CHENNAI, Sept 5 (Reuters) – Dabur, an Indian competitor to Colgate-Palmolive, is using toothpaste advertising to fuel nationalist sentiment amid escalating trade tensions between India and the United States. The company is urging consumers to avoid American brands and support locally made products.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently reinforced his call to embrace “Swadeshi,” or made-in-India goods. He encouraged children to list foreign-branded products and urged teachers to discourage their use.
This push comes after U.S. President Donald Trump imposed tariffs of up to 50% on certain Indian imports last week. Modi’s supporters responded with a WhatsApp campaign encouraging boycotts of American companies like McDonald’s, Pepsi, and Apple.
Dabur, a consumer goods company valued at $11 billion, ran a front-page ad in a leading Indian newspaper featuring toothpaste packs that resembled Colgate’s packaging but without any branding. The ad, without directly naming Colgate, emphasized that India’s favorite toothpaste brand is American and promoted Dabur as the true “Swadeshi” alternative. The message “Born there, not here” was printed in red, white, and blue, reflecting the colors of the U.S. flag.
Dabur declined to comment on the ad, and Colgate did not respond to Reuters’ inquiries.
According to Euromonitor data for 2024, Colgate holds a 43% share of India’s toothpaste market, followed by Unilever India with its Pepsodent brand. Dabur ranks third with a 17% share.
India’s population of 1.4 billion makes it a significant market for American consumer brands, many of which are sold through U.S.-based online retailer Amazon India, which accounts for about one-third of the country’s online sales.
The Dabur ad also included a QR code directing consumers to purchase the toothpaste on Amazon India.
Karthik Srinivasan, a communications consultant, described such campaigns as “moment marketing,” aimed at capitalizing on current nationalist sentiments for short-term brand gains.
