The latest look at Datamonitor's Productscan testifies to this new trend, with two products in particular - a dual skin care product from Avon and a children's toothpaste with a flashing cap from Dr Fresh.
According to Datamonitor, Dr Fresh's launch gives the toothpaste category a new twist, injecting fun into what is traditionally a conservative and slow-moving category. Its FireFly Anticavity Fluoride Toothpaste is a bubble gum flavored kids' toothpaste, recently launched in the US.
What really marks this product out is the fact that the tube has a light-up cap - a packaging innovation that should appeal to younger oral care users. But the cap also has a functional purpose, as it flashes for 60 seconds when it is opened, signifying the length of time the user is meant to brush each row of teeth.
Firefly is touted as "the first toothpaste using blinking technology that 'teaches' kids proper brushing habits." Either way it is certainly a ground breaking product and is likely to draw plenty of attention, if only for its adventurous packaging.
Meanwhile, Avon is tapping into the increasing appeal of dual function products with the launch of a new skincare product on the US market, which should later be extended to worldwide markets. Just like the oral care sector and virtually every other category, the skin care category is turning to increasingly varied and niche products for its latest launches.
Super Shape is an addition to the Avon Solutions line and targets both cellulite and stretch marks. Said to be the first dual-action product of its kind, the cream claims to fight the appearance of both these conditions.
Datamonitor says Its botanical formula contains Lipo-botanical complex to help reduce the fatty appearance of cellulite, skin renewal acid to help improve the appearance of older stretch marks and butea flower extract to help new stretch marks appear less visible.
The increasing segmentation of individual cosmetic and toiletry categories has been led by hair care, which has practically reinvented itself in an effort to fight off the effects of a mature market with limited growth prospects.
The hair care category is almost unrecognizable from how it looked just a few years ago, with products targeting every type of hair 'issue'. This has led to a dizzying array of products, with everything from hair straightening conditioners to anti-aging shampoos.
Now it appears this micro-segmentation is starting to take off in other categories, as shown by these latest launches. Watch this space for what will probably be increasingly imaginative launches. How long before we see eyebrow conditioners?