Dallas, Aug. 11, 2005 Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NYSE: KMB) today announced the launch of Poise Panty, the latest innovation from the company's market-leading Poise brand. Poise Panty is an underwear product designed specifically to help women experiencing light to moderate bladder weakness feel more feminine because it looks, fits and feels like women's underwear.
Poise Panty's proprietary cotton-like material not only looks like women's underwear but also stretches and moves with a woman's body to provide enhanced comfort and better fit. The special feminine design and touches such as a scalloped waistband, fitted waist and lavender back thread offers women the feminine look they desire, but cannot find in unisex disposable underwear. Poise Panty provides a discreet solution to bladder weakness that enables women to put their minds at ease.
"Light to moderate bladder weakness is a daily challenge for approximately one in four women in North America over the age of 40," said Tim Lehman, President, Kimberly-Clark Adult and Feminine Care sector. "Many women are using pads and are not satisfied with the performance, yet they are not emotionally comfortable with the idea of using unisex disposable underwear. Other women experiencing bladder weakness may be using unisex disposable underwear, but are looking for a more feminine solution. The introduction of Poise Panty addresses these needs with a breakthrough feminine, underwear-like product that provides protection against bladder weakness."
Additionally, Lehman says the launch of Poise Panty further extends the reach of the Poise brand, which is all about helping maturing women participate fully and confidently in life.
"The new Poise Panty is another example of an innovative solution K-C has brought to customers, shoppers and users. This feminine product should help grow the North American adult care category by satisfying the unmet needs of women who experience light to moderate bladder weakness and are not satisfied with products they currently use," said Lehman.
Leveraging Consumer Insights to Deliver Innovation
"In our consumer research and testing of the new Poise Panty, approximately 70 percent of women who experience bladder weakness said they would use the product. Based on this finding, Poise Panty should appeal to both women who are not satisfied with their current pad and women who are looking for a more feminine absorbent underwear product," concluded Lehman.
The new Poise Panty will be available at most major retail outlets throughout North America beginning in August. Consumers will be able to find Poise Panty in the Health and Beauty section of most stores, along with other Poise brand products.
The product launch is being supported by a $10 million-plus advertising, public relations and promotional campaign. This integrated campaign illustrates how Poise Panty helps maturing women with light to moderate bladder control problems by absorbing wetness and odor, and eliminating the anxiety most women feel about this condition.
The campaign's theme "Poise. Yes, I can." takes a step back from the bladder control issue by reminding the maturing woman to focus on all the wonderful things her body can do. Poise Panty will be sold in a convenient 17-count package for small-to-medium sizes, and15-count package for large sizes, with suggested retail pricing of $11.99 per package for both sizes.
Kimberly-Clark is the No. 1 provider of adult incontinence products in North America, with its leading Poise and Depend brands. K-C's adult care business has posted five consecutive quarters of double-digit volume growth, and it expects the new, high margin Poise Panty to help continue driving this momentum.
About Kimberly-Clark
Kimberly-Clark and its well-known global brands are an indispensable part of life for people in more than 150 countries. Every day, 1.3 billion people nearly a quarter of the world's population trust K-C brands and the solutions they provide to enhance their health, hygiene and well-being. With brands such as Kleenex, Scott, Huggies, Pull-Ups, Kotex and Depend, Kimberly-Clark holds the No. 1 or No. 2 share position in more than 80 countries. To keep up with the latest K-C news and to learn more about the company's 133-year history of innovation, visit www.kimberly-clark.com.
