Signal: A good name adaptation strategy?

I chose to talk about the toothpaste brand Signal in this post. Indeed, this Unilever brand is a very good example of adaptation to foreign markets, with a presence in 48 countries in the world.

Product:

By continuously innovating, Signal became the leader and best-selling brand in the oral hygiene markets in most of the countries it is implanted in. Its expertise enabled the brand to become a reference in these markets, and is now perceived as a expert in dental care.

Different ranges of products care available in the markets of implantation of the brand:

- toothpastes adapted to different needs (white system, sensitive...)

- range of toothpastes for kids

- mouthwash

- tooth brushes

Not all these ranges are available in each country, however in France and other European countries for example, you can find them all.

Name adaptation:

An important adaptation in the product characteristics from a country to another is related to the name of the brand. Indeed, at first called “Shield toothpaste”, the brand quickly changed its name to “Signal”. Although this is a word understandable in most of the languages, the brand decided to adapt its name in some countries:

- Signal: France, UK, other main European countries

- Pepsodent: Finland, Asia, Latin America

- Mentadent: Italy, Austria

- Zhong Hua: China

- Aim: Greece

- P/S: Vietnam

However, in my opinion this adaptation strategy could be dangerous for the brand.

Indeed, going abroad, the consumers are looking for brand they already know in the supermarkets. As the Signal’s main competitor is Colgate, the customers of Signal could switch to Colgate, which name remains the same abroad. As “Signal” is a quite global word, if the brand had decided to transfer it to its different countries of implantation it would have been easier for the foreign consumers to identify it and buy it.

This is what I experienced when moving to Finland as the only toothpaste brand I identified from my country was Colgate. I realized “Pepsodent” was the Finnish name of Signal only after a couple of weeks, but I would have bought it if I had identified the brand in a first place.

Therefore, in my opinion, this strategy could be profitable for the brand's main competitors.

Communication strategies for the implantation in a new market:

When entering a new market, a good option for the brand would be to give away some samples of its toothpaste in order to convince the consumers. Experiential Marketing would be a very good option in this case to make the consumers adopt the product.

Introducing freebies, by-products such as shopping bags, or plastic glasses to put in the bathroom would also be an efficient way to introduce the brand in the mind of the consumers, and build brand awareness.

Sources
- Signal Unilever France: http://www.unilever.fr/nos-marques/detail/Signal/333566/
- Signal Unilever website: http://www.unileverme.com/brands/personalcarebrands/signal.aspx