Issue link: http://osercommunicationsgroup.uberflip.com/i/709458
C h a i n D r u g s t o r e D a i l y 7 5 Tu e s d a y, A u g u s t 9 , 2 0 1 6 morning? With an investment in Studex Ear Piercing Systems and Earrings, you can. The Studex program introduces a new category with exceptional margins and has proven itself successful at both the small and large retail levels. How many people do you know who have had their ears pierced? Studies show that of those who get their ears pierced, more than one in three experi- ence a negative reaction, mainly due to nickel sensitivity. Studex's nickel-safe, fully sterilized products will grow your business by providing a safe service that will attract new loyal customers. Due to the nature of this unique service, foot- traffic will improve at your locations, because ear piercing must be done in person and cannot be done online. Better yet, this service has proven to be reces- sion-proof – whether the economy is up or down, you can maintain confidence in the ear piercing market. How do you implement an ear pierc- Studex (C o nt'd. fro m p. 1 ) ing program? With Studex's reliable products and simple three-step piercing process, implementation of the program is effortless. Stop by booth #2273 and ask about it; it's so easy to learn that they can teach you on the spot! In addition, Studex's dedicated team will provide you with personal attention and individ- ual solutions to ensure you have a posi- tive experience. Since 1976, Studex has been com- mitted to providing the absolute best in ear piercing systems and earrings. As the world's largest ear piercing manu- facturer with offices in more than 40 countries, it makes "Earrings You Can TRUST." All of its earrings are guaran- teed to be 100 percent safe, sterilized and allergy-free, even for the most sen- sitive ears. All of its products exceed U.S. FDA and EC regulations, and are made in the U.S.A. Visit Studex at booth #2273. For more information, go to www.studex.com or call 310.293.7897. OraTech. SN: We are a private label contract man- ufacturing company that deals in dental, medical, veterinary and OTC/retail mar- kets. We have been in business for 16 years, and are headquartered in South Jordan, Utah, in the United States. CDD: What would you say makes your company unique? SN: We are a true turn-key manufactur- er with end-to-end capabilities from R&D and design, to chemical IP and batching, to packaging and fulfillment. Since our services are all under one roof, it means we can significantly reduce your time to market and improve your profitability. CDD: What was the most significant event or series of events that has affected your company over the past year? SN: We added 200,000 square feet of manufacturing space, increased our QA and QC teams by 20 percent and now have a dedicated QA and QC team over our OTC oral healthcare division. We always strive to improve our capabilities and processes, which in turn helps our customers grow and improve their line of business. CDD: Are you introducing any new prod- ucts? If so, what distinguishes this new product from others already on the market? SN: We have launched a number of unique custom teeth whitening and tooth- paste products into the market over the last 12 months. Our newest product, the O raTech (C o nt'd. fro m p. 1 ) EZ Dose delivery device, is a unit-dose syringe that can be filled with a variety of different chemistries. It is universal, easy-to-use, and can deliver a broad spectrum of viscosities in doses as small as a couple drops up to 5ml. CDD: How do you adapt your products or services to your customers' needs? SN: Since we are a contract manufacturer, we revolve around our customers' needs. For that reason, we offer R&D services from concept to design and tooling along with formulation expertise to get you the exact product you're looking for. CDD: How do your products or services enhance your customers' ability to com- pete in the marketplace? SN: OraTech offers years of experience in the oral healthcare space with unique formulation and packaging expertise, and we give our customers the ability to cus- tomize both product and packaging to meet the expectations of their audience. CDD: How do potential new customers know that they can trust OraTech with their business? SN: We have enjoyed long and positive business relationships with numerous large OTC and medical companies. OraTech works hard to stay on the front lines of the oral healthcare and medical industries to help develop products that are innovative and unique. We want to help your compa- ny to keep moving forward so you're able to steer to a successful future. For more information, visit www.oratech .com or stop by booth #1563. DowellGroup more than 30 years ago, what was your vision? JD: My goal for DowellGroup started at the beginning of my career as a store manager, then buyer. I've spent 25-plus years cultivating my craft as a student of retail. I quickly saw the missing link between the supplier and the retailer; that there was a need for stronger collabora- tion to speak in one language. That early foundation on the other side of the desk has given DowellGroup a competitive advantage. Our vision is to be a success- ful partner that adds value to the equation every day. To be a company that doesn't just report the news, but a partner that helps fill in the missing local and global insights that can change the conversation from: 'yes, we can do' to 'this is what we could also do.' We get our joy from help- ing our partners shape their goals and strategies for long-term growth. CDD: How has DowellGroup addressed the unprecedented pace of change in today's marketplace? JD: Today's shopping dynamics have made our role more valuable than ever. As manufacturers seek not only to increase efficiencies, but effectiveness in their go- to-market strategy, we've continued to expand our services in shopper insights, ROI, data analytics, marketing and mer- chandising to provide a more holistic solution. When I started DowellGroup, we were referred to as brokers. Today, we D owellG ro up (C o nt'd. fro m p. 1 ) are much more. We're a sales and market- ing company with multi-discipline teams that inspire innovative thinking. CDD: How can a sales and marketing company make the biggest impact? JD: At DowellGroup, our philosophy extends beyond the traditional four 'Ps' in marketing: product, price, promotion and placement. We believe there's a fifth one: 'people.' By helping CPG and retail teams work together as partners, only then can they realize their full potential. While our expanded tools like data, insights, merchandising, etc. are critical, it's really about how they are leveraged. It's what happens by sitting across the table with each other and creating per- sonal ties. We ultimately are in the rela- tionship business. While that may sound commonplace, it's truly where we focus our energy. By developing trust, both parties can begin to connect their compli- mentary skills and foster an environment where the real creative solutions emerge. The other impact area is knowledge. It's having a deep understanding of our client's business and how the consumer thinks and feels. For example, we have extensive experience in the personal care and beauty categories and a deep under- standing of women and how they shop. This understanding helps us discover rel- evant experiences for our partners that align to meet the needs of women in their personal wellness journey. For more information, call 717.761.1990 or go to www.dowellgroup.com. your company. What's your main line of business? DM: Diva International Inc. was founded in 2002 by a mother-daughter team who had a vision for a healthy, more sustain- able feminine hygiene product. Our prod- uct line includes The DivaCup ® , a reusable healthcare-grade silicone men- strual cup that provides up to 12 hours of leak-free protection, and DivaWash ® , a plant-based, pH-balanced cleanser that can be used for face, body and The DivaCup. CDD: Who are the primary users of your product and what makes your product unique? DM: Our target customers are essen- tially all consumers that require period care solutions, regardless of age. However, we find our consumer base to be mainly in the 18 to 35 age range. Our products provide a very dif- ferent solution to feminine hygiene needs over traditional products in the category. Consumers are requesting improved alternatives and will switch formats to ones that they feel provide better leakage prevention, while offer- ing a better, more effective, conven- ient and healthier experience. The DivaCup has successfully met these requests and needs. Our research shows that demand for The DivaCup is growing dramatically and that con- sumers are looking for it at their local retailers. CDD: How has the company changed the feminine care category? DM: While the category as a whole is D iva I nternatio nal (C o nt'd. fro m p. 1 ) on the decline due to aging population, there is greater awareness and a grow- ing demand for true product innova- tion. Diva International Inc. has helped answer this need for product innova- tion with its revolutionary menstrual cup, The DivaCup. Because The DivaCup is both an innovative and effective product, sales are growing at double-digit rates in dollars and units, thus contributing real growth to the category. The ranks of retail doors in the United States are increasing expo- nentially and international growth is also expanding. CDD: Describe your company's current marketing strategy. DM: Diva International Inc. is grow- ing consumer demand with a planned marketing spend of over $5 MM for 2016. We use a mix of print and digital advertising, commercials on main- stream and digital television, social media, public relations, promotional and educational materials and resources, as well as participation at trade shows and conferences in our marketing mix. We also include retail- er-specific "geo-targeted" mentions on our website to help drive consumers to participating retailers. In-store, we use every form of promotion to help boost sales, including shelf displays, floor displays and clip strips, which provide optimum merchandising solutions. We also participate in flyer programs, in- store promotions, temporary price reductions, coupons and loyalty reward programs. Visit Diva International Inc. at booth #1066. For more information, visit www.divacup.com, call 519.896.8100 or email sales@divacup.com.