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CHAPTER V

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

5.1 Conclusion

There are four types of findings gathered from this research.

1. There is a perception dynamics within Pepsodent. From the explorative research

that was conducted to get the possible factors of why consumer is switching their

brands, it’s also found a missed perception statement within Pepsodent ex-users.

Customer has a big possibility to switch their brand because of perceptions below.

Table 5.1 the missed perception of Pepsodent

No. Missed Perception of Pepsodent

1 Pepsodent is not safe for our dental health because

contains of large portions of fluoride which can make a cavity of the teeth.

2 Pepsodent is not safe because containing detergent

3 Pepsodent has no recommendation by the Dentist

4 Pepsodent is not healthy

5 Pepsodent is not refreshing the mouth

6 Pepsodent can’t solve the dental problem

2. There are eleven possible factors that occurred within brand switching

phenomenon of Pepsodent. These factors are limited to 6 dimensions found from

explorative study which are Taste, Functions, Image of Product, Price, Promotion,

and Recommendation. These factors are:

Table 5.2 Factors result brand switching

No The identified factors

01 Other tooth paste brands can give more freshness to my mouth than Pepsodent

02 Other tooth paste brands can give more comfortable taste than Pepsodent

03 Other tooth paste brands can solve my teeth problems.

04 I think other tooth paste brand is healthier for my teeth than Pepsodent

05 Other tooth paste brands have healthier image than Pepsodent.

06 Other tooth paste brands have more prestigious image than Pepsodent.

07 Other tooth paste brand’s packaging is more interesting than Pepsodent.

08 I assume that higher price means higher quality for a tooth paste brands.

09 Other tooth paste brand’s advertisement is more interesting than Pepsodent advertisement.

10 Dentist recommendation is one of my considerations to choose other tooth paste brands.

11 People’s experience (parents, relations) is also my considerations to choose other tooth paste

brands.

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3. The third finding is a significant relationship between brand switching

possible factors with the demography of the research. It is found from cross

tabulation analysis.

Table 5.3 Recap of Cross Tabulations

Cross Tabulations

Variabel *Gender *Occupation *Age *Income *Education *Residents

Q3 YES YES YES NO YES NO

Q4 YES YES YES NO NO YES

Q7 NO YES YES NO YES NO

Q11 YES YES YES NO NO NO

Q12 NO YES YES YES NO NO

Q13 NO YES YES YES YES YES

Q14 NO YES YES NO NO YES

Q16 NO NO YES NO YES YES

Q18 NO YES YES NO NO YES

Q20 YES YES YES YES YES YES

Q21 NO YES YES NO NO YES Note

NO : There is no significant relationship between variables on the collumn and on the row

YES: There is a significant relationship between variables on the collumn and on the row

(Explanation of Q3-Q21 see Table 4.8)

4. There is a minor finding to be alerted. The issue of Pepsodent contains

detergent. There are 104 respondents (26.1%) agree and 50 respondents (12.6%)

strongly agree for that statement. Unilever, as the manufacturer of Pepsodent has

to prevent and solve the issue of containing detergent.

5.2 Recommendation

5.2.1 Recommendation for missed perception

In order to counter and answer all of the missed perception which is showed in the table

5.2 above, Pepsodent has to:

- Create a communication strategy

Communication is one of the possible plans that could be implemented to

prevent and counter the missed perception. According to Schiffman & Kanuk

(2007: 286) the step of this communication strategy:

Define communication objectives: Countering perception that Pepsodent is not

recommended by Dentists, countering perception that Pepsodent contain

hazardous formulas which result unsafe and unhealthy such as fluoride,

detergents.

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Define target audience: the target market is within age 20-40 years old and in a

circle of SES ABCD.

Media strategy: combination of large scale target audience and delivered

message; Television, Newspapers, Magazines, Internet.

Message strategy: elaborative evidence based communication

- Creating experience learning about Pepsodent.

Beside communication strategy, this below the line concept is also useful to

shift the customer perception towards unhealthiness of Pepsodent. Because of

the characteristic of brand switchers that is multi brands (Rossiter & Percy,

2005: 527) so this experienced learning is needed. For example: Brand

activation of New Pepsodent Product, a family vacation, etc.

5.2.2 Recommendation for factors of Brand Switching

To counter point “other tooth paste brands have more prestigious image than

Pepsodent” and ―I assume that higher prices means higher quality of Product”.

Pepsodent has a variant of Product called Pepsodent Sensitive. This toothpaste is

different with other tooth paste brand. This variant have a dove pink colored

packaging, smoothed texture of packaging with shiny silver ornaments and also with

flip-topped tube which can be perceived as the upper class variant of Pepsodent.

One of this product’s weaknesses is the exposure level of the people for this

product. Pepsodent spend a little marketing promotion to promote this product.

There are two strategies that can be applied:

- Improving marketing effort for the Pepsodent Sensitives

By re-promoting and boosting the marketing expenses for Pepsodent Sensitives,

it can counter the perception that Pepsodent has no luxurious and no prestigious.

Promotion can be implemented for the specific target for customer for instance

B-A+ so the promotion is conducted to the media promotion that can suits with

the target market i.e. Indonesian Tattlers.

- New Brand Development

If Pepsodent didn’t want to lose their ―Family‖ identity on their product,

Pepsodent can apply a strategy called new brand development which means

Pepsodent has to create one other product that can fulfill the middle up or

premium market.

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To counter point other point related to the condition of Product (Taste, Functions)

which stated in the Point 1,2,3 from table 5.2

Pepsodent has to improve its product by adding up several formulas that can

multiply the function and effect of Pepsodent. For example by adding xylitol for

better taste of Pepsodent.

To counter point that related with the Image, Promotion, Recommendation which

stated in the Point 4,5,6,7,9 10 and 11 from table 5.2

- Pepsodent has to redefine their marketing Strategy with Applying Integrated

Marketing Communication Strategy to answer all factors that result Brand

switching. By improving the marketing strategy, those images will be countered.

- Creating Below the Line (BTL) program which means an event with learning by

experience. For the brand switchers, BTL can attract them back to Pepsodent,

learned & experienced with Pepsodent. For other brand switchers this program

can attract them to try Pepsodent as their tooth paste.

- For dentist recommendation (No. 11), Pepsodent can apply strategies such as

showing dentist as the endorser/talent in every advertisement, showing the fact

that Pepsodent are recognized by FDI (International Dentist Federation) or the

combination of both strategies.

5.2.3 Recommendation for brand switching factors relationship

Table 5.3 indicates the factors that have significant relationship within the demography.

To know and measure the impact of its relationship, we must conduct a special research

of the impact of each relationship with consumer brand switching factors.

5.2.4 Recommendation for the detergent issues

Pepsodent can apply two strategies:

- If the detergent is not harmful and needed for giving good effect of using it,

Pepsodent can make an advertisement and media strategy that explained the use

of detergent in the Pepsodent toothpaste and the good effect for human dental

health.

- If the detergent is harmful, Pepsodent has to be more initiative to find another

alternative formula that has the same function with less risk for dental health for

example sodium laureth sulphate that less harsh for skin, etc. After successfully

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changing the formula, Pepsodent has to create the communication strategies for

the changes of Pepsodent formulas.