Scoring retail victories

In the highly competitive world of mass-market consumer products, a young and growing Missouri company is taking on industry giants and scoring retail victories.

Triumph Pharmaceuticals Inc. of St. Louis, MO, introduced the SmartMouth Mouthwash technology in the late-1990s and has placed this next generation of oral care products in 35,000 retail outlets nationwide. Triumph's chairman, Dr. Marvin Cohen, DDS, and his daughter, CEO Dr. Susanne Cohen, DDS, have been forging a steady product development path over the years, becoming savvy marketers and evangelists for the product's patented technology.

"We happen to be representing a technology that is nothing like anything else in the market by leaps and bounds, and the other companies in the marketplace have responded to that. It's rare that you have all of the pieces of new technology, product improvement, and smart marketing fall into place at once, especially at a small company," Dr. Susanne Cohen explains.

SmartMouth's point of differentiation is how it works and the length of time the product keeps bad breath at bay. The rinse uses zinc ion technology to eliminate and prevent halitosis for 12 hours at a time. The science behind SmartMouth was developed by Dr. Israel Kleinberg, chairman of oral biology and pathology at the State University of New York, Stony Brook. The application is twofold. First, a base of sodium chlorite (an oxidizing agent) contained in one container of the SmartMouth dual bottle package must be mixed with zinc chloride from the second bottle just before rinsing. This not only eliminates, but prevents the formation of foul-smelling gases that Gram-negative anaerobic bacteria emit after metabolizing amino acids. Over time, these bacteria die and re-populate, requiring the rinse to be applied again in about 12 hours.

Most mouth rinses on the market do not prevent foul breath for more than one hour, making SmartMouth 12-times more effective at providing fresh breath than those leading mouthwashes.

SmartMouth, originally marketed under the name TriOral, was questioned by the National Advertising Division of the Better Business Bureau regarding its marketing claims. Among the issues in question, the claim that SmartMouth provided 12 hours of fresh breath. After the agency reviewed clinical studies and other scientific literature about the product's performance, it issued a statement concurring that product's claims were substantiated.

Since Triumph introduced SmartMouth, other products in the category have taken notice and adapted to the marketing challenge it presented. Some changed their product verbiage to suggest that consumers use their product twice a day (in the same vein as SmartMouth). One industry giant introduced its own rinse highlighting its staying power by making the mouth feel fresher five times longer than just brushing the teeth.

Triumph has taken the competition in stride by rolling out its own national television advertising campaign. Its TV spots hit hard on competitors' claims that they produce fresh breath longer. The commercials highlight SmartMouth's 12-hour halitosis fighting power versus leading competitors' one-hour longevity.

Dr. Susanne Cohen is optimistic that consumers will take notice of the new campaign and the performance differences. As consumers become increasingly familiar with SmartMouth, the rinse will move from a specialty product to a general consumer category and widespread acceptance.

"When a new company is starting out, it's critical that you fully believe in what you are selling," she says. "You need to identify why you love it, but also why somebody else thinks it would be important to them. And then you need to figure out how to communicate effectively to the people who you think can benefit from your product. You simply can never give up."

She also credits the company's Missouri location as another element in its success. Although Triumph was founded by the Cohens in Denver, they moved it to St. Louis, in part to allow the family to be closer together, but also to take advantage of an abundant skilled workforce.

"We have a very substantial talent pool here with companies such as Monsanto and Pfizer. We also have found marketing, sales, quality assurance and control, finance - really all aspects of high quality operational and corporate personnel," she says.

Being centrally located also helps reduce shipping costs and avoids weather extremes the upper Midwest and Eastern Seaboard experience.

But there is another aspect of locating in Missouri that gives Triumph an advantage: culture.

"I've lived in a lot of places, and there is a difference here in how people conduct themselves," Dr. Susanne Cohen says. "There is a strong work ethic and friendliness that I haven't found elsewhere. It gives us the latitude to create our own environment, and that's a wonderful opportunity. We are able to surround ourselves with people whom we share common values with."

Triumph has other products in the SmartMouth line, including gum, mints, and toothpaste. In addition, there are some new products in development that will enhance existing SmartMouth products. Although Cohen says she isn't at liberty to discuss those products now, she believes the company is poised for more breakthroughs.

"We are going to make a huge impact," she says.

Combining all those factors gives Triumph a bright future, Cohen says, and one that will have a noticeable footprint on the marketplace.

"I believe that the SmartMouth technology has the ability to change our society. I know that sounds huge, but I truly believe that when people have access to a product that can build their confidence and eliminate a social obstacle to their success, it's a complete game changer," she says.