P&G plots major boost for Daz in bid to beat back Surf

Procter & Gamble is understood to be plotting a major overhaul of its Daz detergent brand, believed to include the introduction of fragranced variants, in an effort to fight off Unilever-owned Surf, whose market share surged last year.

Unilever relaunched Surf with Essential Oils in mid-2007, with variants such as Lavender and Oriental Blossom, Sunshine and Tropical. It is believed the new Daz products will be introduced in early 2009.

Surf’s market share has risen 20% since 2005, whereas Daz grew by only 1.3% for the same period, according to Mintel. Daz still leads Surf in terms of brand share, with 9% of the category, worth a total of £857m in 2007, compared to Surf’s 7%.

The two brands have traditionally slugged it out at the lower end of the market, but industry experts say that both are feeling the effect of P&G’s updated Bold powder becoming the top-selling laundry product in 2007 (Nielsen).

Unilever’s Persil remains the best-selling detergent across all formats and, in 2007, consolidated its position with the successful launch of its Small & Mighty sub-brand.

Unilever also introduced the Small & Mighty concentrated format to the Surf brand, which benefited from the strong marketing support behind the Persil launch.

Industry experts say that, while its Small & Mighty format has had a positive impact, it is Surf’s brand extension into fragranced products that has largely accounted for its recent success.