Intimate relationship with strong brands

Personal hygiene has been subject to spectacular development in the past 20 years in Hungary. Softness, smoothness and good absorption capacity are the main priorities for consumers, while skin-friendliness is also key requirement. SCA Hygiene Products Kft., the distributor of the Libresse brand has been a major player in the market of pantiliners and pads for years. – Our Libresse Light and Extra and Classic pantiliner product lines have been developed further to produce a new product line with ultra smooth cover layer, which is more flexible and comfortable to wear .- says Szilvia Cserepes. They also introduced Libresse Classic Deo Fresh in May. Press ads, distribution of samples, internet campaigns and in-store promotions have are used to promote the new products. Women do not “convert” to using tampons if they are accustomed to pads, or vice versa. In terms of volume, sales of the two segments are roughly equal in Hungary. .Since pantiliners have been developed for more universal use than pads, they show more dynamic growth. According to Gyöngyi Janky, PR manager of Procter&Gamble, the distributor of Always, believes that maximum thinness is a basic requirement for both pads and pantiliners, which explains the success of their Discreet pantiliners as well as that of Discreet Tanga and Multiform. Apart from basic criteria, consumers increasingly focus on attributes like softness, pleasant touch or freshness. As a result they introduced Always Fresh, a fragrant pad version and Discreet has also been available in new fragrances (Ocean Breeze and Water Lily), since May. A new version of Always Ultra Sensitive will also soon be available. According László Fata, sales director of Bella Hungária Kft., while some consumers show increasing preference for high quality, others still buy cheap products. They focus on premium quality products and have been the first in Eastern Europe to introduce products with 100 per cent cotton cover and fragrant ultra-thin and thick pads. They are the only ones who sell black and white tanga pads in a single pack. – The main objectives in development of new products for Wilkinson are to enhance convenience and reduce skin irritation – says Zita Sebők, marketing manager. Their most innovative product is the Intuition 2in1 system, which can be used without shaving foam or gel. Their latest disposable product is Xtreme 3 Beauty, with three flexible blades which allows contours to be followed perfectly.