Issue link: http://osercommunicationsgroup.uberflip.com/i/1013207
Chain Drugstore Daily 5 1 Monday, August 27, 2018 RLA Collective Survey Reveals Top OTC Recommendations Physicians across four HCP specialties took part in an RLA Collective/Brandperx survey on HCP recommendations of OTCs to patients. RLA Collective, a leading health and wellness marketing agency for OTC and supplement brands, partnered with Brandperx, a specialized point-of-care patient and HCP sampling and education company, to survey 1,600 HCPs in four specialties: OB/GYN, Pediatrician, Gastroenterologist and Primary Care. The survey looked at what categories of over-the-counter (OTC) products HCPs are most often recommending to patients and what drives these recommendations. The results of this survey create a snap- shot into the areas where OTC brands might benefit from increased HCP – and patient – communication, according to Alyson O'Mahoney, President of RLA Collective. The recently-conducted survey con- firms some expectations while revealing some OTC marketing opportunities. Expectations included OB/GYNs report- ing higher incidence of feminine itch and yeast OTC recommendations (75 per- cent), and primary care physicians rec- ommending cold/flu products (82 per- cent). Surprisingly, however, OB/GYN was also the mostly likely of the four HCP groups to recommend vitamins (83 percent) – more than primary care doc- tors (61 percent). OB/GYNs were also second to gastroenterologists in recom- mending heartburn products (44 percent and 63 percent, respectively), surpassing primary care physicians (32 percent). Interesting as well was that more than two out of 10 pediatricians (22 percent) recommend sexual health products, con- siderably more than the 6 percent of pri- mary care physicians who do so. The RLA Collective/Brandperx survey also asked HCPs their key rea- sons for recommend- ing OTCs. Most com- monly cited were side effects, active ingre- dients and cost, as was having samples, coupons and informational material in the office. Familiarity with and trust in the brand was also important to a large group of respondents. Other key findings include: 59 per- cent of OB/GYNs report that they are more likely to recommend OTC products when they have coupons available. 56 percent of OB/GYNs report that having product samples in their office influences their recommendation habits. Of the medical professionals surveyed, gas- troenterologists were most likely to rec- ommend a brand by name (vs. ingredi- ent) so the patient can easily identify the product at store/shelf. Primary care physicians were least likely to recom- mend a brand by name, but rather by the brands they have coupons for. Seventy-nine percent of pediatricians report that having printed informa- tional materials about an OTC brand is helpful when making a recom- mendation. RLA Collective specializes in the marketing of OTC, supplement and per- sonal care brands, from new product launches to reviving and supporting her- itage brands. From strategy to execution, RLA Collective helps build client brands through deep category expertise, person- al attention and the use of integrated techniques – from digital to traditional – to achieve measurable sales goals at brick-and-mortar retail and e-commerce. For the complete survey results by spe- cialty and OTC category, contact Ashley Hughes at ahughes@rlacollective.com. For more information, go to www.rla collective.com. Mars Wrigley Confectionery U.S. Expands E-Commerce Program Online sales of confectionery products are seeing rapid growth online and are expected to accelerate in the coming years. By 2025, 20 percent of all food and non-food grocery sales are expected to be sold through digital channels. As shopping for food products online con- tinues to grow in popularity, Mars Wrigley Confectionery U.S. is tapping into global research and developing best- in-class digital merchandising programs to grow its e-commerce presence and bolster key partnerships with online channel leaders. Through research findings, Mars Wrigley Confectionery found that buyers rate the confectionery category as nearly 100 percent more difficult to shop online as compared to other categories. The challenge and opportunity for its team then is to refine the endless aisle online and help shoppers easily find the impulse products they're looking for. As part of its total e-commerce strategy, Mars Wrigley Confectionery is committed to seamlessly integrating with shoppers' online experiences and shortening the digital path to purchase. To drive impulse products online, Mars Wrigley Confectionery has taken a number of innovative approaches, from leveraging new technologies like chat bots to capitalizing on shoppers' increased social engagement. These innovations have helped retailers show up where peo- ple want to make purchases online. For example, a recent test on a pop- ular social media channel leveraging chat bots found that consumers enjoyed engaging with bots, answering questions about their S K I T T L E S ™ p r e f e r e n c e s , ultimately lead- ing to the SKITTLES product showing up directly in peoples' shopping carts on popular online retailers. The novelty of this social engagement was well- received, with 74 percent of bot users "talking" to the bot multiple times. Additionally, the company is work- ing with social media partners to unlock impulse online through enhanced click- to-cart functionality, which can be built into posts featuring anything from recipes to crafts to gifts. A recent Super Bowl promotion generated 20,000-plus potential new orders for testing partner Walmart. While online shopping continues to grow, brick and mortar locations are very much still in the picture. Mars Wrigley Confectionery takes a well-rounded approach to using online tools to drive shoppers into stores. For example, it is working to u n l o c k i m p u l s e p u r c h a s e s online through micro-gifting. This new tool leverages person-to-person mobile gifting through digital gift cards and drives consumers to retail partners (either in-store or online) with fun, unique ways to give confectionery gifts. The Mars Wrigley Confectionery digital team constantly studies the online landscape and continues to build e-com- merce tools to leverage right-time engagement opportunities. By bringing together brands and retail partners, Mars Wrigley Confectionery is continuously looking at new online innovations to drive interest in the confectionery cate- gory and encourage in-store visits as well as online sales. For more information, contact your Mars Wrigley Confectionery representative, go to www.mars.com or call 800.631.7630.