Brand : Odomos
Company : Dabur
Brand Analysis Count : 519
Company : Dabur
Brand Analysis Count : 519
Odomos is a 40 year old brand which has a generic status in the mosquito repellent cream market in India. The brand which was originally from Balsara came into Dabur's fold after the acquisition of Balsara Hygiene Products in 2005.
The household insecticide market in India is worth around Rs 1600 crore. The smallest of the segment in this market is the mosquito repellent cream segment which is of size Rs 50 crore. The largest segment of the insecticide market is that of mosquito coil which is worth Rs 900 crore. Odomos has a virtual monopoly in the cream market.
The small size of the mosquito repellent cream market is the problem that the brand faces. The major challenge is to make the segment grow. Having said that, creams have found lukewarm response from the consumer. The major reason being the questions regarding the efficacy and safety of the product which needs to be directly applied to the skin.
As a consumer , I too had these questions regarding Odomos. But should say from my experience that Odomos is very effective. But mosquitoes are smarter lot and they know to search and bite on places where Odomos cream is not applied.
Odomos as a brand has tried to address this safety issue by getting endorsement from medical associations. The brand prominently displays the message of being "Skin Friendly " in their packs. Another bold step that the brand took was to target kids. The move is risky because parents would think twice before using Odomos regularly on kids because the perceived risk is too high.
Odoms now has product forms of Cream, Lotin and Oil. Odomos mosquito repellent oil was created to target rural market because oil product form has more acceptance in that market. More over oil applies better on the skin and is more effective in the job.
The brand owners have invested consistently on the brand. The distribution reach is very good for this product. Earlier, one inhibiting factor was the price which has now being resolved. Odomos have come out with smaller packs of Rs 5 and Rs 10 which I would say will encourage more buys.
The challenge for the brand is to make consumer consider Odomos as the primary defense option against mosquitoes. The product is has maximum utility outside the house and that is why the brand is promoting it for kids who wants to play outside. The brand is also trying to promote its safety aspect through a variant Odomos Naturals which contains Aloe Vera.
As a user of this brand, these questions are still there regarding safety. Odomos despite running so many campaigns so far has still not convinced me that it is safe for regular use. The dilemma for the brand is that it cannot harp too much that it is safe because consumers then will think that it is mild and hence may not be effective .
In times where mosquitoes are now immune to coils and vaporizers , Odomos has proven to be a best bet for a good night sleep.
Its a little disheartening to know that the author who is a part of the highly educated segment of the Indian population has a dilemma over the safety of this product. Imagine, what opinion the normal public would have regarding this! The irony is that Odomos, in fact, is the most safe product in the household insecticides category for the simple reason that it is applied on your skin. Rest all products in this category like coils, liquidators and aerosols release gaseous substances in the air which are invariably inhaled by the consumer and hence, is more harmful to him.
ReplyDeleteI have applied odomos and its not the safety that worries me but the cream is quite sticky and is specially uncomfortable in summers. The market segment is not growing at a good rate because people in India are not that worried about mosquito bite. What I suggest is the seasonal promotion of Odomos. As we know, dengue cases are most prominent ans severe during rainy season and people try to adopt any kind of measure to protect themselves from mosquito bite. So this fear factor can actual make things work for Odomos. Heavy promotion during July-August and creating fears in the mind of parents for their children can force consumers to buy the product out of concern.
ReplyDeletehi chandrika, i read ur post and same query we face from Delhi-NCR residents during our running "say no to mosquitoes, Zero tolerance drive" campaign, query were regarding the safety issue and usability of the Odomos. it's sticky in nature but u can use other forms of Odomos too (spray & lotion). and by the way it safe to use even small kids can use it. few years back Odomos has changed its product color and fragrance but new Odomos is clinically proven and having more potential to prevent from mosquitoes bites.
DeleteAll the reviews for this product seem to be great but somehow it does not really convince me to buy this product. The warning on the product package says " May be dangerous, particularly to children, if you use large amounts on the skin, clothes or bedding or on large areas of the body, especially if you keep using it for a long time ". Being a sensitive customer this itself was more than enough to discourage me.
ReplyDeleteThe Safety of any product is all in the mind. However , Dabur has scientifically proven its safety profile even on Kids and also has the guts to publish the reference on their pack, it talks volumes of their conscience and their dependence on facts rather than hear say. This paper has been published in the International Journal of Risk medicine. It would be a good read if anybody has doubts regarding its safety , am sure its safer than contracting Dengue fever.
ReplyDeleteOdomos like any other repellent company contains harmful chemicals like DEET, this opens a scope of natural-non toxic mosquito repellent products which are absent in the market!
ReplyDeleteThere's no DEET in odomos, and it works, even against other biting insects here in the UK, which is why I love it!!
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