Reckitt Benckiser to axe Dettox brand

Reckitt Benckiser is to axe the Dettox cleaning brand in an attempt to rationalise its product portfolio.

Dettox, a rival to Unilever’s Domestos and Cif, is to be merged with the antiseptic cleaning brand Dettol.

According to a household goods buyer, this is the Anglo-Dutch company’s biggest rationalisation drive since it was formed in 1999 following the merger of Reckitt & Colman and Benckiser.

McCann-Erickson handles the advertising for both Dettox and Dettol. Reckitt Benckiser last year spent more than &£2.5m on Dettox ads and &£255,000 on ads for Dettol (AC Nielsen MMS). The Dettox brand includes antibacterial cleaning wipes, floor and surface cleaner, and mould and mildew remover.

Since 1999, Reckitt Benckiser has rolled out several new products, including Finish 3-in-1 dishwasher tablets, Immac hair-removing products and Haze gel-filled air fresheners. This year it acquired Korean household products company Oxy for &£87m in cash.

Vanish, another Reckitt Benckiser cleaning product, recently ditched WCRS and handed its &£2.6m business to Roose & Partners (MW November 1). The move followed a pan-European agency review for the stain-removal brands and marked an end to WCRS’ four-year relationship with the household goods giant.

Reckitt Benckiser’s product portfolio includes Mr Sheen, Harpic and over-the-counter pharmaceutical products such as Disprin and Bonjela.