an international journal, 43(10), pp. 1593–
1605. Available at: http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?
direct=true&db=s3h&AN=111059561&site=ehost-live (Accessed: 4 October 2018).
Holbrook, M. B. (2013) ‘Nostalgia and Consumption Preferences: Some Emerging Patterns of
Consumer Tastes’, Journal of Consumer Research, 20(2), pp. 245–256. Available at:

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http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=buh&AN=9401112115&site=ehost-live
(Accessed: 4 October 2018).
Madzharov, A. V., Block, L. G. and Morrin, M. (2015) ‘The Cool Scent of Power: Effects of
Ambient Scent on Consumer Preferences and Choice Behavior,’ Journal of Marketing, 79(1), pp.
83–96. Available at: http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?
direct=true&db=buh&AN=100279008&site=ehost-live (Accessed: 4 October 2018).
Özmete, E. (2012) ‘Parent and Adolescent Interaction in Television Advertisements as
Consumer Socialization Agents’, Education, 129(3), pp. 372–381. Available at:
http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=36984927&site=ehost-live
(Accessed: 4 October 2018).
Sorensen, H. (2017) Inside the Mind of the Shopper : The Science of Retailing. Old Tappan,
New Jersey: Pearson FT Press. Available at: http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?
direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=1601954&site=ehost-live (Accessed: 4 October 2018).
Yin, J., Qian, L. lixian. and Singhapakdi, A. (2018) ‘Sharing Sustainability: How Values and
Ethics Matter in Consumers’ Adoption of Public Bicycle-Sharing Scheme’, Journal of Business
Ethics, 149(2), pp. 313–332. doi: 10.1007/s10551-016-3043-8.
Zeithaml, V. A. (2011) ‘Consumer Perceptions of Price, Quality, and Value: A Means-End
Model and Synthesis of Evidence,’ Journal of Marketing, 52(3), pp. 2–22. Available at:
http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ufh&AN=6354303&site=ehost-live
(Accessed: 4 October 2018).

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