Rexona

Today when we use our deodorants before starting the day, it seems like a basic product that fits into our lives logically, because it answers to a need that humans may have since ever: covering transpiration odors. Yet, what if we tell you that the first deodorant (which was actually more like a “deo-soap”) was in fact introduced in France only 50 years ago?… Doesn’t seem like a basic product anymore, right ?!

It is the brand Unilever who created the brand “Rexona” in 1957, and launched the first “deo-soap” in France. Then of course, other brands followed the trend. 

As a pioneer, Rexona has the responsibility to innovate permanently to keep this image. She (yes, Rexona sounds like a girl’s name, so we assume it is a “she”!) has to innovate to answer to her consumers’ basic needs –covering odors, but also to answer to less obvious ones: avoiding white traces that can be embarrassing when wearing shirts or dresses, young girls special needs towards transpiration due to puberty, etc…

Rexona seems to well understand that under-arms products concern everyone, so she offers a range that fits to three different targets: women, men, and teenage girls. 

But because 50 years have passed since the first launch of its very innovative “deo-soap”, consumers tend to forget she was the pioneer on the market. Because of this, she has to prove even more today her uniqueness and her knowledge on the deodorant market, and to do so through innovative packaging and products.

This is why, in 2008, she launched a new format for her roller-deo with the roller “down”. With this new format, she answers a basic need that is to be able to “finish” the whole product, which was impossible before (remember you fighting with your roller-deo, shaking it so the liquid could finally go from the bottom of the tube to the roller – yes, like you still do with your shampoo or your shower gel!)

To conclude, innovation is the reflection of Rexona’s personality and image. It is a way for her to maintain brand awareness toward potential consumers, and also to assert her leader position.

Rexona's Communication Strategy

Rexona is a leader because she is seen has a brand of trust: always innovative with simple products that target all the family. However, because consumers tend to forget it was the pioneer on the deodorant market, Rexona needs to have a strong image through the media in order to be memorable and increase her brand awareness. Yet, if we compare her with Narta who always uses a memorable blonde actress dancing arms in the air to show she has no white-trace under her arms on the same music in every commercial since decades, or if we compare her with Dove who plays on the softness, or even with Axe which has a very memorable communication plan (playing on the seduction), Rexona has difficulties to do so. 

This is why this year Rexona has launched a new campaign for her new product category “Motion Sense”. In the TV commercial, she uses a celebrity endorser (Laeticia Milot, actress in “Plus Belle la Vie”) who is wearing a –kind of annoying- bracelet that jingles at every movement. This is to show that we are in permanent movement during the day, and so that “Motion Sense” will better fit your needs in terms of transpiration because it will activate at each of your movement.

In this campaign, we have a memorable actress, a memorable sounds, so Rexona might find a way to compete with other brands famous campaign.

Also, in the new men deodorant campaign, she emphasizes on her leader status by concretely saying “From the brand N.1 around the world”. She also reminds to the audience why they could be seduced by her products by adding “Rexona will not let you down”. By focusing on the main characteristics of the brand –leader and a brand of trust, this campaign is also a good way for Rexona to be memorable.