Magazine: Being different matters in a routine category too

According to Eszter Hegedűs, junior brand manager of SCA Hygiene Products Kft. last year household paper consumption started to move in the direction of products with an added value. For instance sales of 3-4 layer toilet paper and moist toilet tissue were growing dynamically. Fatime Bánkúti, marketing manager of FOREST-PAPÍR Kft. added that private label product sales were growing in all categories. Ferenc Sárik, brand manager of Vajda-Papír Kft. talked to our magazine about how consumers make buying decisions: their most important decision making factor is the price-value ratio, and when it comes to buying toilet paper and tissue product strength and softness also matter very much. Sándor Gödri, sales director of Metsa Tissue Hungary Kft. told us that 70 percent of consumers decide which product to buy in front of the shelves, first and foremost focusing on price, then on packaging size and design. Andrea Sas, head of marketing at Malen Kft. informed that quality is very important but their customers look at the price tag first before making a decision. For some of their other customers it is important to buy products made from recycled material. Toilet paper sales improved in both value and volume last year. 3-layer products realised two thirds of sales. In 2014 SCA put Zewa Aqua Tube on the market, the only toilet paper the roll tube of which can be flushed down the toilet. Zewa managed to better is market leader position among branded products. The company’s most popular product is 3-layer Zewa Deluxe toilet paper that is available in many scents. The category is very much promotion-sensitive. Vajda-Papír Kft. is devoted to environmentally friendly production and a growing number of their products have the FSC® MIX certification – they are originating from responsible forest management. They are present in the lower-priced category with the Daisy, Lilla, Clarissa, Vanessa and Star brands; Sindy is positioned a little higher but it is Superbrands 2015-winner Ooops! products which carry the biggest added value. Forest-Papír’s 2-layer toilet papers are the perfect choice for those looking for an economical solution but also paying attention to buying quality. As consumers are getting more and more conscious, roll length is becoming important (in addition to price and layer number) as well. Forest-Papír sells 48-roll Big Pack toilet paper, which is the biggest product in the domestic market and is appreciated by consumers. Metsa Tissue Kft.’s brands are called Lambi and Tento. The former is a premium brand and the latter offers toilet paper products in the medium category. Metsa Tissue is an important private label product supplier in the region. They expect the PL segment to continue expanding in 2015. As for product scent, chamomile is an ‘evergreen’ scent and in packaging size the popularity of 16+ packs is growing. Malen Kft. is the distributor of the Nicky product line (manufactured by Italian company Delicarta). These 3- and 4-layer toilet papers are increasingly popular. The company’s experience is that demand is the biggest for 8-, 10-, 16-, 24- and 32-roll 3-4 layer products. Demand is growing for scented products, for instance 3-layer Nicky toilet papers with chamomile and aloe vera scent. Those who like to buy ‘green’ products can purchase Nicky natural toilet papers, paper tissues and paper napkins. Paper tissue sales also augmented last year, but not as much as toilet paper sales. The 90-100 piece product segment contracted, while 9×10 and 10×10 products and box products improved their positions. SCA’s Zewa Kids products have a happy design to attract families with children. Vajda-Papír’s easy to open and close Ooops! Open&Close 3-layer, 100-piece tissues hit the market in May. Forest-Papír put Bianka Sense products on the market last year. Forest Kids paper tissues are unique because of their bubblegum scent. Sales of Malen Kft.’s Nicky natural paper tissues increased in both value and volume. SCA is a supporter of building a Mothers’ House in the Bethesda Hospital. As part of the CSR campaign those who purchase Zewa products also support the good cause. In the last few years Zewa’s ‘Tiny Touches’ Facebook page collected nearly 50,000 fans. Vajda-Papír launched its Ooops! Open&Close 3-layer, 100-piece product in May. Television commercials and online ads backed the market launch, with special focus on advertising on Facebook, where the company reaches tens of thousands consumers. When putting new products on the market, Metsa Tissue concentrates mainly on promoting them with in-store tools. The company also popularises its products with its own website. This year Malen Kft. primarily implements online marketing campaigns. They even launched a new Facebook page and a website, where they give advice to women on household paper product use. In the barbecue season the company puts great effort into promoting paper kitchen towels. Forest-Papír’s image went through a complete overhaul this year. The new message is that besides excellent quality a hygiene product can also be aesthetic – instead of something you want to hide in the bathroom. The new look is communicated online, with leaflets inside products and in promotional leaflets of retail chains. This year Forest cooperates with 9 Hungarian Product member companies to organise the ‘Do you get it?’ prize game between 20 August and 20 December 2015