In fact, while the brand has been a global bestseller for the past three years, if not more, this is the first time Vaseline has officially been recognised by Nielsen Retail Measurements, who confirmed it had sold more units than any other hand and body care brand in 2016.
Nielsen looked at sales from 21 countries across Europe, Africa, the Americas and Asia, and found that Vaseline achieved 470 million unit sales last year.
The Vaseline Healing Project
The brand’s success in recent years is down to a number of initiatives. One key factor is the Vaseline Healing Project, which brings much-needed dermatological support to communities in need and aims to heal the skin of 5 million people by 2020.
Vaseline’s growth has also been driven by emerging markets, with strong results in India, Indonesia, Thailand, South Africa and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) in recent years.
Here, its focus has been on coming up with the perfect mix of products for specific consumer needs. For example, in India, Vaseline prioritised smaller pack sizes to encourage trial use, and it worked. The brand now accounts for more than 35% of the market.
Growth potential
So where does a brand go after winning the world title? According to Vaseline Global VP Marcela Melero, there’s still plenty of potential for continued growth.
“Into the future, we look forward to continue driving penetration in emerging markets by focusing on purpose-driven locally relevant brand communication and prioritising the right products with the right sizes and right prices for our countries,” she says.
“Being the No.1 brand helps bring authority to our credibility in skin healing and reminds us how much trust people have for Vaseline all over the world.”