Allergy Advertising Not Catching on as Much This Year

TV viewers seem more immune to pitches for allergy medications this spring when compared to the year before, according to a new study from Nielsen IAG. Overall, recall among allergy sufferers aged 25-54 for all the ads on air from January through May this year was 10 points lower than during the same period a year ago.

That’s not to say every ad in the category was unmemorable. An ad for Claritin featuring Nascar’s Carl Edwards was judged slightly more memorable than last year’s top ad for the category featuring the Nasonex bee. Still, the Claritin ad failed to motivate customers to consider Claritin to the same degree as the Nasonex ad.
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Finding High-Potential Customers

Now more than ever, marketers are trying to identify and reach profitable and discrete market segments that were previously overlooked in an effort to keep growing in difficult economic conditions.  Predictive analytics is one way to do that: it marries a range of consumer, transaction and media information and reveals the “who” and “how” of an effective go-to-market strategy.

Predictive analytics can help marketers in several ways:  It can provide a deeper understanding of customers to guide the marketing spend; it offers guidance on selecting messages and vehicles for communicating with them, and; it provides key metrics for measuring campaign impact.

Nielsen teamed up with Experian, the credit reporting agency, and dLife, the leading online resource for diabetics, to develop a program targeting the diabetes community.  Diabetes accounts for 31 percent of health care costs in the U.S. and approximately $175 billion in spending.  Using diabetics’ common interest - in this case - how their disease shapes their lives and influences their food purchasing patterns - the team was able to pinpoint high-value consumer targets, determine the best retail channels to reach them and deliver marketing materials that were specific to their needs.

Read the full case study on how predictive analytics shaped this campaign and can uncover the hidden treasure of consumer value in the current edition of Consumer Insight.

Sales Of Non-Prescription Meds Ailing In Recession

Almost half of consumers around the world say that the recession is changing how they buy non-prescription medications. Some (12%) say that they will use less of them, while others are switching to natural and traditional remedies.  According to a major new study from Nielsen, how consumers self-medicate and choose non-prescription medications varies widely by region.  For example, more than half of Europeans tend to look to their pharmacist for advice on which products to use, while only 13 percent of Americans do the same.

Most consumers said that they would continue to purchase non-prescription medications, although they may switch to cheaper products or use them less frequently. Americans, Germans and Scandinavians all indicated that they would be looking for less expensive products.

Overall, the survey highlights the importance of understanding local consumer needs, as regulatory, distribution and marketing framework vary greatly by country, and cultures have different approaches to what products they use and how they buy them.  Manufacturers that understand these nuances are better positioned to successfully ride out the recession and maintain some level of growth.

Read the full article about Nielsen’s landmark study of the global non-prescription medication market in the current edition of Consumer Insight.

Smoking Cessation Product Sales Still Hot

As previously reported, sales of over-the-counter smoking cessation products such as nicotine gum, lozenges and patches have increased as new federal and state taxes have boosted the price of a pack of cigarettes to $10 or more.  And the trend detected in the weeks immediately following the tax increases has not abated: in the most recent four week period ended May 16^th, dollar sales of the aids were up 18.9 percent over the same period in 2008, while on an equivalized unit volume basis sales were up 30.1 percent (and up 9.5 percent from the previous four week period in 2009).

“It appears that more people are trying to quit smoking by using over-the-counter aids in 2009 than in recent years.  Whether that is the result of new taxes or just a plain desire to improve their health - or a combination of the two - is unknown, but Americans are spending more money on these products to help them kick the habit,” said Todd Hale, Senior Vice President, Consumer and Shopper Insights at Nielsen.

Mail-Order Pharmacies on the Rise in Germany

Web sites like Drugstore.com have been on the scene in the U.S. for several years now. But Germans have now taken to the convenience of ordering over-the-counter (OTC) medications over the Internet. According to Nielsen new MailTrack Pharma service, nearly 48 million OTC packs were sold through mail-order pharmacies in 2008 in Germany, accounting for 5.2 percent of total sales volume. On a value basis, share is even higher, with 7.3 percent or €521 million in sales.

“These numbers confirm the acceptance and attractiveness of mail order. Indeed, one in two German respondents in the Nielsen European OTC survey said they had ordered medicines over the Internet in 2008,” said Bernd Wilhelm, Director of Pharma & Healthcare at Nielsen in Frankfurt.

Swine Flu as Social Media Epidemic; CDC Tweets Calmly

Melissa Davies, Nielsen Online

It has been impossible to escape the news about swine flu (or H1N1 virus) this week. One of the most interesting developments this week has been watching the way people are using the Internet, and specifically social media, to connect with one another around this issue. As of yesterday, buzz volume about swine flu in the blogosphere was still on its meteoric climb, far surpassing discussion levels for the peanut butter/salmonella scare that happened earlier this year or, for a different reference point, recent pop singing sensation Susan Boyle.

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Growth Slows For Health and Wellness Sales

Todd Hale, Senior Vice President, Consumer & Shopper Insights

Last week, my colleague Tom Pirovano wrote about how the economic downturn has slowed the growth of organic products to almost a standstill.   Looking at the broader health and wellness category, we are seeing similar patterns.  Grouping health and wellness claims Nielsen tracks through its LabelTrends service into three tiers based on annual growth rates, retailers and manufacturers will notice some interesting developments.

Tier 1 (15% to 26% annual sales growth): Just one claim - omega - showed any dollar growth in the last four weeks, racking up a more than 30 percent increase.  On a unit basis, products with flax or hemp seed, plant sterol, less sugar claims and probiotic claims showed poor performance in the last four- and thirteen week periods.

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Cialis, Cymbalta Lead 2008’s Most Recalled Drug Ads

Eli Lilly produced three of the top four most-recalled prescription drug and vaccine ads on TV last year, according to new research released today by The Nielsen Company.

The ranking revealed that a spot for Eli’s Cialis was the most often recalled new pharmaceutical ad 2008.  The ad was recalled by viewers at a rate 55% greater than the average based on all new prescription drug ads launched over the past year.  The erectile dysfunction drug ad features a couple interrupted from an intimate moment by a surprise visit from their daughter.

“Prescription drug and vaccine advertisers have learned to adjust to the obstacles that they encountered back in 2007,” said Fariba Zamaniyan, Senior Vice President of the Healthcare practice at Nielsen IAG. “They’ve found a way to deliver more memorable ads that resonate with the audience.”

Video: Fariba Zamaniyan’s analysis of 2008’s most recalled drug ads.

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Oprah’s Influence On Healthy Eating

Oprah Winfrey starts trends.  When her book club features a book, chances are good that it will be a bestseller.  When she mentions a product on her talk show, millions of viewers will check that product out.

Earlier this month, Oprah discussed healthy living with her regular guest Dr. Mehmet Oz, who presented his “Ultimate Health Checklist,” which included three points about eating:

“Oprah’s ability to influence her audience’s behavior is legendary, and retailers should take note of these recommendations, as they may influence purchasing behavior across the U.S. Our LabelTrends service, which tracks health claims of nearly every food product that passes through U.S. cash registers, will analyze data for these foods later this year; if we see a significant spike in sales of the products highlighted on the show, we may be able to attribute that to Oprah,” said Tom Pirovano, Director of Industry Insight at Nielsen.

OTC Heartburn Meds Generate Big Cost Savings In U.S.

Over-the-counter (OTC) heartburn medications save the U.S. healthcare system $757 million each year — by reducing office visits, Nielsen and the Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA) reported in a study released on January 26th.

At an individual level, OTC heartburn remedies save the average American $174 each year — in office visits and medication costs.

Nielsen and CHPA’s joint study also found that 94% of all patients report being satisfied with available OTC heartburn medications.

More than half (61%) of consumers surveyed by Nielsen and CHPA reported treating their heartburn without discussing symptoms with a healthcare provider, a finding that underscores the importance of educating consumers about safe and effective OTC heartburn treatments.

View the full press release here.