Brand Health Check: Mr Muscle

The SC Johnson-owned brand's value declined by 8.1% from £36.1m to

£33.2m in the year to 7 October 2006, according to ACNielsen.

Its slip is put in slightly more dramatic context by the growth of the
overall household-cleaning sector by 4.3% over the same period.
Nonetheless, it is a tough market in which to operate, with discounters
and variety stores exerting deflationary pressure, as well as the
ever-present challenge of supermarkets' own-label offerings.

The branded side of the sector is reaching saturation with entrants and
new product development increasing competition. Reckitt Benckiser's
Cillit Bang, for example, entered the sector in 2004 backed by an
annoying, but memorable, heavyweight ad campaign. It has since taken a
12% share of the all-purpose and kitchen-cleaners market, overtaking Mr
Muscle's 10% share, according to Mintel.

Mr Muscle is second only to Reckitt's Windolene in the window-cleaning
market, but its share has been eroded by own-label brands, which account
for 26% of sales. Similarly, although it is the market leader in the
oven-cleaning category, HomePride's Oven Pride, launched in 2002, has
already built a 29% share and continues to post strong growth.

Mr Muscle has also had to contend with the deep pockets of rivals.
Reckitt is the biggest advertiser in the sector, spending £84m
across its brands in 2006, including £6.2m on Cillit Bang,
according to Nielsen Media Research. Mr Muscle spent just £1.4m
over the same period.

There is also an emerging band of environmentally friendly products,
such as Ecover's spray cleaner SquirtEco. Such brands have yet to pose a
major threat to the big players, but as consumers become more interested
in green issues, their importance and sales are bound to grow.

We asked Simon White, deputy head of planning at Grey London, which
handles Procter & Gamble's Flash business, and Troy Warfield, general
manager for Kimberly-Clark, who has worked on Unilever's
household-cleaning brands, how Mr Muscle can regain its lustre.

DIAGNOSIS 1 - SIMON WHITE DEPUTY HEAD OF PLANNING, GREY LONDON

Mr Muscle has been out-shouted by Cillit Bang. The bolshy upstart
snatched the power platform from its wimpy rival by being single-minded
and spending more. While brands with less to fear launched offensives,
such as Cif's Powercream, Mr Muscle effectively turned the other cheek
due to lack of support.

Mr Muscle lost the efficacy platform, as SC Johnson uses it to cover an
array of cleaning minutiae. Reckitt Benckiser, however, has a portfolio
of brands, allowing Cillit Bang to shout power, with no concern for the
fragrances, antibacterial protection or surface specifics that sidetrack
Mr Muscle. Without the latitude or courage to fight on a single-minded
platform, it's little wonder that consumers are backing its beefier
opponent.

Communications-wise, the story is the same; in one corner we have our
ageing wimp, while in the other Mr Barry Scott turns out every category
generic, from demos to before-your-eyes results. The irony is that
Cillit Bang has used 50s-style communications but is perceived as the
innovative brand of tomorrow.

REMEDY

- Give Mr Muscle a make-over. He needs to modernise, find his balls and
take on Barry (with increased support).

- Defend the brand's core against competitors' innovations.

- Focus on being either a power player or middle-ground player for the
masses.

- Examine whether other SC Johnson brands can lighten Mr Muscle's
load.

- Hope the shouting annoys consumers enough to make Cillit Bang the next
Radion.

DIAGNOSIS 2 - TROY WARFIELD GENERAL MANAGER UK & IRELAND,
KIMBERLY-CLARK

Reviving a well-known brand starts with the organisation. SC Johnson
needs to define what strategic role the sector and brand play in its
portfolio. If the sector remains a core focus, it must choose to
strategically invest in innovation and communication at a level in
keeping with a revitalised category.

The launch of Cillit Bang and responses from Unilever, Procter & Gamble
and niche players have awoken a sector that for a while had lost its
shine.

Alongside innovation and marketing, there needs to be investment in
understanding the brand's users, shoppers and retailers. The
household-cleaning sector has a core group of consumers who are very
heavy users, demanding both power and convenience.

In a world where Cillit Bang claims to be the strongest-ever universal
cleaner, and Unilever and P&G have responded with Domestos 5x and a
Flash relaunch respectively, Mr. Muscle has lost its stronghold. To
regain this, it will need to focus on its core essence and deliver it
louder than the others.

REMEDY

- Focus on understanding Mr Muscle's core brand essence and
consumers.

- Find simple, effective propositions that meet the consumer need for
power, convenience and ease of purchase.

- Redesign the Mr Muscle weedy male image to satisfy the
power/convenience proposition and compete with the stronger competitive
claims and images of rivals.

- Invest in innovation and strategic marketing to ensure it isn't
out-muscled.