Colgate raises ad spend as oral care gets premium

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Colgate-Palmolive India is putting more advertising money behind science-led oral care brands as premiumisation becomes the next battleground in India’s toothpaste and toothbrush market. The push matters because Colgate is using its market leadership and media muscle to move consumers from basic oral hygiene to higher-value products such as Colgate Total, Visible White Purple and advanced toothbrushes.

The company increased advertising spend by 17.8% year on year in Q2 FY25, supporting both brand building and category development. Net sales rose 10% to ₹1,609.2 crore, while net profit grew 16.2% to ₹395.1 crore, helped by broad-based portfolio growth and a one-off tax-refund credit. For H1 FY25, its ad spending rose 14% to ₹442 crore from ₹387 crore, according to Storyboard18’s public post.

Managing director and CEO Prabha Narasimhan said, “Toothpaste achieved high-single digit volume growth… Toothbrush continued to grow at double digits with rapid premiumisation.” She also called Colgate Total “the cornerstone of our premiumisation strategy,” citing its patented Dual Zinc and Arginine Technology.

The strategy is not just more advertising; it is sharper positioning. Colgate’s FY25 annual report says Visible White Purple, launched in 2024, used colour theory and social-first marketing, including influencer content, to generate over 60 million organic views. That matters in a category where habit is strong but trading up is harder than selling the first tube.

Colgate’s bet is that oral care can behave more like beauty and wellness: problem-solution claims, premium cues and visible benefits. The risk is clear too. If demand softens or consumers resist higher price points, advertising may protect share more than expand the market.

For now, the signal is unambiguous: Colgate is defending oral care leadership by trying to premiumise the everyday brush-and-paste routine.