Success Case Study: Lenor Honkaku Shoshu – High-impact relaunch of functional fabric conditioner

Summary

Japan’s fabric conditioner market is growing, with increasing competition. Combining functionality featuring hygiene benefits and experimenting with perfume-like scents in fabric conditioners are tactics used by many brands to differentiate themselves from the competition. The value of the market has been growing steadily in the past few years, being worth JPY64.4bn (USD590m) in 2016.

In Japan, P&G relaunched its core fabric conditioner line Lenor Plus as Lenor Honkaku Shoshu in April 2016. Honkaku shoshu means “serious odor neutralization” in Japanese. According to P&G, the company has been developing its “odor-free neutralization technology” in fabric softeners for 10 years, and the new Lenor Honkaku Shoshu is the first Lenor-branded fabric softener to adopt this technology.

– Japanese consumers are notably influenced by product performance claims, and Lenor Honkaku Shoshu’s functionality claims are appealing to them.
– High-impact product marketing moves, such as appointing an outspoken TV personality, prompt consumers to try products.
– Lenor’s brand communication is clear to consumers, which helps consumers to identify what to buy.
– Laundry products will see opportunities in being developed to be more personal care products to cater to consumers’ various needs.

Japan’s fabric conditioner market is highly competitive. Also, the usage of fabric conditioners in Japan is high. According to a survey held by Softbrain Field in 2014, over 70% of Japanese consumers use fabric conditioners in their laundry routine.1 The Lenor Honkaku Shoshu launch demonstrates clear communication of the product functionality via its brand name and promotion. When the market is competitive and overwhelmed with products, explicit communication between brands and consumers becomes important.

The report “Success Case Study: Lenor Honkaku Shoshu”, enables you to Understand the relevant consumer trends and attitudes that drive and support innovation success so you can tap into what is really impacting the industry, this report helps to gain a broader appreciation of the fast-moving consumer goods industry by gaining insights from both within and outside of your sector. Moreover, it provides access to valuable strategic take-outs to help direct future decision-making and inform new product development.

Companies mentioned in this report: Procter & Gamble, Lion Corp., Kao Corp.

Scope

– Lenor Honkaku Shoshu is a fabric conditioner specializing in odor neutralization. It features a technology claimed to use a chemical reaction that neutralizes odor when clothes are slightly rubbed or tapped.
– Japanese consumers are notably influenced by product performance claims, and Lenor Honkaku Shoshu’s functionality claims are appealing to them.
– Lenor’s brand communication is clear to consumers, which helps consumers to identify what to buy.
– Japan’s laundry market shows that laundry products can be developed to be more like personal care products to cater to consumers’ various needs.

Reasons to buy

– Reduce the risk of failure by learning from brands/products that have under-performed: failed innovation can severely impact profit and reputation.
– Understand the relevant consumer trends and attitudes that drive and support innovation success so you can tap into what is really impacting the industry.
– Gain a broader appreciation of the fast-moving consumer goods industry by gaining insights from both within and outside of your sector.
– Access valuable strategic take-outs to help direct future decision-making and inform new product development.