Pharmaton introducing "memory-enhancing" Ginkoba with $14 mil. ad/promo budget.
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
Executive Summary
PHARMATON INTRODUCES GINKOBA "MEMORY-ENHANCING" HERBAL SUPPLEMENT in retail drug chains, supermarkets, discount stores and mass merchandisers, the Boehringer Ingelheim division announced Oct. 30. Structure/function claims in the product labeling say that ginkgo biloba extract "improves memory and concentration" and "enhances mental focus." Pharmaton Natural Health Products is a Swiss producer of natural products that was purchased by Boehringer in 1991.
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PHARMATON INTRODUCES GINKOBA "MEMORY-ENHANCING" HERBAL SUPPLEMENT in retail drug chains, supermarkets, discount stores and mass merchandisers, the Boehringer Ingelheim division announced Oct. 30. Structure/function claims in the product labeling say that ginkgo biloba extract "improves memory and concentration" and "enhances mental focus." Pharmaton Natural Health Products is a Swiss producer of natural products that was purchased by Boehringer in 1991. Sun Source International is distributing Ginkoba in the U.S. Sun Source has distributed Pharmaton's Ginsana, a ginseng-based "energizing" herbal supplement, since 1983. Ginsana holds about 15% of the $190-200 mil. U.S. natural supplements category in food, drug and mass market outlets based on A.C. Nielsen data, Pharmaton said. The company described the product as the "highest selling herbal supplement in the U.S." Pharmaton said it will spend about $14 mil. on advertising and promotional activities in late 1995 and during 1996 to launch Ginkoba. The ad campaign will begin with radio ads starting in mid-November and running through the end of the year. Television ads on network and cable channels including CNN, CNBC, Discovery and other news-oriented networks will kick off in December and January. Print ads will appear in December issues of American Health, Men's Health, New Choices, Prevention, Sunset and Woman's Day and run throughout 1996. The print ad is tagged: "Remember New Ginkoba. The Thinking Person's Supplement." The ad states that ginkgo biloba extract "has been proven over several decades of clinical tests to help promote mental acuity, help you concentrate better and enhance overall cognition and memory." The ad copy continues: "Other tests have shown that New Ginkoba can increase the microcirculation of blood flow, which increases the amount of oxygen to the brain." Consumer promotions include an in-pack $1.50 rebate, which will be offered through 1996. The company plans to promote the product with four or five direct mailings containing coupons, rebates and information on the product. Ginkoba is available in two SKUs -- a 36- and a 72-tablet pack. The average retail prices of $11.99 and $16.99 are similar to those for Ginsana. |