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Branding

Creating a high quality product

Moving from a prototype to production still requires considerable product development. The ideas have to be made marketable and economic to manufacture. Development considerations included:

• the look and feel of the brush

• the materials to produce it from

• its marketing position in relation to competitors and

• packaging approaches.

Jonathan recognised that his toothbrush had to be a 'superb' product, physically and technically. He would be selling it 'up-market' (G), ie as a high quality, better, more expensive product than the competition. He wanted a sleek, clinical look to it, that suggested high hygiene standards. He didn't want it to be 'over-styled' or fussy with cartoons or printed clutter. He also wanted a clip-on travel protection cap to be supplied with each brush and a 'blister-pack' around each brush and cap set.

Production planning

Jonathan knew that to be ready for production he would require £150,000 worth of tooling (G). For this reason he wanted to secure some large distribution (wholesale (G)) orders and was fortunate in finding an Italian company who wanted to handle the toothbrush and who took him to a major Italian toothbrush manufacturer. The wholesaler was interested in buying 300,000 - 400,000 brushes initially (so this really would be high volume production (G)). Also, as an established supplier, the wholesaler could add some well known branding (G) to the product. The name 'Pearl Drops'. would be used, but only in Italy where the name was well-known.

  Task 3 - Branding

With a commitment to the Italian manufacturer, another year passed developing the tooling - most importantly the moulds or 'dies' for two-part injection moulding, to give the handle two colours. The choice of materials and the number of components was finalised during this time.

Using two moulds would make the brush more expensive to produce but it would allow two different plastics in different colours. The grip area would be a silicon plastic, soft and satisfying to touch, with the main body in a stiffer, white plastic for rigidity.

The first mould for the white body of the brush was developed with 16 cavities, to produce 16 mouldings in each cycle, and the second with eight cavities. A third mould was then needed for the small travel protection cap.

   Four stages of product development models.

Developing the technology

Throughout this process the design of the brush was being developed. The effectiveness of rinsing through the hole in the brush was all-important to the product so had to be developed very carefully and accurately.

As water from a tap washes through the hole it is important that it cleans around the bottom of the bristles on all sides. To make this really effective, the precise curvature of the brush handle is critically important. This relies on a principle known as the Venturi effect (G) which describes the way water flows faster (it accelerates) when it is forced through a restricted opening. The water is also dragged round the curved surface under the bristles washing their roots clean with a rush (because liquids flow across surfaces in a 'laminated' way, ie as if in layers, with the layer on the surface being held to it as it curves away).

Having spent a long time getting it just right, the continuous curvature of the cross-section of the Ozone toothbrush head is covered by the patent so it can't be copied. This was also the most difficult part to get right in manufacturing, so took considerable development time.

After moulding the handles, the bristles or 'filaments' are fired into them and clamped into place with a metal staple using a special machine. This takes place at a rate of 15 bunches a second! They are then cut level.

Finance

Over the five years it took to get this product from idea to marketplace nearly half a million pounds was invested (£500,000) before a single toothbrush reached the public:

• The first two moulds cost £125,000

• The original cost of the filament injecting machine was £10 million! It was adapted to suit the Ozone brush

• The mould for the protection cap cost £20,000

• The mould for the blister pack cost £5,000

Since their launch in February 1999, the toothbrushes have been selling very successfully in Italy, which Jonathan Savitt says is a market that is very receptive to new ideas and products. He describes the British market as controlled by a few big manufacturers and distributors who are very closed to newcomers, but despite this the company is also selling here in the UK and other countries.

  Task 4 - Unique packaging

  Task 5 - Re-inventing a familiar product

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