Packaging and social responsibility appear to be giving Hero a leading edge in the Australian condom market.
According to a new survey conducted by market research company Pureprofile, nearly 78 per cent of women prefer Hero condoms over competitors. The survey also found that young women are more comfortable purchasing Hero Condoms than any other brand.
Commenting on the survey results, Dustin Leonard CEO of Hero said: “Around 60 per cent of 18-24 year olds said that either themselves or someone they knew were embarrassed or uncomfortable with purchasing condoms and I think the provocative packaging of the typical condom box plays a large part in that.
“It’s crazy that this is the norm, given that women makeup up to half of the overall condom market. We’ve designed Hero to be more appealing to women and our market research proves we’ve achieved that goal, with nearly 63 per cent of women saying they would be more comfortable bringing a Hero box to the register,” Leonard said.
The survey also revealed brands without any kind of social or environmental program are in danger of losing customers to disruptors that are part of the movement towards conscious consumerism. It found an overwhelming preference for brands that are socially responsible and environmentally conscious, with 94 per cent of respondents saying they would switch to a brand that is associated with a good cause, assuming it had similar price and quality to the brand they were currently using.
“If Hero can create a sustainable business model around giving back to the community, then why can’t the bigger brands do the same? Companies that are only concerned with lining their shareholders’ pockets don’t deserve the patronage of their customers,” Leonard said.
The survey found that more than nine out of 10 women thought it was important for brands to be socially responsible and give back to society, while less than five per cent of respondents thought that businesses shouldn’t be looking at ways to reduce their impact on the environment.
Hero’s one for one mission means that for every Hero condom sold in Australia and New Zealand, one condom is donated to a developing country. To date, the company has donated 575,000 condoms to Botswana, an African country with one of the highest rates of HIV/AIDS infection in the world, and has pledged to donate 2 million condoms in 2016.
“Durex and Ansell had better be on guard. Hero has only been around for a couple of years, and has already received national distribution in Australia’s leading grocery and pharmacy retailers. With more women taking charge of their sexual health and purchasing decisions, we expect to continue increasing shelf space,” said Leonard.