Colgate sales up, P&G down

While the recession hammered most companies -- including rival Procter & Gamble (P&G) -- Colgate-Palmolive on Thursday reported a surprising 0.5% increase in worldwide sales for the most recent quarter, capping an 11% surge for the year.

The company said it had increased the global market share for its toothpaste to 44.4%, led by gains in the U.S., Mexico, Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia, China, Russia, Germany, and Australia.

Colgate boosted sales of Total Advanced Whitening and Total Advanced Clean toothpastes by handing out more free samples to dentists and hiring actress Brooke Shields to hawk these brands. However, the company spent less on advertising overall.

In the U.S., the Colgate Total brand alone achieved a record high of 16.0% market share for the year, while Colgate Max Fresh toothpaste also hit a new high at 4.1%.

Colgate also increased its share of the manual toothbrush market, reaching a record 27.1% for the year, up 1.5 share points versus a year ago, fueled by the success of Colgate 360°, Colgate 360° Sensitive, and new Colgate 360° Deep Clean manual toothbrushes.

Meanwhile, Procter & Gamble reported a 3% decline in sales for the most recent quarter, including a drop for Crest.