Top OTC Brand Marketing Keeps Messaging Simple

Marketing for top-selling U.S. OTC brands shows the value of new product launches and expanding the user base by tailoring marketing to niche consumer groups in addition to simple, specific messaging, says SymphonyIRI exec Bob Sanders.

Most top-selling OTC brands in the U.S. were switched from Rx, albeit some years ago, which emphasizes the importance of switches to the industry’s growth, said Bob Sanders, executive VP and general manager at SymphonyIRI Group. At the Consumer Healthcare Products Association’s Annual Executive Meeting March 12 he explained that a closer look at the top-selling OTC brands in 2012 reveal other important marketing lessons, such as the value of simple, specific messaging to consumers, new product launches and expanding the user base by tailoring marketing to niche consumer groups.
Brand	2012 Sales (millions)	Insight into the brand’s success by Bob Sanders, SymphonyIRI Group
Advil(Pfizer Inc.)	$752	“Advil continues to grow, continues to focus on its leadership position in the marketplace with very specific messaging.”
Nature Made([Pharmavite LLC])	$679	“The Nature Made business is … a control brand story. It is a brand that was a mid-tier price brand that is doing well in the marketplace by focusing on single entities and disease-specific attributes.”
Mucinex(Reckitt Benckiser Group PLC)	$650	“Mucinex is … a great example of marketing and really understanding consumer confusion in the respiratory category. The brand is doing very, very well and continuing to grow by launching [fast-acting] Mucinex products … and also marketing is spending a lot of money behind that franchise to grow.”
Vicks(Procter & Gamble Co.)	$631	“Vicks is a classic example of leveraging equity and imagery,” with clear symptom-relief marketing. In addition, the launch of the ZzzQuil sleep aid also leveraged Vicks’ heritage of helping consumers sleep.
Ensure(Abbott Laboratories Inc.)	$543	Years ago, consumers associated Ensure with older consumers, but [Abbott Nutrition] launched a complete line with clear benefits to consumers of all ages “that actually helped grow this franchise and become more mainstream.”
Claritin(Merck & Co. Inc.)	$478	Claritin has grown steadily with “aspirational” marketing and strong endorsements from pharmacists .
Nature’s Bounty([NBTY Inc.])	$477	Nature’s Bounty has expanded its reach with products aimed at niche consumer groups, including the Optimal Solutions for Women’s Health line that includes seven stock-keeping units introduced last October (Also see "New Products In Brief" - Pink Sheet, 29 Oct, 2012.).
Dr. Scholl’s(Merck)	$453	Dr. Scholl’s “is a great example of expandable consumption. Their Active Series,” aimed at high-performing athletes, “expanded their user base,” and created significant opportunity.