Crest Kids Fresh Breath Toothpaste

I chose Procter & Gamble (P&G) because it is already a familiar name in my household. As a parent, I use many of its brands for both myself and my children, particularly when it comes to personal and oral care. Brands like Crest and Oral-B have made P&G well known in the oral care market, which is what initially drew me toward the company for this project (Procter & Gamble, n.d.). Crest already offers oral care products for both adults and children, making a new children’s toothpaste a natural fit for the brand. My idea focuses on a gap I have experienced firsthand as a parent: finding a toothpaste that is mild enough for kids to enjoy while still leaving their breath feeling and smelling fresh.

The Product Idea

The idea for Crest Kids Fresh Breath Toothpaste came from an issue I have experienced with my own children. They find the mint flavor of most adult toothpastes too strong, so we usually turn to children’s flavors like bubblegum or other fruity options. While these are much easier for them to tolerate, I have noticed that they do not always leave their breath smelling as fresh as I would expect after brushing.

Crest Kids Fresh Breath Toothpaste would offer a middle ground by combining the cavity protection parents expect from a children’s fluoride toothpaste with a mild, kid-friendly mint flavor designed to help with bad breath. The goal would be to provide the fresh feeling of a traditional mint toothpaste without the intense flavor that can make some children dislike brushing. This would give parents another option without forcing kids to choose between an overpowering mint flavor and an overly sweet or fruity one.

Research Objectives

Before launching Crest Kids Fresh Breath Toothpaste, research would be needed to determine whether other families experience the same problem and if there is enough demand for a product like this. One of the main objectives would be understanding what parents value most when choosing toothpaste for their children, including flavor, cavity protection, fresh breath, ingredients, and price. It would also be important to learn how children respond to different levels of mint flavor and what would be mild enough for them to use comfortably. Research could also compare similar children’s toothpastes already on the market to identify competitors, pricing, and any features they offer that may already address these concerns.

Research Design

I would use a combination of secondary and primary research to determine whether this product would be worth launching. Secondary research would help identify existing children’s toothpaste options, competitor pricing, market trends, and how other brands approach flavor and fresh breath. For primary research, I would survey parents about what they currently buy, what influences their decisions, and whether they experience similar issues with their children’s toothpaste. I would also use product testing with both parents and children to compare a few mild mint flavors and determine which are most appealing without being too strong. Together, this information would help determine whether there is enough interest in the product and what features would matter most to potential customers.

Ultimately, the goal of this research would be to determine whether the problem I have experienced in my own household is shared by enough families to support a product like Crest Kids Fresh Breath Toothpaste. If the research shows that parents want better fresh-breath options and children respond well to a milder mint flavor, the concept could fill a useful gap in Crest’s existing children’s oral care products.