According to a report launched by Future Market Insights, the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) oral care market is forecast to grow at a moderate single-digit compound annual growth rate (CAGR) between 2014 and 2020.

Growing awareness is opening up opportunities for international players to introduce enhanced and innovative products and demand for secondary oral care products, such as mouthwash, floss and denture care, is expected to soar between 2018 and 2020. “Increasing consumer awareness with regard to better oral hygiene is the primary driver of the overall BRICS oral care market. Furthermore, dentist recommendations for adoption of various-related products is projected to lead to a shift in consumer preference from basic oral care products to secondary oral care products in the coming years,” commented an analyst for Future Market Insights.

Key players are working to increase product visibility on shelf in developing markets as well as attract consumers via advertising, PR drives and branding. Unilever’s Pepsodent, for example, recently launched a 21-day campaign in Nigeria to educate school children on the need to brush their teeth twice a day.

David Okeme, Brand Building Director at Unilever Nigeria explained: “In partnership with the Nigerian Dental Association, Universal Basic Education Board and the Federal Ministry of Health, Pepsodent is committed to improving the oral health of 10 million children in Nigeria by 2020 through the Brush Day & Night schools’ programme, and one million school children will be reached directly in 2015.

“We believe kids can change the world by adopting healthy oral habits and they can convince their parents to do same.”