Kimberly-Clark revamps Huggies to steal march on P&G’s Pampers

Kimberly-Clark is attempting to steal a march on rival Procter & Gamble in the European nappy market with the introduction of a new velcro device to its brand Huggies.

The new product will be backed by an advertising campaign through Ogilvy & Mather in London which will run in the UK, France, the Netherlands and Belgium.

The three-month burst will cost Kimberly 25m.

The launch of the “new improved” product comes 18 months after Huggies’ arrival in Europe.

During that period the brand has carved itself a eight to nine per cent volume share in Belgium. Similar inroads are believed to have been made in the other three countries where it is sold.

Competition with P&G has been fierce. The price of Pampers in Belgium has come down almost 20 per cent since the Huggies launch.

And Huggies itself has shaved 15 per cent off its new Huggies’ price.

Belgian retailers are furious, accusing the two advertisers of conducting a price war.

Sales of nappies in the four countries where P&G and Kimberly compete totalled 1.2bn in 1993 (Euromonitor). Sales estimates in the four countries for last year exceed 1.7bn.