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NEW YORK -- Clairol wants to touch up fading category sales by taking the risk out of at-home hair color. The Procter & Gamble division, which spent the last two years focusing squarely on color through its multimillion-dollar ad campaign, "Colorwonderful," is now broadening its message to emphasize hair health.
Nearly 60 percent of women color their hair, and nearly half of them would dye their tresses more often if they weren't concerned about damage, according to P&G research. Of those who steer clear of color, 30 percent cite damage as their primary reason for abstaining.
"If we can take the risk out of at-home hair color, we can grow the category," said Charlene Sawyers, director of marketing, North America, for Clairol Retail Haircolor. In the mass channel, hair color sales slid 5 percent in 2004 to $1 billion, according to Information Resources Inc.
In an attempt to bolster sales, Clairol has revisited three brands in its portfolio -- including Nice 'n Easy, Hydrience and Herbal Essences -- updating each to appeal to women's universal desire for healthy, shiny locks (without gray strands). Guiding each of these changes, explained Sawyers, is the underlying theme of "color confidence," an internal phrase used by the Clairol...