What is the first thought that comes to our minds when we hear the word ‘soap’? Of course, it is the one little thing which washes away dirt from the body. For a long time it has been in the FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods) market as a basic bath product. But recently it is having a makeover of sort. In the COVID-19 times soap has earned fame as an essential health care product in India. The Indian Council for Medical Research and front line health workers are making people aware of the necessity of soaps in fighting the possibility of infection. There has been a huge increase in demand for various kinds of soaps— from the pocket friendly to the expensive.
Initially the official announcement was that we can only protect ourselves if we use hand sanitizer before and after touching anything. This started panic among the common people. They would rush to the nearest stores and start buying bulks of hand sanitizer bottles. It was pointed out that approximately sixty to ninety-five percent of ethanol or isopropanol should be there in hand sanitizers to work effectively. Soon they went missing from the market as the demand far surpassed the supply. Only a handful of people used to carry hand sanitizers all the time. They would be teased by friends that they have OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) syndrome. Now those friends are also carrying hand sanitizers and actually using it all the time.
The next public announcement noted that use of any soap can be effective for protection. Due to the shortage of supply of sanitizers use of normal soaps was being highly recommended. People who did not get hold of sanitizers started to buy basic variety of soaps. The brand range was from Lifebuoy and Savlon to Dove and Palmolive. Healthcare workers advised people to wash hands for minimum twenty seconds every time. They also showed exactly how to do it. The normal hand wash with soap will not have proper result. The soap market was getting unprecedented response.
Various soap and detergent manufacturing companies are now coming up with unique advertisements to promote their brands ‘suitably’ in the pandemic times. Lifebuoy, the “hygiene brand” from Hindustan Unilever, is resorting to public service message showing the important steps to be taken to restrict the infection. It also claimed that Lifebuoy is the “world’s No. 1” to produce handwash and sanitizers with over 99.9% effectiveness against COVID-19. In an innovative approach Lifebuoy soap advertisements and commercials mention that people can also opt for other competitive brands, “whichever soap you have access to”. Proctor &Gamble’s lead brand, Ariel India, has a new socially-oriented commercial about sharing the workload equally at home. It shows the reality of households during the lockdown period where women work not just from home but also work for home. It has started a campaign— #ShareTheLoad for equal sleep. According to its survey, seventy one per cent women doing all household work sleep less than men. The commercial asks men to share the work equally with wives to lessen the pressure during the lockdown.
Dettol has also promoted its handwash to fight the coronavirus outbreak through a commercial. It shows some illustrative graphics as well as a handwashing guide scene shot by cell phones from homes of those involved in the making of the very commercial. Dettol India and NDTV are now collaborating in the mission Swasth India. Many political leaders and celebrities have joined the campaign Swasth Banega Swacch India. The main focus of the campaign is on hygiene and cleanliness. Top celebrities are also participating in the Dettol #HandwashChallenge through social media accounts to influence their fans to follow the official guidelines.
Coronavirus is infecting millions of people in the world. Several ways are being thought of to fight the dreaded virus. It seems that one major way to stay safe and healthy is to fight it with soap. If we take precaution in our own hands we need to have a soap in our hands.
Eduindex News 