Case Study: Kimberly-Clark reduces preventable sick-day costs with Challenger

Protecting Our Hands Means Protecting Our People

Kimberly Clark, a major consumer packaged goods company, needed a better way to differentiate Kimberly-Clark Professional in a highly commoditized market. The challenge was that its cleaning and hygiene products were often sold on features, benefits, and discounts, while margins were being pressured by heavy discounting.

Challenger helped Kimberly-Clark rethink its messaging using Challenger Marketing and research-based commercial insights. Instead of focusing on germ-killing claims and price cuts, Kimberly-Clark shifted the conversation to the hidden cost of preventable employee absences, specifically that 5.3% of payroll is tied to illness-related absenteeism, helping position the company as a trusted business partner and strengthening sales conversations.

Kimberly Clark