via SF Gate, by Casey Newton
In nearly a quarter-century of selling condoms, David Mayer has learned one lesson above all others: When it comes to shelf displays, size matters.
Mayer, the CEO of Mayer Laboratories in Berkeley, helped to popularize ultrathin condoms, which the company sells under the brand name Kimono. By 2005, Kimono made up 3.3 percent of U.S. condom sales, including 25 percent of ultrathin condoms.
But Mayer's early efforts in the $250 million market met with strong resistance from Church & Dwight, maker of the best-selling Trojan brand.
Since acquiring the 90-year-old Trojan brand in 2001 from Carter-Wallace Inc., Church & Dwight has escalated its practice of giving retailers lucrative rebates - Mayer calls them "kickbacks" - on every condom sold.
Now Mayer is suing Church & Dwight, alleging that the New Jersey company is a monopolist that violated state and federal antitrust laws, leading to higher condom prices nationwide. The company is asking for unspecified damages and for an end to what it calls anti-competitive business practices.
The suit has attracted the attention of the Federal Trade Commission, which began a separate investigation into Church & Dwight's business practices.
Read the rest.
Mayer, the CEO of Mayer Laboratories in Berkeley, helped to popularize ultrathin condoms, which the company sells under the brand name Kimono. By 2005, Kimono made up 3.3 percent of U.S. condom sales, including 25 percent of ultrathin condoms.
But Mayer's early efforts in the $250 million market met with strong resistance from Church & Dwight, maker of the best-selling Trojan brand.
Since acquiring the 90-year-old Trojan brand in 2001 from Carter-Wallace Inc., Church & Dwight has escalated its practice of giving retailers lucrative rebates - Mayer calls them "kickbacks" - on every condom sold.
Now Mayer is suing Church & Dwight, alleging that the New Jersey company is a monopolist that violated state and federal antitrust laws, leading to higher condom prices nationwide. The company is asking for unspecified damages and for an end to what it calls anti-competitive business practices.
The suit has attracted the attention of the Federal Trade Commission, which began a separate investigation into Church & Dwight's business practices.
Read the rest.
What's the condom failure rate?... including the failure to use condoms. If condoms worked wouldn't the rate of new infections gone down over the many years since the promotion of condoms and so called safer sex practices? If condoms worked wouldn't the birth rate have gone down?
ReplyDeleteCondoms brought down the rate of infections in the US substantially - it is proven. We used to have something like 150k infections a year - that didn't go down to 50k a year by magic.
ReplyDeleteThe US birth rate is also lower than it has ever been.
They work great - 98% efficacy - if used consistently and correctly. Problem is, people don't use them consistently and correctly because they don't like them, or can't use them for whatever reason.
There are very few things that work so well...
Again, what's the condom a) failure rate?... including the failure to use condoms.
ReplyDelete>"Condoms brought down the rate of infections in the US substantially - it is proven."
b) Where is proof?... not a general reference requiring further navigating, digging. The exact authoritative weblink, the exact cite with this proof by a controlled study of a large random population long range. c) How reliable are questionnaires?... where answers can be whatever participants imagined about themselves.
Google it. You seem to have a lot of time on your hands - so start researching and please share.
ReplyDelete>"Condoms brought down the rate of infections in the US substantially - it is proven. We used to have something like 150k infections a year - that didn't go down to 50k a year by magic. The US birth rate is also lower than it has ever been. They work great - 98% efficacy - if used consistently and correctly. Problem is, people don't use them consistently and correctly because they don't like them, or can't use them for whatever reason. There are very few things that work so well..."
ReplyDeleteyup - when used...
yer a genius anon. sort of like seat belts. what is your point? nothing works if it isn't used.
ReplyDeleteof interest:
ReplyDeleteCondom Effective Dossier Now Available
Over the past year, leaders from multiple sexual health organizations in the U.S. have teamed together to create what is called the “Condom Effectiveness Dossier.” The Dossier is a review of the scientific evidence for the effectiveness of condoms----designed to be used by educators and policy makers when faced with questions about condom manufacturing, condom efficacy, etc. The full Dossier includes a slide set with over 100 slides dedicated to what scientists know about condoms and their effectiveness, and also includes several videos (e.g., of the condom testing process) that can be used by faculty and other educators during lectures and other presentations.
Our goal is to make this Dossier available as widely as possible. The full folder of the Dossier can be downloaded at the link below. I think this is one of the most comprehensive collections of information that supports the work that we do to encourage condom use and condom education.
Please feel free to share this message with your colleagues and students and forward to groups that you think may find any of this information helpful to their work.
http://www.msmgf.org/index.cfm/id/11/aid/3519/lang_id/1
Michael Reece, Ph.D., MPH
ReplyDeleteDirector, Center for Sexual Health Promotion http://sexualhealth.indiana.edu
Associate Professor, School of Health, Physical Education & Recreation
Indiana University
http://info.hper.indiana.edu/sb/page/normal/1215.html
Thank you!... for the insightful sources cited. Please note powerpoint is evil http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/11.09/ppt2.html
ReplyDeleteedwardtufte.com