#NHOTC17: Day 2

This week we publish our second and final blog update on our 28th European OTC INSIGHT conference, which took place in Munich earlier this month and was centred on the theme of Making the Most of New Technology. Below is a quick round-up of proceedings on Day 2.

Ed Rowland opens Day 2 proceedings

Ed Rowland opened the conference with an update on key drivers and dynamics in the US OTC strategic landscape. Akhil Chandra of Reckitt Benckiser led us into our final networking hour with a discussion on what makes an iconic brand in a world of biosimilar products. Chandra based his talk around the “iconicity” of Nurofen, insisting that when it comes to brands we should challenge the tendency to default, and instead create, identify and nurture iconic / symbolic elements.

Following an hour of networking with OTC peers, our delegates returned for our final session with Jesus Carrasco, Head of Healthcare at Société Générale, who discussed consolidation and the increasing attractiveness of the consumer healthcare industry from a corporate and investor perspective.

Thornsten Umland from Bayer gave the final presentation on strategic growth and how to build OTC businesses and brands via well executed acquisition and true product innovation.

And finally, a personal message from Nicholas: “Thank you all for making a brilliantly successful conference, the array of speakers and topics covered have certainly left us all with food for thought on the OTC landscape in a world of digital!

As an official announcement, now the conference has ended, we hope to see you next year in… BARCELONA for our 29th European OTC conference #NHOTC18. Auf Wiedersehen or should I say… Adios!”

Health Ads To Make You Laugh (or Cry)

Disgusting? Definitely. Funny? I reckon. Memorable? Yes. Novartis’ recent UK TV ad for its Otrivin topical decongestant has probably turned a few stomachs, but also managed to capture the attention of a UK national newspaper and earned close to 3.5mn hits on YouTube at the time of writing. The ad features under-the-weather overweight office worker Kenneth who fantasises about his female co-workers drooling over him as he spreads menthol rub over his unsightly chest, before being advised by the narrator to take Otrivin instead. The message of efficacy is perhaps not immediately as clear as in previous promotions for the product, starring an animated nose and mouth, or a man surrounded by tissues, but the new content is ridiculous enough to deserve another watch… and then another, until the product’s claimed benefits do stick. It is not the first time Novartis has pushed the comedy boat out for Otrivin. Back in 2011 the marketer won a Cannes Lion Advertising award for Swiss ads featuring “mouth breathers”, or people unable to breathe through their blocked noses, carrying the tagline, “You look dumber with your mouth open”.

Comedy was at the heart of the Nicholas Hall & Company’s coveted Best European OTC Advertising Award in 2014, with Dr Reddy’s ad for its Nise topical analgesic winning over delegates. As Russian soldiers line up on the training ground, one poor soldier is utterly unable to twist his neck owing to muscle pain, a piece of slapstick with a message so simple that there is no need to understand the Russian orders barked at him by his commanding officer. The campaign certainly didn’t do Nise’s Russian sales any harm, with the brand posting impressive growth in 2013.

If you have an OTC ad campaign you’re particularly proud of, funny, serious, simple or surreal, which ran between 1st February 2014 and 31st January 2015, why not enter it into the Nicholas Hall Awards? Shortlisted entries will be judged and the winner announced at the OTC Marketing Awards Ceremony on 16th April 2015 in Paris. The categories include, “The Most Innovative Global OTC Marketing Campaign” and “The Colin Borg Award for the Best European OTC Advertising”, while we will also crown the winner of “The Most Innovative European New Product of the Year”.

Deadline for entries is 1^st February 2015. For more info on entry requirements, please download our brochure or contact Jennifer O’Donnell.

Big Growth for the New Year – Nicholas Hall’s OTC INSIGHT Latin America

We have just published the January / February issue of OTC INSIGHT Latin America. Our Market Report focuses on Gastrointestinals and it has been a good year for the industry with each Big 4 country and all sub-categories posting growth. Lots of activity has been seen in antacids & antiflatulents where a flurry of innovative launches and line extensions have increased competition. Marketers are expanding their consumer base by extending brands into niche segments, such as Bayer’s Alka-Seltzer Boost in Mexico, positioned to relieve hangovers, while on-the-go line extensions from GSK and Hypermarcas in Brazil offer consumers convenience.