Throughout the pandemic, the Australian government has communicated that everyone plays their part in stopping the spread of Covid-19 through good personal hygiene.
Among its recommendations have been frequent hand washing for 20 seconds with soap and water; using alcohol-based hand sanitisers when soap and water are unavailable; avoiding touching eyes, nose and mouth; and cleaning and disinfecting often-used surfaces and objects.
The need for hand sanitisers has grown, says Dettol Category Manager Tala Dajani, especially in an on-the-go context to help Australians feel protected when out of the home, which has led to the penetration and use of hand sanitiser almost doubling in size.
“Over the past two years, Dettol has experienced strong growth across the portfolio, with much of the personal hygiene category experiencing similar trends,” she says.
“This category growth has been a direct result of Covid-19 and the public health and safety messaging around the importance of good hygiene practices.”
Category evolution
With the demand for hand sanitiser has come new brands and innovation.
“The hand sanitiser category has evolved … to meet consumer needs, simply by expanding exponentially with new brands entering the market both locally and globally to offer product supply,” says Ms Dajani.
“We’ve also seen lots of innovation with hand sanitisers, both in format and benefit, created in response to consumer needs. The category now includes gels, sprays, foams, wipes, ones that moisturise, and bigger pack sizes.”
Across the Dettol portfolio, Ms Dajani says the brand invested in research and development testing of its products against the Covid-19 strain to further their efficacy and Dettol’s reputation as a brand that Australians can trust.
“As part of this testing,” she says, “we were able to make Covid-19 claims across a number of our household products, including our antiseptic household liquid and biodegradable wipes.”
Ms Dajani continues: “We also developed a new Dettol moisturising hand sanitiser in response to consumers who were experiencing dry skin from regular and frequent use of hand sanitisers.”
Beyond the brand’s products and staying true to its mission of protecting what Australians love most, Dettol has invested in hygiene education through a variety of its media channels. This includes:
- Dettol’s ‘Catch a habit’ campaign in celebration of Global Handwashing Day.
- Dettol’s provision of essential hygiene products with a $2 million donation to vulnerable Australian communities
- Dettol’s partnerships with Cricket Australia and the Sydney Opera House, which helped develop and further hygiene protocols as Australians began circulating in the community again.
The future
Ms Dajani offers Retail World a few thoughts regarding the future of the personal hygiene category.
“As the personal hygiene category continues to grow, transformative innovation within the sustainability space will be required,” she says.
“I also believe the category will stabilise, but at a rate higher than pre-Covid levels with personal hygiene items a more regular grocery purchase now for Australian consumers.”
She also advises that continued education should help all Australians to regard hand hygiene as a first line of defence during the cold and flu season, or other times when such protective behaviour is appropriate.
“At Dettol,” says Ms Dajani, “we’ll further our education efforts to continue building hygiene literacy with the launch of a new hygiene school curriculum to instil good habits in children.”
This article is published in the latest issue of Retail World.