The Ala man who gave us Dentonic tooth powder
February 17, 2009
KARACHI: It is a known fact that advertisements that are thoroughly researched help increase sale of a product. But only a few such advertisements leave timeless impressions on the memory of millions. One such example is the Dentonic tooth powder commercial which is etched in the memory of most Pakistanis of a certain age.
The animated Dentonic smiley character peeping down from billboard in a television commercial is easily recalled by people who saw it during the dominant days of Pakistan Television. Hidden behind this brand is story of a committed businessman who believed in his product and who convinced others to use it, ultimately making Dentonic a leader in oral care segment in Pakistan.
S A Alavi, Chairman of Ala Chemicals, the makers of Dentonic, has traveled throughout the country from shop to shop, convincing retailers his tooth powder will sell. “I made my first sale to a shop called Cheap Medical Store,” he recalled, in an interview with The News.
“At first the owner of the store, a man from the Bohri community, was reluctant to keep an unknown tooth powder on his shelf. So I had to convince him to take a sample home for his family. Next time we met, he ordered a dozen Dentonic powder bottles.”
Every entrepreneur has praises for his product. But 73-year-old Alavi’s belief in his product is so unflinching he has surrounded himself with what he makes. The first thing a person senses upon entering his office is the refreshing menthol laced aroma of the white tooth powder that soothes the nostrils.
The Dentonic posters, banners and monograms are everywhere in his office situated in the premises of the Ala factory in Karachi. What has brought Alavi so close to the tooth powder was a painful experience he went through over 50 years ago but still reflects in expressions of his face when he talks about it.
“When I was 20-year-old and doing a small time job at a sugar mill in East Pakistan, I had a severe toothache, which worsened to such a degree that I asked God to take away my life if it can not be cured,” he said. He tried different medicines and prescriptions from dentists but to no avail. Finally his prayer was answered. One day he came across a dentist who claimed to cure toothache with help of his own medicinal powder he called Dentonic.
“In just two weeks of using it, my toothache subsided,” Alavi said. “But that dentist also prescribed me medicines for constipation because no matter what you try, if you have constipation, your toothache will not go away.” But then that dentist had to leave and Alavi was perplexed even when he had enough of that tooth powder for next few months.
“I asked him what will happen when the stock runs out.” The dentist pacified him saying he could make it himself using the formula. “So he gave me names of the ingredients used to make Dentonic.”
In 1958, Alavi moved to Karachi along with a product conceived and named by someone else. He first made Dentonic for himself, family and friends. Soon, every one was asking for it. “That is when I realized it could be marketed.”
Gifted with entrepreneurial spirit, he started doing odd jobs to save money for his product, which went on to become a household name in the next couple of years.
“In March 1963, I started making and marketing Dentonic from a two-room factory,” he said, recalling that the initial efforts met with failure as retailers did not buy the idea that tooth powder had a market. Over the ensuing months, Alavi hired many salesmen but none could sell big numbers.
“The one who sold the most was actually marketing it on buses. But I knew that mode of marketing would damage the product’s image.” And the one thing Alavi was conscious about was the brand identity. Making the smiley monogram was a personal achievement for Alavi. Using the first three letters of his family name A-L-A, he made a cartoon which was instant hit among kids.
Talking to The News, he related another anecdote. “An Englishman saw my monogram and commented ‘it’s got life, life and life.’ He said three times and it made me sure that it would work. I came back and added pink color to the face. Then we showed it playing cricket and hockey in advertisements and it became Dentonic’s identity.”
In subsequent years, ALA Chemicals successfully created customers for tooth powder on the back of affordable prices and proper marketing but that was a time when it faced worthwhile competition from only Tibet Toothpaste.
With the advent of over four dozen satellite channels in last few years, the whole marketing scene has changed. Multinational companies are using continuously evolving marketing techniques to capture target markets and Dentonic is hardly seen anywhere. There is hardly any visible strategy which the company may be using to retain the loyal tooth powder customers.
Foreign and local toothpaste brands are bombarding the media space with themes, messages and images to back their products. Dentonic’s four different types of toothpastes are also in the fray, but hardly to be seen anywhere. “Times have changed. There are so many variants to choose from,” Alavi said.
“I have made and sold Dentonic tooth powder. Now, my children are looking after the toothpaste brand.” In his final analysis, Alavi hopes that the brand will do well and not succumb to the onslaught of foreign brands and excessive competition.
The animated Dentonic smiley character peeping down from billboard in a television commercial is easily recalled by people who saw it during the dominant days of Pakistan Television. Hidden behind this brand is story of a committed businessman who believed in his product and who convinced others to use it, ultimately making Dentonic a leader in oral care segment in Pakistan.
S A Alavi, Chairman of Ala Chemicals, the makers of Dentonic, has traveled throughout the country from shop to shop, convincing retailers his tooth powder will sell. “I made my first sale to a shop called Cheap Medical Store,” he recalled, in an interview with The News.
“At first the owner of the store, a man from the Bohri community, was reluctant to keep an unknown tooth powder on his shelf. So I had to convince him to take a sample home for his family. Next time we met, he ordered a dozen Dentonic powder bottles.”
Every entrepreneur has praises for his product. But 73-year-old Alavi’s belief in his product is so unflinching he has surrounded himself with what he makes. The first thing a person senses upon entering his office is the refreshing menthol laced aroma of the white tooth powder that soothes the nostrils.
The Dentonic posters, banners and monograms are everywhere in his office situated in the premises of the Ala factory in Karachi. What has brought Alavi so close to the tooth powder was a painful experience he went through over 50 years ago but still reflects in expressions of his face when he talks about it.
“When I was 20-year-old and doing a small time job at a sugar mill in East Pakistan, I had a severe toothache, which worsened to such a degree that I asked God to take away my life if it can not be cured,” he said. He tried different medicines and prescriptions from dentists but to no avail. Finally his prayer was answered. One day he came across a dentist who claimed to cure toothache with help of his own medicinal powder he called Dentonic.
“In just two weeks of using it, my toothache subsided,” Alavi said. “But that dentist also prescribed me medicines for constipation because no matter what you try, if you have constipation, your toothache will not go away.” But then that dentist had to leave and Alavi was perplexed even when he had enough of that tooth powder for next few months.
“I asked him what will happen when the stock runs out.” The dentist pacified him saying he could make it himself using the formula. “So he gave me names of the ingredients used to make Dentonic.”
In 1958, Alavi moved to Karachi along with a product conceived and named by someone else. He first made Dentonic for himself, family and friends. Soon, every one was asking for it. “That is when I realized it could be marketed.”
Gifted with entrepreneurial spirit, he started doing odd jobs to save money for his product, which went on to become a household name in the next couple of years.
“In March 1963, I started making and marketing Dentonic from a two-room factory,” he said, recalling that the initial efforts met with failure as retailers did not buy the idea that tooth powder had a market. Over the ensuing months, Alavi hired many salesmen but none could sell big numbers.
“The one who sold the most was actually marketing it on buses. But I knew that mode of marketing would damage the product’s image.” And the one thing Alavi was conscious about was the brand identity. Making the smiley monogram was a personal achievement for Alavi. Using the first three letters of his family name A-L-A, he made a cartoon which was instant hit among kids.
Talking to The News, he related another anecdote. “An Englishman saw my monogram and commented ‘it’s got life, life and life.’ He said three times and it made me sure that it would work. I came back and added pink color to the face. Then we showed it playing cricket and hockey in advertisements and it became Dentonic’s identity.”
In subsequent years, ALA Chemicals successfully created customers for tooth powder on the back of affordable prices and proper marketing but that was a time when it faced worthwhile competition from only Tibet Toothpaste.
With the advent of over four dozen satellite channels in last few years, the whole marketing scene has changed. Multinational companies are using continuously evolving marketing techniques to capture target markets and Dentonic is hardly seen anywhere. There is hardly any visible strategy which the company may be using to retain the loyal tooth powder customers.
Foreign and local toothpaste brands are bombarding the media space with themes, messages and images to back their products. Dentonic’s four different types of toothpastes are also in the fray, but hardly to be seen anywhere. “Times have changed. There are so many variants to choose from,” Alavi said.
“I have made and sold Dentonic tooth powder. Now, my children are looking after the toothpaste brand.” In his final analysis, Alavi hopes that the brand will do well and not succumb to the onslaught of foreign brands and excessive competition.
