Transcript

Make More Smiles · Data Talks

0:00
SPEAKER_02: Welcome again to a new edition of Data Talks.
0:03
SPEAKER_02: This one is very special with one of the top leaders of one of the top companies in the world.
0:09
SPEAKER_02: Welcome to the show, Ram Ragawan von Colgate Palm Belief.
0:13
SPEAKER_00: Thanks, Wolfgang.
0:15
SPEAKER_00: Wonderful to be here.
0:16
SPEAKER_00: Honestly, look forward to this conversation with you.
0:21
SPEAKER_02: Fantastic, Rah.
0:22
SPEAKER_02: Ram, we have been also working with you and your team for a while.
0:26
SPEAKER_02: For the viewers who don't know Ram, Ram looks very young, but he's I don't know when he started at Colgate, but he's a 30-year career, almost 30 years.
0:34
SPEAKER_02: Tell us about some of the big moments of the journey, but also at the early moments.
0:38
SPEAKER_02: I think you grew up in India and how that transition, a big life, I did also change continents a few times in my life.
0:45
SPEAKER_02: Tell us about the early part and the big milestones.
0:48
SPEAKER_00: Listen, as you can say, you know, it's been it's been almost three decades with Colgate.
0:52
SPEAKER_00: Uh, as you can imagine, I obviously joined the company when I was five years old.
0:56
SPEAKER_00: Uh I think jokes apart, Colgate is the first and uh only company I've actually worked for post uh business school.
1:04
SPEAKER_00: Uh so I joined Colgate straight out of B school in India, and this is my you know, quite literally coming up on 29 years with the company.
1:12
SPEAKER_00: Interestingly enough, uh having said that, this is my 12th or 13th job with the company.
1:18
SPEAKER_00: Uh, and I've had the good fortune uh of working quite literally all around the world.
1:23
SPEAKER_00: Uh I started my career, believe it or not, in sales actually, uh, from carrying the bag and selling, uh literally selling toothpaste, toothbrushes, and bar soaps uh from Kirana store to Kirana store in India.
1:35
SPEAKER_00: Um, and then moved across the world, uh spending time in APAC, in North America and Latin America uh as well.
1:44
SPEAKER_00: Funny story about how my journey began with the organization.
1:48
SPEAKER_00: And and and you know, actually at B school, I was looking to pursue a career in banking or in consulting.
1:55
SPEAKER_00: Uh, it was my my now wife, but but then a batchmate of in B school.
2:00
SPEAKER_00: She sat in for the um for the presentation from from from a senior executive at Colgate who started talking a lot about who Colgate was and what we did and how we operated.
2:12
SPEAKER_00: And my wife, uh, you know, back then she came back and told me, This looks like a phenomenal company.
2:16
SPEAKER_00: I think you should join.
2:18
SPEAKER_00: Um, or I said, you know what, what the hell, might as well apply.
2:21
SPEAKER_00: And and lo and behold, uh, almost three decades later, here I am, and I can tell you perhaps uh the best decision I ever made, or rather, the best decision my wife made for me.
2:32
SPEAKER_00: Uh, but most naturally I'm enjoying the biggest benefits uh of it.
2:36
SPEAKER_02: Um wow.
2:38
SPEAKER_02: Uh a person where a strong wife is behind, hope the biggest decision was to marry her.
2:44
SPEAKER_00: Absolutely, absolutely.
2:46
SPEAKER_02: Wow.
2:47
SPEAKER_02: And well, that comes.
2:48
SPEAKER_02: We have something in common.
2:49
SPEAKER_02: I'm actually celebrating my 30th wedding anniversary this year, too.
2:52
SPEAKER_02: So while you celebrate your 30th year with Colgate, we have two big milestones.
2:57
SPEAKER_00: My wife still tells me that that she still thinks I'm married to Colgate first and then to her.
3:03
SPEAKER_02: Oh, classic.
3:05
SPEAKER_02: Um, for the younger viewers here, maybe also the younger staff in Colgate, what's your advice?
3:10
SPEAKER_02: Given when you started, we had a different world, also in terms of careers.
3:14
SPEAKER_02: I was a bit similar to you, had a long-term career with the World Bank.
3:18
SPEAKER_02: What's your advice and why should they join companies like Colgate?
3:21
SPEAKER_00: You know, look, I think I think uh companies like Colgate, first and foremost, have a phenomenal purpose.
3:27
SPEAKER_00: Uh, you know, people talk about finding things that that actually excite you, uh, of doing good in the world.
3:34
SPEAKER_00: Uh, I have a job today that I would argue is an unb unbelievably enviable one.
3:39
SPEAKER_00: My my purpose in life, I wake up every morning with one objective, uh, to put more smiles on people's faces all around the world.
3:48
SPEAKER_00: I I don't think it can get bigger than that, frankly.
3:51
SPEAKER_00: Uh, but I think when I look back at my journey, a few big things that I believe Colgate and most certainly a broader CPG stroke FMCG industry teaches you.
4:03
SPEAKER_00: I I think number one is human.
4:06
SPEAKER_00: How do you be human-centric, people-centric, or having this clarity of understanding of ultimately what drives people to do things and then figure out how you as a brand, as an organization, as a business, uh, whether you're a profit-making one or an NGO, can actually step in to help resolve those challenges or opportunities that consumers or people have.
4:31
SPEAKER_00: I think the second thing that companies like Colgate uh teach you is what I would define as a grassroot level understanding of how things get done anywhere in the world.
4:45
SPEAKER_00: Uh, you know, we we live in a day and age where we all think that I can click a, not think we actually do click a button and something gets delivered.
4:54
SPEAKER_00: What no one's paid attention to is that entire back-end logistics.
4:59
SPEAKER_00: Where's that product actually made?
5:01
SPEAKER_00: Who makes it?
5:02
SPEAKER_00: What's the kind of quality uh solutions it goes through before it comes to me?
5:07
SPEAKER_00: Uh, where is it actually stored?
5:09
SPEAKER_00: Is someone how long has it been stored for?
5:12
SPEAKER_00: You know, when you start breaking down the simple act of intent to action, and then let's say from something you see or hear of, and then a click to buying it, companies like Colgate teach you grassroots understanding of how business is structured.
5:30
SPEAKER_00: I think that's number one.
5:31
SPEAKER_00: Uh, the second, I think CPG and FMCG industries touch almost every aspect of a business, whether it's opportunity identification, whether it's innovation, whether it's brand building, communication, distribution, supply chain, financials, uh, balance sheets, PLs, uh you name it, you kind of uh CPG gives you that breadth of exposure.
5:59
SPEAKER_00: As a result of that, the applicability of it then becomes tremendously broad.
6:05
SPEAKER_00: Tomorrow, you know, I may not know banking, but my training has certainly enabled me to go and ask the right questions, right?
6:13
SPEAKER_00: And the skill sets it's provided me is to learn to understand what logistics mean for a banking industry or uh for any other industry for that matter, right?
6:25
SPEAKER_00: Similarly, innovation, you learn the you learn how to innovate, you could take those skills and apply it on any business problem or any uh industry issues.
6:35
SPEAKER_00: I think that's the second thing that CPG really teaches you, is it touches quite literally every aspect of a of a business, right?
6:42
SPEAKER_00: Uh, and then the transferability of it.
6:45
SPEAKER_00: I think the other pieces that I would say, and I and I obviously talk with a great deal of passion on Colgate, is the global footprint.
6:52
SPEAKER_00: Um it's not often in your life that you get to that that you get to work on a brand or on a set of brands that that has this magnitude in terms of scales.
7:04
SPEAKER_00: You know, it's it's a uh today Colgate is the most penetrated brand in the world, available in almost what 740, 745 million homes on a global basis.
7:14
SPEAKER_00: That's something we're we're tremendously proud of, at the same time, we're tremendously humbled by as well.
7:20
SPEAKER_00: So, this idea that any action and everything that you do, that the impact is it has on a global level, I think it can be unbelievably humbling yet inspiring.
7:34
SPEAKER_00: So I think Colgate gives you that kind of an outlook.
7:38
SPEAKER_00: I can promise you this, Wolfgang, 30 years ago.
7:41
SPEAKER_00: If you asked me, uh, would I be sitting here, you know, a with in in New Canaan?
7:48
SPEAKER_00: I would not have probably even known when New Canaan, Connecticut existed or not.
7:53
SPEAKER_00: Uh, but I think uh Colgate does that for us.
7:56
SPEAKER_00: You know, it it allows us to have this not just a global mindset in terms of thinking, but physically enables us to be uh experience so many different cultures that I think shapes uh greater diversity and thought processes amongst leaders.
8:14
SPEAKER_00: And last is I think what I would advise anybody is two pieces of advice is would be, you know, think of your career as a collection of experiences.
8:23
SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, and and sometimes uh the connections or the experiences may not be as linear as you think they are, but when you connect the dots, it broadens your outlook and gives you skills that you perhaps would not have had in a conventional linear career.
8:40
SPEAKER_00: And last but certainly not the least, and I can I can most certainly vouch for Colgate here, is the culture of an organization.
8:47
SPEAKER_00: Uh, you know, every organization can have strategies, will have good quarters and bad quarters, uh, and good years and bad years.
8:55
SPEAKER_00: But I think what really shapes longevity, and specifically when you when you look at organizations such as ours, and and when we've been around for 221 years, uh is the fact that you know it's not just our brands uh and the people, but more importantly, it's this wonderful culture that every one of us continues to elevate and and amplify.
9:18
SPEAKER_00: And I and I think culture of an organization is often understated.
9:23
SPEAKER_02: Wow.
9:24
SPEAKER_02: Um Rahan, humbling and inspiring, you said.
9:27
SPEAKER_02: That was a very good capture.
9:28
SPEAKER_02: I didn't realize actually, almost in 222 years soon is the anniversary, another type of anniversary.
9:34
SPEAKER_02: Um, you covered a lot already of Colgate's footprint and position.
9:40
SPEAKER_02: Um, it has an incredible market share.
9:43
SPEAKER_02: I think it may be unmatched to any other peers and other industries.
9:46
SPEAKER_02: What uh what's the story behind that strength?
9:50
SPEAKER_02: And uh and it's not just I think that when you reach that market share, but you maintain it.
9:54
SPEAKER_02: So maybe touch on some of the few secrets of core gate success.
9:59
SPEAKER_00: Let me not give away our secrets, but let me start off with listen, like I said, I you know, when when you are the world's most penetrated brand, um frankly, it it's we treat it as as a responsibility and a huge responsibility at that.
10:16
SPEAKER_00: Uh give or take, like I said, 740, 750 million homes not just wake up to a Colgate, but more importantly, put our products in their and their children's and their families' mouths.
10:31
SPEAKER_00: Now, that doesn't, that kind of trust, that kind of belief, that kind of relationships don't happen overnight.
10:38
SPEAKER_00: They they take decades and decades of unbelievable and unwavering perseverance towards the translating a purpose that we have into our products, our brands, and the science that we ultimately bring to the table.
10:53
SPEAKER_00: So I think for me, the responsibility, the way we see it, it starts with an unrelenting focus on the consumer.
11:01
SPEAKER_00: Uh what are they looking for not just today, but tomorrow, the day after, and perhaps a year from now as well, and maybe five and ten years from now.
11:09
SPEAKER_00: Uh so it's about ensuring that we stay focused on their needs.
11:14
SPEAKER_00: I think the second, as I highlighted, our purpose is big and and and it requires us to think big.
11:22
SPEAKER_00: Uh we talk about reimagining a healthier future for all, right?
11:27
SPEAKER_00: And and you think about reimagining a healthier future.
11:29
SPEAKER_00: There's two, three big words in there: reimagining, healthier, and a future.
11:35
SPEAKER_00: And then when we land it in the context of oral health, we step back and always look at one of the things that we believe we've done well and continue to do well, is elevating oral health.
11:48
SPEAKER_00: The next thing I think that automatically would would link itself from there is really about ensuring we have a portfolio that allows us to meet these consumer needs no matter where they are, no matter what they're looking for, and no matter what socioeconomic groups that they belong to.
12:09
SPEAKER_00: Right?
12:10
SPEAKER_00: Uh, we have portfolios that address any and every benefit in the category at any and every price point in the category, right?
12:20
SPEAKER_00: Um, and then last but certainly not the least, I would say is a commitment to elevating and championing oral health.
12:30
SPEAKER_00: And why do I use these words championing and elevation?
12:34
SPEAKER_00: Because I think behavior change is the single hardest thing that any human being can undertake.
12:40
SPEAKER_00: You know, think about the number of uh resolutions that are made on Jan 1, and by Jan 5th, pretty much most of them are gone, right?
12:50
SPEAKER_00: So in our case, our commitment is in the context of uh ensuring consumers look at oral health as a fundamental way to improve lives.
13:02
SPEAKER_00: Uh, and that could be about brushing twice a day, that could be about brushing at night, that could be about brushing uh for two minutes, or it could also be about visiting the dentist twice a year, right?
13:15
SPEAKER_00: These are behavioral shifts that we remain committed to.
13:18
SPEAKER_00: Uh, in fact, I can tell you one of our programs called Bright Smiles, Bright Futures just celebrates its its 31st year, 30th, 31st year.
13:26
SPEAKER_00: Uh, and it's a grassroots program that that looks to go to schools around the world and educates children, creating awareness for oral health on what it what happens to their teeth and their mouths on an everyday basis.
13:41
SPEAKER_00: And now oral health is critical as a part of their lives and not just uh keeping them problem-free, but more importantly, enabling them to thrive in the future.
13:50
SPEAKER_00: Um, it's a program that's reached two billion children over the last three decades.
13:56
SPEAKER_00: Uh, right, uh long before corporate social responsibilities and and all these elements were there, we committed to this as an organization.
14:05
SPEAKER_00: So I think it's this combination of category growth, consumer understanding, category growth, portfolios, brands, and science.
14:14
SPEAKER_00: And I think it's this this combination of this magic formula that's really been the secret of our success.
14:20
SPEAKER_00: And like I said, it's something we never take for granted.
14:24
SPEAKER_00: Uh, you know, it's a position that comes with tremendous accountability in our minds.
14:30
SPEAKER_00: So we remain unwavering in our efforts to ensure we continue to deliver against the consumer needs.
14:37
SPEAKER_02: Humbling and inspiring, right?
14:39
SPEAKER_02: I think that is a theme here.
14:41
SPEAKER_02: Um, and um yeah, you mentioned 250 million homes roughly in my ballpark, but we can one of the numbers for you should be across to two billion people.
14:50
SPEAKER_02: So that is quite remarkable.
14:53
SPEAKER_02: Um now you can only reach that when you're across, you know, you're global, as you outlined.
14:58
SPEAKER_02: I hope I get this right, but you lived and worked in India, China, Canada, Mexico, and the US on a global role.
15:04
SPEAKER_02: Um tell us a bit about the experiences, but also about Colgate's positioning in these markets, which are really different and quite complex.
15:12
SPEAKER_00: Look, I think you know, um every market has degrees of uniqueness and degrees of similarity, as I would put it.
15:22
SPEAKER_00: Uh, when you step back, and I'm gonna go back to people centricity, uh, given the conversation we've always had on people and data and understanding uh where people are, what they're doing, and what motivates them, right?
15:33
SPEAKER_00: I I just think it when you're clear about core motivations, the degrees of development typically would vary.
15:42
SPEAKER_00: Uh, and what do I mean by that?
15:44
SPEAKER_00: If you if I if I double-clicked and asked you 20 questions on why is it that you want wider teeth, uh more often than not, it would come down to a few core human-centric motivations.
15:57
SPEAKER_00: It it's about your ability to fit in, it could be about the confidence to express yourself, it could be about giving you inner strength that enables you to shine, right?
16:08
SPEAKER_00: Now, the degree of development of whitening may vary around the world, but the core need still exists, number one.
16:20
SPEAKER_00: Second, the way we look to solve it may vary, uh, right, and this could be a combination of regulatory environments as well as uh consumer expectations in terms of value propositions and the price they will be willing to pay for certain things.
16:38
SPEAKER_00: Um in the US, prevalence and and uh you know, prevalence and visits to dentists significantly high, therefore, can and including in-office whitening treatments, therefore, comfort, understanding of ingredients, what goes in, uh what uh what makes the difference, how it works, tremendously high.
16:59
SPEAKER_00: So our challenge in the US, you know, has been about how do we take ingredients that dentists actually use in the or in the clinic and then are able to give it to you in an everyday toothpaste solution that you can use at home as well.
17:14
SPEAKER_00: So it's not that we're gonna be replacing the dentist, but we are actually augmenting or complementing uh an investment perhaps you've made in the dental office that you can now continue to enjoy even when you're back at home, right?
17:27
SPEAKER_00: Um it's often when you go through a whitening treatment in the in the dental clinic, uh, it's often called the white diet.
17:35
SPEAKER_00: So you come out of that and then you try to restrict the amount of coffee, tea, wine that you're drinking.
17:39
SPEAKER_00: But with solutions like optic white, we've taken the same ingredient.
17:43
SPEAKER_00: The technology, our strength has been in taking that technology and applying it on a toothpaste, and and therefore enabling you to enjoy your life or not having to compromise your desire to drink coffee, tea, wine, whatever your uh favorite beverage is, but still get remain and hold on to that white teeth.
18:02
SPEAKER_00: Now flip the problem to a country like India, where uh affordability criteria come into play, right?
18:12
SPEAKER_00: Uh how do we create the right technologies at the right price point?
18:16
SPEAKER_00: So we we we've just uh last year we launched the first uh at-home whitening solution in India at about uh I'm gonna say four and a half dollars or five dollars.
18:28
SPEAKER_00: Uh now, again, a superior technology, something that does not exist in the marketplace, but with done in a way that a consumer in India would be comfortable using, and more importantly, is able to afford it as well.
18:43
SPEAKER_00: Right?
18:44
SPEAKER_00: So you see the whitening need, but we're able to tailor our portfolios in accordance with what that consumers want.
18:52
SPEAKER_00: The second example I would give you is in the same realm of white nuances, is there are functional benefits, and then there are what we would call experiential benefits or outcomes, right?
19:04
SPEAKER_00: Flavor is a great example.
19:06
SPEAKER_00: Whitening, functional, I want wider teeth.
19:10
SPEAKER_00: But if I go to you go to markets like China, there are flavor profiles Chinese consumers love, just like food habits, right?
19:19
SPEAKER_00: You go to Mexico, and even within Latin America, if you go between Brazil and Mexico, food profiles vary dramatically.
19:27
SPEAKER_00: That has direct implication on flavor profiles as well, right?
19:31
SPEAKER_00: Consumer palettes.
19:33
SPEAKER_00: So we still need to be able to give you the same benefit that you're looking for, but I have to nuance the flavor or the experience so that you know a consumer in Brazil enjoys as much as a consumer in China or Thailand or India or or the UK does.
19:51
SPEAKER_00: So I think you know, when we have that kind of understanding, we're able to leverage how we look to solve for it.
20:00
SPEAKER_00: Uh the the third variable I would say is our portfolio flexibility.
20:07
SPEAKER_00: Uh, like I mentioned to you, we've kind of been able to take um take the world and translate it into what we call need states or segmentations, right?
20:19
SPEAKER_00: Based on need states.
20:20
SPEAKER_00: And a need state is a simple exercise that enables you to understand what motivates the why.
20:26
SPEAKER_00: Why do I want this?
20:28
SPEAKER_00: And whether it's whitening, whether it's uh gum, gum, gum protection, whether it's uh cavity solutions, why do I want this?
20:37
SPEAKER_00: The second question we look is to answer is what.
20:41
SPEAKER_00: Okay, so I know why you're looking for it, then I can figure out the what behind it, and then the magic happens in the how.
20:50
SPEAKER_00: Right?
20:51
SPEAKER_00: So it's it's that loop that we look to close.
20:54
SPEAKER_00: What we find more often than not, the whys at a very core human level are quite similar.
21:02
SPEAKER_00: It's the what and the how that you have to constantly, like leavers, keep fine-tuning till you get them right, right?
21:10
SPEAKER_00: And the last piece I leave, and specifically uh for us, uh, given the strength of our brand and the presence of our brands and portfolios, is the role that advertising and communication plays.
21:23
SPEAKER_00: Because that's where strategy hits execution, right?
21:28
SPEAKER_00: Uh understanding cultural nuances and ensuring that the what and the hows are addressed in the context of those cultural needs, desires, tones is critical.
21:41
SPEAKER_00: So if I if I very put simply, parenting is a universal phenomenon, right?
21:48
SPEAKER_00: Universal.
21:50
SPEAKER_00: Every parent, you know, looks to wants the best for their child.
21:55
SPEAKER_00: Now you go to different parts of the world, wanting the best for their child is extremely Expressed quite differently.
22:02
SPEAKER_00: Right?
22:03
SPEAKER_00: In European geographies, it's about creating freedom and independence very early in their lives.
22:12
SPEAKER_00: Right?
22:13
SPEAKER_00: Enabling them to say, listen, you go out there, I'm there behind the scenes, but they parents want their children to learn that degree of freedom and independence.
22:22
SPEAKER_00: You go to Asian cultures, it's a little bit more nurturing and protective.
22:26
SPEAKER_00: But the principle of parenting hasn't changed.
22:29
SPEAKER_00: So reflecting those cultural nuances in our communication, in our go-to-markets, is the other variable that enables us to intelligently participate and succeed, irrespective of the geographies we choose to be in.
22:42
SPEAKER_02: Wow, what a brilliant analogy, Ram.
22:45
SPEAKER_02: You mentioned earlier that your grassroots efforts and work in India.
22:49
SPEAKER_02: You mentioned affordability.
22:51
SPEAKER_02: Actually, the first work we did together with your colleagues was actually in Africa, and that aspect of affordability, and call it the bottom of the pyramid, is also part of it.
23:01
SPEAKER_02: What role do some of the underserved still play?
23:05
SPEAKER_02: Because there's some aspect of price point, but our estimates are still 3.5 billion people in the world below the middle class threshold that typically are a classic Colgate consumer.
23:15
SPEAKER_02: What's the Colgate approach to those who can't yet afford toothpaste?
23:20
SPEAKER_00: I I think you know, I would I wouldn't say that can't afford toothpaste.
23:24
SPEAKER_00: I think it's more about a frequent penetration of oral care and toothpaste.
23:29
SPEAKER_00: Uh thank God has become largely universal.
23:33
SPEAKER_00: Uh you know, I don't I I again it's not it's something that we've strived for over the years.
23:39
SPEAKER_00: If if I spoke to you, if we were chatting 25 years ago or 20 years ago, even in geographies like Africa or India, toothpaste penetration would have been in its 50s and 60s.
23:51
SPEAKER_00: Uh today it is 19, 95, 99, depending on the geographies you are in.
23:57
SPEAKER_00: I think the biggest, our biggest focus and efforts, one of our big focus and efforts is more around uh consumption behavi and the behaviors associated with oral care.
24:08
SPEAKER_00: Uh unfortunately, still large parts of the world don't brush twice a day.
24:15
SPEAKER_00: Uh unfor, in fact, many geographies they don't even brush seven times a week, which is they're skipping even single-day brushing, right?
24:24
SPEAKER_00: So I our focus really with our Bright Smiles Bright Futures program is about creating that behavior as a child.
24:32
SPEAKER_00: Because I think the single biggest insight we've learned over the years is habits you create as a child stick with you all through your life.
24:42
SPEAKER_00: You know, I'm I'm sure uh try actually, you should not, I should never be saying you should try this, but I'm sure you've missed a brushing at night in your life, ever you know, ever so now and then.
24:55
SPEAKER_00: I guarantee you you feel different when you wake up the next day, right?
24:58
SPEAKER_00: Because that's that's the habit that's been created in you.
25:01
SPEAKER_00: So, number one, our focus is on that creation of habit, those good habits that we want people to then that we want to ensure that sticks with you all your lives.
25:12
SPEAKER_00: The second piece of it is again in the context of duration of brushing.
25:19
SPEAKER_00: Uh, unfortunately, the average duration of brushing is about 80 seconds or 90 seconds, uh, whereas the dentist recommended brushing is two minutes.
25:28
SPEAKER_00: Right?
25:29
SPEAKER_00: Um, and and most people, and and and if you can imagine the global average being at about 80-90 seconds, this number varies all around the world, right?
25:39
SPEAKER_00: Um, so I think the second key thing for us is to ensure the consistency and the correctness of the habit.
25:46
SPEAKER_00: So, first is about making sure you brush twice a day, then you do it the right way.
25:52
SPEAKER_00: And then, third, for me, would be about ensuring you have the right solution.
25:56
SPEAKER_00: So, the right toothpaste, the right toothbrush, you know, uh ensuring that all these three things come together.
26:04
SPEAKER_00: Uh, so I think that's how we we we look at it.
26:08
SPEAKER_00: The best example I can give you to highlight sometimes this notion of, and I and in all honesty with Kang, I do not like to qualify the world as developed and emerging because I I don't I think those are paradigms that have long gone.
26:24
SPEAKER_00: I'm gonna take Brazil as a wonderful example where the right interventions between private public partnerships ensured brushing behaviors occurred after every meal, including at school.
26:40
SPEAKER_00: As a result, today, most Brazilians brush three times a day.
26:44
SPEAKER_00: You know, so I just think it's and you know, depending on who you are, someone may tell you Brazil is an emerging or not an emerging market.
26:51
SPEAKER_00: So I just think there are uh those that criteria is not the way we look at the world.
26:58
SPEAKER_00: We look at it in the context of where people are with oral care and their oral health, the access they have, the behaviors they have, and then we look to define the right levels of interventions to ensure that we're able to move the needle accordingly.
27:14
SPEAKER_02: Wow.
27:15
SPEAKER_02: So Brazil in your books is on the high top end.
27:18
SPEAKER_02: And for all the viewers, if you just take one thing away, is time yourself when brushing teeth tonight and make sure it's two minutes.
27:26
SPEAKER_02: That's from Mr.
27:27
SPEAKER_02: Ram Ragavana, big advice here.
27:29
SPEAKER_02: Um, Yuri, uh got a got us a sense of where the industry is going and where Colgate is going.
27:35
SPEAKER_02: You're leading an effort every year on uh on a foresight of the industry.
27:40
SPEAKER_02: Um give us just a few latest insights of where you see in someone sense this very stable enterprise and and sector, at the same time, a very dynamic world where we are heading with oral care.
27:53
SPEAKER_00: I I great question, Wolfgang.
27:55
SPEAKER_00: Can I let me start with with a point on data first, right?
27:59
SPEAKER_00: You and it's a passion point for both of us.
28:01
SPEAKER_00: Uh so let me start at the point on data, and then I'll come in, contextualize data in the bigger purpose of trends and and therefore how we see the world.
28:10
SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, the the I'm gonna start with a story about um data is the breadcrumbs of human behavior.
28:22
SPEAKER_00: Let me let me open with that.
28:24
SPEAKER_00: I'm gonna tell you a story of my wonderful 80-year-old mom.
28:28
SPEAKER_00: So she comes and lives with us sometimes three months in a year, sometimes a couple of months, sometimes six months, right?
28:35
SPEAKER_00: And now she's an avid reader, and and strangely, uh again, no judgment, it's my mom.
28:41
SPEAKER_00: I love her.
28:42
SPEAKER_00: Uh she loves reading books on two subjects, among many other things, but two subjects are her big passion.
28:49
SPEAKER_00: Number one, British period romantic novels from the 15th, 16th, 17th century.
28:57
SPEAKER_00: And second is Tamil, which is an Indian uh language, uh, Tamil scripture uh books.
29:04
SPEAKER_00: Very varied.
29:06
SPEAKER_00: Now she comes in and then you know, she'll ask me to down buy it on my Amazon account, and then you know, I'm downloading it on her Kindle.
29:15
SPEAKER_00: You can imagine after three months of being with us, what happens to my recommended list at a on my device, right?
29:23
SPEAKER_00: Suddenly I'm getting recommendations about British period novels or romantic British period novels.
29:29
SPEAKER_00: That's not my thing.
29:30
SPEAKER_00: So if you just went by the what, every algorithm would start giving me more and more, and would never be able would never be able to understand why it is that Ram bought it for these three months and but suddenly has stopped buying it.
29:49
SPEAKER_00: So I think the biggest thing in data is about the next question, the why.
29:56
SPEAKER_00: So that's why I say data is the breadcrumbs of human behavior, it defines the what.
30:04
SPEAKER_00: Humans have to step in to understand the why.
30:07
SPEAKER_00: Because that goes back then to the motivations behind why is it that I am displaying those behaviors or lack of those behaviors, you know, uh, in the context of that.
30:19
SPEAKER_00: So let me start with that.
30:21
SPEAKER_00: And and therefore, when I look at data on a global basis, the macro trends show you where the breadcrumbs are heading.
30:30
SPEAKER_00: Our task really is about decoding the breadcrumbs, understanding that why, right?
30:36
SPEAKER_00: And and we don't just look at 2026, we obviously look at the next 12 months, we look at the next five years, and then we look at the next beyond that as well, because that's the longevity we look to see, right?
30:49
SPEAKER_00: Um, and I would say it starts from two two different sides of the equation.
30:56
SPEAKER_00: The first part we touched on quite a bit, so I won't repeat it.
30:59
SPEAKER_00: It really is about elevating oral health, behavioral change, you know, making it a habit that that sticks with you and and fundamentally driving good behavioral practices, right?
31:11
SPEAKER_00: The second is look, the trends are obvious, whether it's the Gen Alphas, or I recently heard it's the it's now becoming Gen Zalphas, I believe, between the Gen Z and the Alphas or the Zelenia, so it's now becoming Zalpha uh to silver generations, to K-shaped economies, to heightened focuses on health.
31:33
SPEAKER_00: You know, some of these trends have been around and are just manifesting themselves in product solutions today.
31:41
SPEAKER_00: Uh let me give you a couple of examples.
31:44
SPEAKER_00: We saw the health trend kick off a few years ago.
31:47
SPEAKER_00: The big I think COVID unfortunately triggered in all of us a dramatic shift from apathy towards preventative health.
31:57
SPEAKER_00: Right?
31:58
SPEAKER_00: We were we got very comfortable as a race uh to say, listen, if something happens, I know how to deal with it, there'll be a medicine for it.
32:05
SPEAKER_00: Right.
32:06
SPEAKER_00: Uh I think COVID said, damn it, I better be ready for something, and I need to take pre preventative or precautionary measures as much as I need to take curative measures.
32:16
SPEAKER_00: So I think one of the biggest shifts we made was last year.
32:19
SPEAKER_00: We relaunched one of our flagship brands called Colgate Total.
32:24
SPEAKER_00: What was traditionally 25-30 years ago, the brand was established as a pioneer in oral health, solving multiple problems, one toothpaste that solved many problems.
32:34
SPEAKER_00: We've had a dramatic change, uh, and we're leading the category in moving towards superior everyday preventative health.
32:44
SPEAKER_00: So shifting the narrative from solving problems only to actually preventing problems before they even start.
32:50
SPEAKER_00: Uh that's literally underway.
32:53
SPEAKER_00: We we began the journey about a year and a half ago.
32:55
SPEAKER_00: So I think that that's our why behind the what.
32:59
SPEAKER_00: So we saw COVID enabled us to see this heightened shift in health.
33:04
SPEAKER_00: We tried to understand the why.
33:07
SPEAKER_00: The why came down to reduction in anxiety, the why came down to taking charge of people's lives, the why came down to ensuring I have healthy lives, right?
33:19
SPEAKER_00: Colgate total uh everyday superior preventative care was our solution to it.
33:26
SPEAKER_00: Similarly, let me take another example.
33:29
SPEAKER_00: A big trend, you know, we we live in a selfie world, Wolfgang.
33:33
SPEAKER_00: Uh you know, I think the number is what 1005 million selfies a day or something, some some some large and obscenely large number like that.
33:42
SPEAKER_00: Now, what is what again the 105 million selfies a day is the what you gotta understand the why behind it, right?
33:53
SPEAKER_00: And the why behind it then enables us to we we've just launched, actually, it's just hot off the press.
33:59
SPEAKER_00: Uh, we've been in market for about quite literally maybe two months now.
34:03
SPEAKER_00: Our optic white, we've just upgraded the formula with a new active shine, uh, a patented active shine technology in it.
34:11
SPEAKER_00: Uh, now what does the active shine technology do?
34:14
SPEAKER_00: It it actually gives consumers a visible uh a visible whiter teeth, not just that you can see, but actually, if you run your tongue around your teeth, you can feel it as well.
34:28
SPEAKER_00: So now we start landing the what the why into the what and the how.
34:33
SPEAKER_00: So I think you know, we look at oral care from that lens, we observe these trends, and we start looking for how we can connect dots and land it in oral care.
34:44
SPEAKER_00: And these are just some of the examples uh I've highlighted, but as you can imagine, uh there are many, many more of these uh that we talk about all the time, and our products are just a reflection of how we bring them to life.
35:00
SPEAKER_02: Ran, would you think that in the future people would talk about Colgate as much in a healthcare and as a healthcare enterprise as an FMCG enterprise?
35:10
SPEAKER_00: Uh look, I think you know, we we our our uh product portfolio at Colgate Palm Olive, like I said, our purpose is about reimagining a healthier future for all people, pets, and the planet.
35:23
SPEAKER_00: Uh so while we have a large oral care business, we also have a very healthy and large personal care, home care, pet health, and skin health business.
35:34
SPEAKER_00: You know, uh so when we look at the portfolio of products and categories we operate in, that's why we we look at it as a healthier future, not just the context of people, but people, their pets, and the planet as well.
35:49
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, for those many don't know, but yeah, one of the most profitable parts, right, of Colgate is the pet care business.
35:56
SPEAKER_00: I I you know, and I think one common thread that I would say, many common threads that hold things together, but I think I'll start with the first one for us is science.
36:06
SPEAKER_00: I I you know I go back to being being the most penetrated brand in the world, being amongst the most trusted brands in the world, uh, doesn't come easy.
36:15
SPEAKER_00: Uh so our science is something we relentlessly, as much as the emphasis on the consumer, we ensure that our science, whether it's you know, whether it's uh oral health, whether it's uh pet health, whether it's our skin health, whether it's our personal care products, our science is uncompromisable.
36:35
SPEAKER_00: You know, we we look at science in the context of the proven superior outcomes it has.
36:42
SPEAKER_00: And then more importantly, our ability to democratize science.
36:47
SPEAKER_00: Right?
36:48
SPEAKER_00: So today, if you go and pick up the 10 rupee pack, 10 rupees is what, one one ninth of a dollar?
36:54
SPEAKER_00: So you're talking about you know a 10, nine, 10 cent solution in India in our what we call our Colgate strong teeth.
37:04
SPEAKER_00: That technology is by far the best in the world in terms of the goodies that we put into it.
37:10
SPEAKER_00: Uh, you know, so our ability to democratize science is, I think, a second strength.
37:16
SPEAKER_00: And the third one that unites many of our businesses together is the advocacy models.
37:23
SPEAKER_00: Whether it's the the dentist, whether it's the vet, whether it's the dermatologist, you know, there is an advocacy model that that that you get the positive effect in terms of driving brand preference that comes from it.
37:36
SPEAKER_00: So there are multiple synergies that exist there.
37:41
SPEAKER_02: Ran, I'm I'm sure that our um viewers will confirm that this was very inspiring.
37:46
SPEAKER_02: Um, this podcast always ends with the guest's favorite number and the story behind the number.
37:53
SPEAKER_02: So tell us your number, Ran.
37:56
SPEAKER_00: Um six.
37:57
SPEAKER_00: It it it it's funny you you asked me this because I was in a I was in a workshop for the last few days, and strangely, one of the exercises was writing your lucky number or the number, and and and I wrote six, and and I was asked the same question, funny enough.
38:13
SPEAKER_00: Um, so six appears in my life or in the strangest of places, uh, without me realizing that it was a lucky number.
38:22
SPEAKER_00: Uh so simply put, um, my my wife and I got married on the 6th of December.
38:28
SPEAKER_00: We have two boys, one's born on the 6th of May, one's born on the 6th of September.
38:34
SPEAKER_00: Uh, the last apartment we lived in, the number was um 2202.
38:39
SPEAKER_00: So if you added it up, it was six.
38:41
SPEAKER_00: Uh, and like I was telling you, I was in a workshop yesterday, and the table that I was with, uh, I had put there six, and there were a couple of other people on the table.
38:51
SPEAKER_00: One had 0606, uh, the other one had six six.
38:56
SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, so there's just a strange set set set of coincidences that come in, and the number six keeps popping up in my life time and time again.
39:06
SPEAKER_02: Uh I associate the number six with Ram.
39:09
SPEAKER_02: So a very round number and uh an inspiring uh exchange.
39:14
SPEAKER_02: You listen to somebody who's very passionate, uh, very inspiring, uh yeah, and one of the top uh you know leaders in the world in oral care.
39:22
SPEAKER_02: Thank you so much, Ram, for being on the show.
39:24
SPEAKER_00: Not at all.
39:25
SPEAKER_00: Thank you, Wolfgang.
39:26
SPEAKER_00: It's been a pleasure.
39:27
SPEAKER_00: Hopefully, it it it you know you enjoyed it as much as I did.