n.05_September_October.2009.Englisch._

(Ben Green) #1
Fullofpraise:
marketingbosses
aresatlsfiedwittl
theDurexbrand







@GuardianNewsandMediaLimited 2009

Building loyalty is key tu
success in sclljng condoms,
becauscthisisnota business
wherebuyerstakelangtoad-
mirethepacbging,readthe
insrrucrionsordecideonthe
lowesr price. As analysrs at
DeutscheBank, whoregard
SS'-~asagoodinvest-
mem,reportedrecently:"Thc
averageconsumcrtakesjust
sc"ensecondscochoosea con-
dom, and many consumers
areconcemedaoomthequal-
iryoftheproducrbecauseof
the potemialseverirvofrhe
conscquencesoffailure." In
other words,a wcll-known
brand ehat fies bmdoesn't
splitis essential co success.
SSL's financedirccror, Mark
Moran, said: "Thctrickis
eosupnt; consisrencv. We
don'twantcheapknock.offs
mardon'tdothcjobproperly."
Wattsisnowwaitingtost:eifeheOr.Schollbrandin
rheUS,partofthehugeScheringgroup,becomesavail·
ableafterMerck'stakeovcrofScheringinMarchthis
year."Jfitdoescomefree,wewillhavea goodlook.But
itwilldependoneheprice.Witha rurnoycrof.€laamil-
lion,it wouldnotbetransformatjonal,butit wouldgivc
ustwoglobalbrands,insceadofoneanda half."
DeutscheBankbclievestherearerisksforSSL- such
asa strongerpound,condornsafcC)',andrheusualrrou-
bletharcomeswithaCQuisitions.But,irsa}'s:"'Uany-
thing,theproblemSSLfacesisrhatofhavingroomany
opporruniries...
Scholl andDurex, sayanalysrs, could move ioto
more pharrnaceuricalandlifestyle products- from
Qrthopaedicsandfootfa.~hionroeroticunderwearand
producinga widerrangeof"~",asweUastest-
ingfoesexuallytransmjucddjseases.
SSLisalreadyworkingonnewproductsto,among
otherthings,incre3selibidoaudstimulationasweilasto
improvepcople'smoods.Anotherproducrisanerecrion-
strengtheningcondom.Alsoplannedisadothingcol-
leecion. "YoucangetpcoplecowearaT-shirtwirh
Durexonie,"saidValle."Ir'sthargoodabrand." BI

[WWW)Prac!lsemarketingvocabulary.lodwatehlheDurexPlay
commeriealatwww.busineS5-spotiightdelvocabulary

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Burwhcrheririsfomeareoefruit-flavouredcandorns,
businessisbooming.InMay,SSL:mnouncedf642.4
milJioninpre-IaxvrQfitsforthe 12 mamhsto 31 March


  • a 33 percemeisecomparedtotheycafheiore.Thc
    firmsaidehatrisingdemandforirscandornsintheUK
    audeasternEuropesawDurex.s..a.ksgrowby7.3per
    centcof266.9million.
    ThcSSLbrandsareavailablcin 130 countrics,bur 75
    percentofsalescarnefromEuropeandthcgroupis
    lookingforameeopporruniriestoexpand.RecenrJy,
    SSLexercisedanoptioncoincreaseiesholdinginthe
    RussiancandorncompanyBLBVrojusrover 50 per
    cent.BLBVseilscondomsandmediealproducrsinRus-
    sia.Belarus,Kazakhsran,theBalricstau'!'audRomania.
    OtherdealsgaveSSLflllJownershipofa Ukrainecon-
    dombusinessandrheCrcstcondornbrandinSwit7.er-
    land.
    "TheohviousholenowisKorea." saidW:nts,"and
    wedon'thavernuchcandornbusinessinJapanorin
    LatinArnerica.TheyaretOpofthelist."Pricesrobuy
    otherfirms,hesaid,havcnowstanedtOcomedown,
    "becauseIhereis no privateeQuilycomperjtionout
    thereanymore".
    Chinaisa hugemarket."Westartedtherea coupleof
    yearsagn,~saysValle."Nowthemarketisthesizcof
    eheUK."A newSSLcondomfacrnryrherewillbcable
    toproduceonehillioncondornsa yearaea thirdofthe
    costofproducingtheminEurope.




Profits


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5/2009 BusinessSJXllligbI 61
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