GSK's Flonase Launch Nothing to Sneeze At

Philadelphia — According to research by GlaxoSmithKline, more than half of the estimated 50 million allergy sufferers in the U.S. do not get the relief they want. Hoping to lower that number, the manufacturer in July 2014 earned FDA approval for over-the-counter sales of its nasal allergy relief medicine, Flonase.Flonase contains the United States’ most-prescribed allergy ingredient, fluticasone propionate, and the OTC version provides the same dose and strength as its prescription predecessor. “Doctors really trusted our product, and by bringing that same level of relief over the counter, we feel we can make a real impact in allergy sufferers’ lives,” says Amerdeep Kahlon, Rx to OTC marketing director for GSK.The campaign to make consumers aware of the switch began immediately after last summer’s FDA approval. That’s when GSK debuted a microsite where consumers could learn more and sign up for future communications.In November, GSK launched a Tumblr site (Flonase.Tumblr.com) that gave consumers a behind-the-scenes look at the process of taking the medicine from prescription to OTC. “What we found was that consumers don’t really know what the whole process is or what it takes,” Kahlon says. “We wanted to take a really open and transparent approach in the category.”This effort also extended to the main Flonase.com site, which contains substantial editorial content on allergy-related topics.Through January 2015, GSK continued to build momentum with “coming soon” messaging and by going live with customized content on retailer websites where shoppers could pre-order Flonase. The brand also increased social media and digital activity across all major platforms leading up to the product’s Feb. 4 launch.GSK established major partnerships to support the launch and reinforce the Flonase message of helping people be greater than their allergies. These included a unique co-branded effort with The Weather Channel to launch what Kahlon called the nation’s first-ever comprehensive allergy tracker. The resource provides a three-day forecast for local pollen, breathing and mold conditions.GSK believed that helping to grow the allergy category for retail partners was key to a successful launch. “Because we were growing the category by bringing all these bodies from Rx to OTC, that really got retailers excited because that meant more foot traffic, more trips to the allergy aisle and more purchases,” says Joe Cadle, director of shopper marketing for GSK.GSK wanted shoppers entering stores to understand what Flonase was and that something big was happening with it. “Our goal was to break through and get shoppers’ attention with disruptive and engaging activation,” says Karen Gebhart, executive vice president and general manager of Epsilon-Ryan, GSK’s shopper marketing agency. “We kept our messaging simple and solution-focused and delivered highly relevant content at the right place and the right time.”At CVS/pharmacy, this messaging was extensive. Judy Sansone, senior vice president of merchandising for CVS Health, noted that the importance of the allergy category to CVS customers is extremely high. “The OTC launch of Flonase provides CVS the opportunity to meet our allergy customer’s needs in a personalized and differentiated way while delivering on our health-focused purpose and brand,” Sansone says.The effort included a Flonase page on CVS.com, personalized emails, direct mail and promotion using the Shopkick mobile app. In-store custom display elements included Flonase shopping basket liners, a freestanding graphic display containing Flonase key messaging, and pharmacy counter units. CVS also worked with GSK on a shelf-merchandising unit.Walgreens featured Flonase window posters and a tall tower front-of-store. In March, the brand also hosted events at Walgreens flagship locations in 10 cities that gave shoppers the opportunity to take photos of themselves in a victory pose looking greater than their allergies. Walgreens projected selected photos onto a billboard in Times Square in New York City.At Target, GSK created Flonase endcap displays that use lifestyle imagery, an approach that Cadle says Target normally reserves for beauty items. In Kroger markets, stores placed Flonase displays in the floral section, a move that Cadle says was a first for an OTC product. At Walmart, displays and balloons flagged the brand from far away. Endcaps with SmartNetwork video monitors featured Flonase brand messaging. In Costco and Sam’s Club stores, GSK employed vibrant pallet configurations featuring the green and white brand colors.Many of these in-store elements will remain in place throughout the allergy season and into summer.GSK also launched a sweepstakes that awarded a Dyson Cinetic Big Ball Animal + Allergy vacuum. Another sweepstakes aimed at driving enrollment in Flonase’s electronic relationship marketing program gave contestants a chance to win a new riding lawn mower or grand-prize trip.GSK will measure the success of the OTC launch campaign using KPIs that include category growth, sales growth, share growth and other analytics.Other agencies that contributed to the campaign were digital agency Wunderman, New York; Weber Shandwick, New York, for PR and social media; Adrenaline, New York, for advertising; and media agency PHD, New York.

GSK's Flonase Launch Nothing to Sneeze At

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