The Next Big Thing at Retail

Many of the largest new product launches over the last decade have involved the “Rx to OTC” switch of major brands such as Claritin, Prilosec, Zyrtec and Allegra.Pfizer Inc. added another name to this illustrious list in June when it rolled out Nexium 24HR, an OTC version of the popular heartburn medication that hit retail on May 27 bolstered by a massive amount of support in stores and elsewhere. Among the highlights of the ubiquitous launch campaign were unique programs conducted in concert with Walmart, Walgreens and CVS/pharmacy. (See Related Articles.)WalmartPfizer’s plan at the world’s largest retailer encompassed an unprecedented takeover of Walmart’s pharmacy department that employed little-used and even brand-new P-O-P tactics.The merchandising plan involved four custom displays: an endcap, half-pallet, power wing and in-line unit that combined to give the brand a rarely rivaled presence in Walmart stores. RockTenn Merchandising Displays, Winston-Salem, N.C., produced the displays.Meanwhile, multiple floor clings, signs and Mylar balloons at and near pharmacy windows made it next to impossible for shoppers in the department to avoid noticing the brand. The extensive P-O-P package also included arched signs above the antacid aisle. Nexium even got a shout-out over in frozen foods, where a freezer cling called the launch “Big News!”Walmart’s support actually had begun weeks earlier, when the retailer began selling cards providing $10 discounts on future purchases. The “value cards” (which cost $5) were merchandised in an in-line display that heralded the medication’s impending arrival while reserving its newly cut-in shelf space.Activity driving pre-store awareness and consideration included features in four different circulars, a full-page co-op FSI pre-launch, and a dedicated email blast post-launch. A “shop now” button in the email linked to a product page on Walmart.com that described brand attributes and contained an informational video. A banner ad appearing in the pharmacy section of Walmart.com also linked to the page.WalgreensSimilarly, the nation’s top drugstore chain employed a variety of prominent in-store and online marketing vehicles to usher in Nexium.Walgreens kicked off the effort on May 11 with an interior circular feature touting the brand as “Coming Soon.” Nexium was then given front-page treatment in the two weeks immediately before launch, with the latter feature promising $5 in Register Rewards with purchase of a 42-count SKU. The same deal ran on the front page for two post-launch weeks as well.The chain devoted the cover of its June coupon book to an ad directing consumers to Nexium’s website. It was the first time in at least four years (and possibly ever) that an individual brand was promoted on the book’s cover, which typically showcases Walgreens’ own campaigns. An interior ad, meanwhile, carried a $2 coupon for a 28-count SKU.In stores, a plethora of displays and signs created a Walmart-like level of awareness. Among the materials were multiple endcaps, floorstands, window posters, security pedestal ads, aisle violators and A-boards. The plan included signs that, in similar fashion to the ones at Walmart, extended out over the acid relief aisle on a plastic arm attached to the gondola. (The signs were made by RockTenn and installed by Advantage Sales & Marketing, Irvine, Calif.)Elsewhere, custom brochures distributed from an endcap positioned near the pharmacy counter used the chain’s “Answers at Walgreens” platform to present information about the product and heartburn prevention, along with a $1 coupon.Online, a prominent ad broke on Walgreens.com’s homepage at launch, according to the Path to Purchase Institute’s OASIS ad-tracking service. The ad connected site visitors to a landing page providing product information and a buy-now link. One day after launch, an update on Walgreens’ Facebook page promoted Nexium’s availability both in-store and online. The co-operative plan also included paid search on Google.com.CVS/pharmacyThe No. 2 drugstore chain kicked off its program with a front-page feature on May 25 that presented various ExtraBucks incentives for its ExtraCare loyalty cardholders. Front-page features continued promoting the deals throughout June.A wide range of displays and signs were deployed in stores including floorstands, endcaps, power wings and shelf talkers. An in-line unit boasted a package glorifier with a motion-activated light. Many of the displays dispensed pamphlets with general information about the products.Meanwhile, a brand showcase on CVS.com outlined product attributes and contained a video about heartburn. The page also linked to the website’s e-commerce area, where Nexium purchases were incentivized with offers for free shipping and an account-specific coupon (via Coupons.com). A dedicated email on May 29 directed recipients to the showcase page.Leaderboard and skyscraper ads began running in multiple areas of CVS.com one day before the May 27 launch, according to OASIS. The ads linked to the site’s “Digestive Health” landing page, which spotlighted Nexium and in turn linked to the brand showcase and e-commerce area.

The Next Big Thing at Retail

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